The answer key: West Baden's personalized service

Marsha Tellstrom, at right, has the answers and advice for guests to maximize their stay at
West Baden Springs Hotel.    

Meet Marsha Tellstrom, and let her tell you about where her job has taken her.

“I’ve driven to Jasper for a young man’s upset girlfriend to purchase Spanx that she’d forgotten to pack,” she says about an emergency proxy shopping trip 35 minutes away; she did it for guests who had flown in and didn’t have access to a car.

Then there was the man who was staying at West Baden Springs Hotel over Thanksgiving weekend and locked his keys in his car during a Walmart trip 15 minutes away. He and his family were regular Thanksgiving guests at West Baden Springs Hotel so they’d formed a connection over the years with Marsha. She was too busy to leave her post that night, but her husband Jan also works at the resort and Team Tellstrom came to the rescue. “He came here and got the spare set of keys, and then he drove the keys to Paoli to let the people in their car,” she says.

Shortly later, Marsha rehashes the story of when a hotel guest’s freezer storage device for medication was accidentally thrown away. The medication needed to be stored with hard ice packs. In a pinch on a Sunday morning, Marsha mobilized on a door-to-door quest.

“I drove to two friends’ houses and picked up their ice packs that were in their freezers, and then I went to my own house for some more, so we could give them to the guest as they were checking out,” she recalls.

Granted, they’re three extreme scenarios. But it’s a window into the personalized service Marsha brings to her post as the senior concierge at West Baden Springs Hotel. If you’ve visited West Baden, you’ve probably passed by Marsha or another member of the concierge staff as they’re stationed at the desk just inside the hotel’s enormous atrium. They’re there to help – even if you might not be looking for it.

Without a doubt, the travel industry has changed to reflect today’s climate of perpetual rush. Self-check-in stations at hotels have allowed people to bypass the front desk altogether. Travel apps exist to get folks acquainted with their temporary city. Online booking eliminates the face-to-face interaction. Often, though, it’s a catch-22. With the millennial crowd leading the charge, travelers of today crave authentic experiences more and more.
Whenever guests ask about must-see things during their stay,
Marsha recommends two things: Check out the view at The
Pete Dye Course (above) and take the historical walking tour
 at West Baden Springs Hotel, which is offered three times daily. 

Marsha has served those up for people like Ann Beatty, a Chicago-area resident who’s planning her 11th straight visit to West Baden over Thanksgiving to convene with her children and grandchildren for the holiday weekend. Ann’s family has taken in on-site attractions like FootGolf, The Stables and the pizzeria thanks to Marsha’s input, as well as off-property destinations such as Wilstem Ranch and the Paoli Peaks ski area.

“She knows everything the Beatty family does by now,” said Ann, who makes a point to visit the concierge desk when first arriving to get filled in about what’s new at the hotel and around town. “From the first time you meet her, you know you’re going to be in good hands and you’re going to be taken care of. I always know that Marsha’s going to be a fountain of knowledge.

“Knowing Marsha these last few years has made it more personal.”

On Marsha’s days off from work, she’s traveled from Louisville to the Illinois border and southward along the Ohio River, checking out wineries, caves, restaurants and hiking to recommend to West Baden guests who want to get out and explore. On weekend mornings Marsha and a few of the other concierges lead a walking history tour, an informal hour-long stroll of about 3 ½ miles that loops to West Baden Springs Hotel and back. (It leaves at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day to the end of October.)

When you book a room at West Baden, you can expect to receive a pre-arrival email from Marsha listing a rundown of the services offered at West Baden, and an invitation to contact her personally for any other questions either before you arrive or once you get here. Marsha likes to craft that initial connection, since as she pointed out, concierge is a dwindling profession and some people aren’t exactly sure what they even do.

Their function is to make your stay easier, whether it’s making restaurant reservations, suggesting where to go and what to see from a local’s perspective, or answering anything and everything you’re curious about.

The Rookwood fireplace in the West Baden Springs Hotel atrium
is intricately detailed with a scene featuring the area's famed
sulfur springs and Sprudel, the gnome-like mascot of West
Baden long ago.

Fire a question her way. She likely has an answer.

“This does not really operate, does it?” a curious guest inquired about the ornate fireplace in the West Baden atrium as Marsha was standing nearby on a recent weekday afternoon. “It does not anymore, sir; it used to,” Marsha replied without hesitation. “A hundred years ago, it did. It was a 14-foot, log-burning fireplace. But since the restoration in 2007, it no longer operates as a fireplace. Just for beauty.”

She’s apprised of the weather forecast. (“It might be a little chilly,” she advised a guest wondering about wearing shorts to an outdoor dinner.) She can tell you what’s good on the menu. (Barbecue ribs, salmon, Caesar salad and cream cheese-filled strawberries were what she mentioned to a family headed to eat at Hagen’s Restaurant.) She’s an effervescent spirit and a travel brochure come to life. (“These are all paved paths – very nice for walking. These are all hiking trails up in the woods,” Marsha explains the color-coded segments in a resort map she unfolds in front of a few guests.)

The concierge staff has helped a couple guests pull off surprise
 engagements at the hotel, including some in the scenic gardens.
And how’s this for service: Marsha has even been behind the scenes on three or four surprise engagements at West Baden. For a few men who asked for her help, Marsha guided them to the prime spots to pop the question and got a photographer in on the plan to capture the magic moment.

Marsha knows firsthand how a concierge can add special accents to a travel experience – and it’s why she always uses the concierge when she visits other hotels. Personal touches are merely a matter of asking.

“If you’re afraid to use the concierge service or you don’t know what a concierge is, don’t worry about that,” Marsha says. “If you want the best stay you can possibly have, use our service because we can make a difference in the memory you will have when you leave the resort.”