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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.”
“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.)
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| 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.”