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| - I can't say enough great things about this location in Middleton. Earlier this year, I had a one-bedroom suite for almost three months. A family member was in the hospital at UW-Madison during this time and this hotel was more than accommodating for the specific needs in our situation.
I'm not going to go into the specific details of the accommodations partly to protect individual privacy. The other reason not to get so detailed is simply because I think the staff went so far out of their way that these "favors" may potentially be abused by other guests if they were aware of the extreme kindness.
As I mentioned, this hotel offered many special accommodations. This allowed us to truly feel like we had a "home away from home". Most of the staff knew me by name. They were sensitive to the fact that I had a loved one who was in the hospital and critically ill. I wasn't alone in this, though. There were many other guests in a similar (if not same) situation as me. This hotel could be a pilot for partnering up with hospitals in a win, win, win scenario that benefits the hotel, hospital, and the guest/patient. In addition, I would not be surprised if they have special training for their staff in the area of customer service and handling special accommodations.
The manager, Brad, is visible and on-site on a regular basis. He and his staff organize and manage a social for their guests three nights a week. The social offers a free meal and drinks (including beer and wine) for a couple hours in the evening. And, as the name describes, it allows their guests an excellent opportunity to socialize.
There are several hotel options recommended by UW and we tried three of them. This one may be five miles away from the main UW hospital, but it is a straight shot along University Avenue. Now that UW purchased the Best Western Intowner, there is much more of a push with them recommending their newly owned property to UW patients. The Intowner is fine, but the best thing going for it is how close it is to the hospital. The Staybridge-Middleton, outshines them in so may ways - indoor pool, hot tub, laundry facility, garage, large suites, kitchenettes, socials, breakfast buffet,and most of all...the staff.
Unfortunately, I can not remember all the names of the staff that I would love to thank. Our housekeeper was perfect. She cleaned only when we needed it and got to know our preferences. For instance, she asked if we could use an extra box of Kleenex because she remembered us requesting an extra box the week before. She always did a great job cleaning and freshening up our room and never invaded our space.
I noticed how well the staff work together as a team and support each other when the need arises. It's obvious that the staff members are cross-trained to manage various work areas and different shifts. For instance, I first met Bonnie on the shuttle. She arrived at UW Hospital to pick me up. She even showed me a quicker route back to the hotel during rush hour. During my stay, I also saw Bonnie at the front desk, at the breakfast buffet, in the kitchen area, in the dining area, managing the socials, and even came to our suite to fix the television! It turned out that the remote needed new batteries - which she was prepared for.
I also feel like I got to know Ana pretty well since she worked the breakfast buffet many mornings. Between her and Bonnie, I just don't know how they always seem to make everything run so smoothly.
There is another lady with short blonde hair (sorry, I can't seem to remember her name) that always worked the socials. She was so welcoming and learned what I like to eat and drink. She even encouraged me to take food "to-go" when I needed to rush back to the hospital. It was like being with family.
Jan, Justin and Bobby are always a pleasure at the front desk. Not only are they welcoming, but they go out their way to get answers to your questions and take care of any requests.
My final comments are definitely not the least important. During my stay, I noticed that there was a team of about three housekeeping staff members who appeared to have cognitive/mental disabilities. I was so pleased to see this and know that this hotel and the manager recognize the need to utilize talents that are so often overlooked. There may have been moments of inconvenience for the guests or perhaps mistakes made by these staff members. However, this is how they learn and become an integral part of society. I commend Brad Cook for making diversity a priority.
Until my next stay...
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