Hospitality Knows No Bounds: Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel Surprises Texas Man with Trip to Europe After Braving Texas Power Outages
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts helps plan trip of a lifetime for the 91-year-old grandfather
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During the widespread power outages that swept through Texas in February, Dallas resident Ezell Holley was displaced from his home and stayed at a local hotel, which the family jokingly nicknamed the “Waldorf Astoria.” Holley would end up receiving an incredible surprise when Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, one of Waldorf Astoria’s 32 global luxury properties, gifted him with a future multi-night stay at the hotel.
The Rome Cavalieri hotel took notice of Holley when his granddaughter started documenting Holley’s difficult situation on her social feed and was immediately inspired by his incredibly positive attitude and cheery disposition. The thoughtful and quick-thinking hotel team was able to connect with the family through social media and offer Holley a complimentary three-night stay in Rome as soon as it is feasible and safe to travel again. Holley’s granddaughter, who happens to be FOX29 Philadelphia Anchor Alex Holley, captured his reaction to the gift on video and shared it on a subsequent “Good Day Philadelphia” segment and on her social media channels.
Known for their elegant and anticipatory service, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s iconic luxury brand, decided to take this one step further and offer Holley an additional three nights at any Waldorf Astoria property globally as well as round trip airfare to Rome for him and a guest.
“I fell in love with Rome while being stationed in Germany and traveling throughout Europe with the U.S. Army many years ago,” Holley said. “When I was there last, I threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, and they say if you throw coins in, that means you will return to Rome. I was never sure I would get back to that beautiful city. To have received such an amazing gift from a hotel in a place that I hold very dear in my heart was an incredible surprise and I’m very grateful.”
Holley had been planning his first trip back to Rome right before the pandemic hit but was unable to make the trip due to the global travel restrictions. This will be the first time he has stayed in a Waldorf Astoria property and as he says, “I never dreamed I would stay in a place like this.”
“When we saw Ms. Holley’s segment about her grandfather, we were taken by his humor and positive spirit during the extremely challenging times in Texas,” said Alessandro Cabella, general manager, Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. “The hotel’s marketing team had the idea to reward Mr. Holley’s infectious smile and support of the Waldorf Astoria brand with a ‘surprise and delight’ stay at Rome Cavalieri. We would be honored to welcome him back to Rome and look forward to his good cheer lighting up our hotel.”
Knowing that Holley might not be able to travel to Rome in the near future, the Rome Cavalieri team decided to bring a luxury hotel experience directly to him by sending a care package including a hotel bathrobe, slippers, luggage tag and more to use while he plans ahead for his upcoming trip.
Once Holley is able to safely travel to the destination, the Rome Cavalieri team stands at the ready to welcome him with an authentic Roman experience, in true Waldorf Astoria fashion. Awaiting him at the hotel will be an elegantly appointed guestroom with breathtaking city views, delightful dining showcasing the best of Rome’s recipes and ingredients, a dazzling museum-worthy art collection, world-class spa, keys to local culture and much more.
Over the past year, Hilton has launched several new initiatives to adapt to the needs of guests – from adjusting flexible cancellation policies and extending Hilton Honors benefits to introducing Hilton CleanStay, an industry-leading cleanliness and disinfection program.
About Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is a portfolio of nearly 35 iconic properties that creates a unique sense of place with a relentless commitment to personal service and culinary expertise in landmark locations around the world. Unified by their inspirational environments and True Waldorf Service, Waldorf Astoria hotels deliver graceful service from the moment a guest books through checkout. In addition to the brand’s renowned hotel offerings, Waldorf Astoria boasts a best-in-class residential portfolio, including 17 properties either open or in development, that provides the comfort of a private home combined with the unsurpassed amenities and legendary service of Waldorf Astoria. Waldorf Astoria is part of Hilton, a leading global hospitality company. Experience a positive stay at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts by booking at waldorfastoria.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn about the brand at newsroom.hilton.com/waldorfastoria, and follow Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,600 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 119 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2020 World’s Best Workplaces list, and was named the 2020 Global Industry Leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. In 2020, Hilton CleanStay was introduced, bringing an industry-defining standard of cleanliness to hotels worldwide. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 118 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
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