Dear Mr. Hopgood:
October 30 our daughter, Sara, was married on the beach at DiamondHead, and her reception was held on your terrace and in the Diamond Room. I am writing to tell you what a wonderful experience we had during both the planning and execution of the wedding.
From the first time we entered your resort, we felt a difference from other resorts in Ft. Myers and Naples. We had looked at several comparable area venues, some considerably pricier, but none with significantly better facilities nor with guest service nearly so impressive as we found at DiamondHead.
First, we want to compliment your Catering Manager, Josh. I am confident he is the primary reason our event was so perfect. He clearly evidenced a commitment to the guest first and foremost. He consistently worked to provide options that allowed us to offer a first-class wedding and reception at a budget-friendly price. The minister was excellent, but he had a different approach to the ceremony in some respects than Josh usually used. There was no resulting tension whatsoever. Josh went out of his way to accommodate the minister and to assure the event flowed smoothly. He is a true professional. We have recommended and will continue to recommend DiamondHead to others based on our experience with Josh.
There were, however, others who also made our event memorable. Marcel, the Banquet Manager, could not have been more helpful or more committed to service and guest satisfaction. The Diamond Room was lovely; the food was outstanding; and the service was impeccable. Numerous guests at the reception commented on the exceptional quality of the food and service. It was Marcel’s commitment to quality in every way that made the difference.
Also in food and beverage, Kathy, the restaurant manager was most helpful, kind, and accommodating, and the pool bar staff members went above and beyond to make guests feel welcome.
Equally kind and helpful were the Front Desk Manager, Sherrie, and her staff member, Vicki. They were always cheerful and helpful, even when we had question after question. They always treated us as if we were their top priority.
For the mother-of-the bride and the bride herself, hair is an important issue. We cannot say enough good things about Dusty and Sue. They were at work before 8 on the Sunday of the wedding, smiling, helpful, and offering baked goods and mimosas! What more could we ask for?
And last, but by no means least, were bellmen Randy and Steve. Randy was more than helpful in assuring the huge array of items we brought for the wedding were well cared for and delivered to our room in a timely manner. Steve went above and beyond on the day we were leaving. Our daughter had left a suitcase for us to ship to her cruise port hotel. Steve called UPS, and they indicated it had to be boxed. He told us not to worry about a thing because he would take care of it. When we arrived back at the bell stand, Steve had boxed the suitcase and fashioned a handle so that it was as easy as possible to work with. He even offered to take it to UPS for us if it would help.
My husband and I have discussed our experience at length. We do not know whether it is your training program or your hiring practices or a combination of the two that made our experience so wonderful, but we do know that we have traveled extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean, and we believe the total-staff commitment to service we experienced at DiamondHead is the best overall experience we have ever had.
Our thanks go to everyone at DiamondHead for making our daughter’s wedding and our five-day stay at your resort an absolutely perfect experience.
Mark and Trish Smith