Elite Meetings Forum

When asked what was the best room I've ever experienced in my career in the travel industry, my answer for the last 10 years has been without a doubt, my room at the Banyan Tree in Phuket, Thailand! Well, all of that changed last week in Chicago when I arrived at the Hotel Sax around midnight after a very long day of late flights, missed connections, and the typical travel woes that each of us are now accustomed to experience in this day and age. Honestly, all I wanted to do when I found my room was to find the bed, and try to get as much sleep as I could before meeting my team in the lobby at 7:30AM to depart for the Motivation Show.

When I opened the door to room 1534, I walked into a wide corridor covered with beautiful Brazilian wood floors. To the left and right, there...