Yes, I know - DFW isn't exactly the most exciting destination, but - it's a trip - and I didn't have to pay for it. I recently flew there to coordinate an advisory board meeting for my company. An advisory board meeting is held by a biotech company in order to get the opinions of key leaders on a new medical drug or technology. In other words, if a company has a new medication - not yet approved by the FDA - they will bring in physicians to give their feedback and ideas about the drug. For this valuable information, the company will typically pay an "honorarium" (i.e. $$$, usually between $1,000 & $2,000) to the doctors and fly them in to the location.
I enjoy going out of town for business trips - I always have a good time, no matter where it is - and event planning is the most enjoyable part of my job.
We had picked the Grand Hyatt because it's located in Terminal D at DFW. People at work said to me, "Are you nuts? Dallas in AUGUST?" but we reassured them that they wouldn't have to leave the airport. For a short meeting, the setting was ideal.
The Hotel:
As soon as I exited the plane, I headed toward the terminal exit. I could see directional signs that said "Security/Baggage/Grand Hyatt". It's pretty hard to miss, unless you arrive in a different terminal. In that case you can take their monorail (aka the Skytrain) to Terminal D.
As soon as I passed security and saw the door that would lead me outside, I beheld a towering tombstone sign with a waterfall: GRAND HYATT, and an escalator. As I stepped off the escalator at the top, I beheld smiling front desk employees standing at attention, awaiting my command. The lobby was a haze of polished wood and arranged orchids. It was lovely.The hotel had a simple layout - the small coffee shop called Moka was adjacent to the lobby and next to that were the bar and restaurant. The meeting rooms were on the lower level and the guest rooms were on the upper floors in the tower. The pool was on the top of the building in a rather simple and concrete setting.
My room was perfect for the business traveler. Comfortable pillow-top bed and an efficient desk near the window with wired internet (easy set-up).
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| I was only there overnight, but I would have stayed another night if possible. |
I decided to go up to the top of the hotel to take a look at the pool. It was dusk and the pool and lights were beautiful, but it was still blazingly hot - back to the air-conditioned comfort of the hotel!
The Meeting:
We had an informal buffet dinner on Friday night to welcome our physicians. The food was quite good for "hotel food". My favorite was the lobster bisque; so good that I asked the wait person to give my compliments to the chef. I was very impressed with the service, the friendly wait staff, and the presence of the banquet manager, who showed up several times to make sure everything was flowing smoothly.
The next day was our advisory board meeting. The a/v and table set-up, snacks, and drinks inside the room were laid out as requested. The lunch was tasty and well-presented and served outside the room, as I had requested. The event manager was there at critical times to make sure I had everything I needed.
One thing I truly appreciated during the meeting was a computer at a desk in the outside meeting room area that enabled me to check all 18 of us in for our flights later that day. A printer was attached so I could print out boarding passes. This is something that an executive assistant really loves!
At the end of the meeting, we received many compliments from the doctors - they loved the hotel, the food, and the service. The meeting was considered a great success. I found the the venue to be perfect for a quick, down-and-dirty meeting almost centrally located in the U.S. for attendees who have to fly in. Transportation from the arriving flight to the hotel was speedy and efficient. I will definitely use the DFW Hyatt if the need arises again.
