My family rented several rooms for the New Years party here. Although the rooms were a bit pricey, there were plenty of fun activities throughout the hotel and we felt it was worth the money. The hotel was very clean, staff was friendly for the most part, and plenty of New Year's activities were offered (DJ, Photo Booth, Snacks, etc.) We enjoyed ourselves and appreciated that this was a family-friendly and safe New Year's alternative. Our only "criticism" was that the pool was a little cold- not a huge deal... Overall, a nice stay!

I travel for business and stay at many Hotels in a 10 State area around my home in Ohio. Recently I have been working in Kalamazoo MI.. I had been staying at a nice Hotel in the area on and off for about a year. But I have now found a new home at the Holiday Inn West. Everything at the Hotel was very nice including every staff member that I met. One of the most impressive highlights of my recent visit was "Old Burdicks" restraunt and tavern located at he Hotel. The menu was excellent. The prime rib was out of this World. It was also my first experience at white cheddar truffle fries...and I don't have enough characters here to tell you about the breakfast (try the buffet at least once) I would recomend this Hotel for business or for pleasure. You need to check out the menu !

I travel every month, and I compare the holels to each other. Service, cleanliness, and how interactive the people are. Kalamazoo West, ranks at the top, and that is why I try too book my room there when I'm in town.

Below is a letter I wrote to the hotel management after my most recent stay:

I have been a guest at the Holiday Inn at Kalamazoo several times over the past couple of months. While it has always been a pleasant experience, I wanted to let you know I have seen a definite difference in the staff this time. They have always been professional and
pleasant. But this time they seemed like they were happy to be doing their job and it was a pleasure. I have been traveling a lot for work over the last few months, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciated their smiles and happiness. It felt like some resorts that I've
stayed at where the customer service was done just right.

There are two specific individuals that I have had more than one encounter with that I'd like to mention. However, everyone I have seen in the hall or around the property have been very accommodating.

1. Rachelle was the housekeeper for my room. I left her a small tip and she wrote me the nicest thank you notes. I can tell you this is not normal at most hotels. I always leave a small tip, but most of the time it is not acknowledged. I don't expect it to be acknowledged,
but it was such a nice surprise to see her notes. Not only that, but she went above and beyond by noticing that I had some wine splits in my room. She left me a clean wine glass each day along with a little candy. What an amazing touch. It made me happy to get back to my room each night.

2. I'm not sure what the young man's name was who was at the front desk the night I checked in, but he was so friendly and cheerful. He wasn't over the top which always seems fake, but he seemed genuinely happy to be at work and was just so nice. After an entire day of traveling, it was such a relief. I saw him at the front desk a couple of times after that and his interaction with other customers was just as genuine.

Whatever you are doing to keep your staff happy, keep it up! They are passing that on to your customers, and it is greatly appreciated. If I could find two employees like those mentioned above, I'd keep them happy too! You just can't afford to loose good people.

When I come to this area, I work in Battle Creek - which is a bit of a commute from here. However, I will continue to stay here because of what a great experience I have had.

Please pass my praise on to your staff.