A Hilton Experience

I don't know about you, but if someone says they are staying at "the Hilton", that tells me they have chosen to stay at the best. At least that has been my experience. And since working with the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, my opinion has soared. Simply, it's just a great place. In my opinion, this kind of positive-energy aura is usually created from the top down and that would be the case here. Let me introduce the hotel's general manager, Scott Youngblood.

He calls himself a cheerleader for the hotel and he does that in spades. All the employees that I have met are cheerful and seem excited to be there. I have worked in a hotel restaurant in the past and trust me, my experience was different.

My favorite touch is that there is a display at the entrance of the restaurant with two photos of the Head Chef, Eric Baker - one of him looking impressive in his all-white chef uniform and another dressed as his alter-ego, a wildlife photographer. So they are honoring not just his skills as a chef, but his free time passion as well. Showing that their chef has another dimension is inspiring for the consumer and morale building for the employee--it's brilliant!

So I have to say that I was pleased but not terribly shocked when Scott sent me a link to how they are honoring my efforts with smattering the entrance of the hotel with LED-lit Globe Ice Lanterns. That appears to be the way Scott operates -- he appreciates people and their skills. And because of that, even though the chances of me being a guest are slim (I live 15 minutes away), I can imagine the positive energy that permeates every pore of the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America would make it a wonderful place to stay.

Thank you to Scott for honoring and welcoming my creativity into your establishment. Thanks to Nick for spearheading the maintenance. Thanks to Mandy for doing such a good job of keeping our kits in stock in the gift store. And a final thank you to Lyndell Truitt for creating a beautiful online page for the hotel website.

I hope some of you will be able to stop by and check out the ice luminaries at the front of the hotel and maybe decide to stay a while.

Enjoy the glow!

Vist the Facebook Album for more photos of the Wintercraft installation at the Hilton.

Phase 1 of the Hilton Installation was to create a fun and natural foundation for one Extra Large Globe Ice Lantern to sit on the right and left side of the rotating door. I ended up using an owl's nest with an owl made of grass and feathers--very fun!

Phase 2 of the Hilton Installation was to fill the area to the right and left of the entrance with Globe Ice Lanterns and light them up with LED lights.