GM's Blog

Barbara Pressman, our General Manager, talks about the recent, tragic events in our community: (more…)

I have always thought that I was ready, ready for anything. Ready, but not necessarily prepared.

I am always ready for the first rain of the season; it is usually a long time in coming, especially in these years of draught.  Since I can remember, I have pulled my kids from whatever they were doing to run and splash when it finally arrived.  Although I grew up in an area where you wouldn’t be able to tell the first rain (because it happens so often) I am no longer prepared for weeks of dampness.

My son just turned thirteen.  He is my second, my youngest.  When I announced I was pregnant, our then 3 year old said, “group hug” standing on the arm of the sofa the three of us hugged.  I was ready to have another baby, but not prepared. I thought I knew what to expect but that proved to be wrong.

There were many times over the years of my children’s development, when I was ready for them to move on.  I had changed enough diapers, searched too often for the lost pacifier, tied one too many shoes, unable to sit through the 101st viewing of the same Disney flick, checked a backpack too many times for the elusive “not” homework, homework.  Now that my daughter is in her senior year of high school I am not prepared for her departure to University - I am not even sure that I am ready for it.

Last week was freshman orientation at Stanford. Even if you weren’t aware, you would have known there was something going on in town. The lights on El Camino are timed, for a relatively stop-less drive from street to street, but with the extra cars it was stop and go. The out-of-towner’s’ dropping their 18 year olds off for a great new adventure; life on campus.

There was a hum at the Stanford Terrace Inn. Packages had started to arrive days before the new students and their parental counterparts.  How do you get to Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Ikea and numerous other places, was the most popular question.  All that could not be shipped must be purchased prior to move in day.

I was paying more attention this year making some mental notes of things that I will need to do and to avoid. I am getting ready, the excitement, the anticipation, the planning, but what I am experiencing most is the grieving.
I wasn’t ready to have my first child, in fact I really didn’t ever see myself as a mom. So now 17 years later I am even less prepared to let my first-born find her own adventures. Am I ready? I am not sure, but I will try to be prepared.

Shanti to all

Barbara

[Ed: This is a speech Barbara gave last year, and I thought it appropriate as a special Thursday post!]

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Good Morning, my name is Barbara Pressman, the proud General Manager of the only green hotel in Palo Alto that is certified by the county. What a great marketing tool this has been for the Stanford Terrace Inn. Additionally we are recognized in “Greenopia” the urban dwellers guide to green (more…)

Life is just full of surprises, or so it seems. I make this statement with some hesitation because although I believe this to be true I also see these surprises as things that I knew deep in the core and it is just in their surfacing that I am surprised.

In a way it is like those connect the dots games that are on every kids (more…)

Some things in business change, but in the hotel business we have always wanted to know what our customers think and how they feel about their experience during their stay at the Stanford Terrace Inn. It is important so that we can see what we are doing right or make the changes on the things that are not so right. We can give the training, fix the problems, all to improve subsequent visits, for that guest and for all guests. Our Customers are (more…)

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid the summer seemed endless. In fact it was so long that going back to school was something that I couldn’t wait to do. We stayed in school until the third week of June, and returned the Tuesday after Labor Day, 10 weeks of fun, sun and plenty of time (more…)

When I was pregnant with my daughter we lived in San Francisco. I loved the City, and particularly the neighborhood in which we lived. Potrero Hill is the place that I landed after several years of being in the Bay Area, which put a smile back on my face and a sigh of (more…)

I have been lucky to meet a number of wonderful people over the years. Some of them, I don’t even recall their names — some are more shadowy, while some are crystal clear.

Love does not always come wrapped in a tidy little package, complete with a bow and instructions for use.  It very often comes and goes with little or no warning, and if you’re not paying attention you may (more…)

Not long ago in a meeting that included the President of the management company and the General Partners of the hotel, Leonard Ely, one of the original general partners said, “You’ve been here that long?  Well you really made something out of this job”.

Over the years it has been interesting getting to know Leonard. I have not had (more…)

When I was younger clichés were, in my opinion, cop-outs.  Easy little sayings that could be thrown out in conversation to get you through a situation.  “Meaningless” and “unoriginal” was how I viewed those “cute little sayings”.

Today I wonder why it was so important to be original.

If I have said, (more…)