So, I check it out. Moments later, I have an email from Adam Wallace, their new media marketing guy telling me that they’d love to have me at their hotel, and that the winter blogger’s rate is $125 a night. (Remember, this is in Manhattan). Cool, I write back, and ask if I can book a room.

Not only do they give me a room. They have an upgrade available to a suite. So now I’m in heaven. But we don’t stop there.

They throw a TWEETUP for all the Twitter folks who want to come by. (pictures start around here). This is hosted by their other social media star, Brian Simpson, who between the two of us, gathered up quite a crowd of folks to an event where they bought the drinks, and where we had a little space just for us.

Why Do This?

Some of you already know the answer. Where will I stay the next time I go to New York? Who did I talk about every time someone asked me where I’m staying? Heck, I even brought them into my presentation at the O’Reilly Tools of Change event.

Heck, I even shot a video of my room!

So, ask yourself: if you could equip your customers to be excited, passionate carriers of your story, why wouldn’t you try a few things and see what worked?

Plugs, plugs, plugs. There are outlets everywhere for my gear. And there’s a monstrous TV (I don’t have one at home, so this is nice, too), and there’s a radio beside the bed with a docking station that fits my iPhone. There’s a really classy Keurig coffee maker which screams for me to try it. There’s a stack of books and a pair of binoculars.

When I got to the room, there’s a beautiful stainless steel bowl with a lid and it’s full of perfectly cold ice. As if it was just put there. (Maybe it was). Everything smells new.

My view is perfect.

The hotel is not my client (though I wish it were). I just wanted to write it up and say that this place is beautiful, is worthy of your time, and given the level of quality here, it’s well worth the $215 of a night.

Praise the good things you experience in life, friends. It’s every bit as important as calling out the less-than-stellar moments.

One thing I wish were here: a simple social network that let me know who else had opted in for serendipitous meetings.