Can’t See the Menu? The Hay-Adams Offers Stylish Reading Glasses

WASHINGTON—The elements that go into creating a hotel restaurant’s ambiance—lighting, decor, music, etc.—can be just as important to the guest experience as the food served. A successful guest experience is in the details.

At The Hay-Adams, where Washington’s elite congregates and dines at The Lafayette, there’s a new reading glasses amenity to assist patrons who may have forgotten their own spectacles. Peepers come in a variety of strength—from 1.25 to 2.75—as well as various shapes and colors to fit a guest’s personality.

Hotel Manager Colette Marquez first came across these stylish reading glasses while shopping for the property’s holiday decor at a local gift mart.

“We started buying them at CVS and providing generic black frame reading glasses, and they were popular and people appreciated the gesture. But, we’re not the plain black reading kind of place, so we wanted to give it a bit of flair,” said Marquez. “We came across these Peepers reading glasses and thought, ‘That’s so cool.’ We can have a variety of fun reading glasses.”

For added whimsy, guests dining at the restaurant are presented with these Peepers on a tray and encouraged to pick out a color or style they’d like to wear to read the menu. “We can do hot pink or lime green and provide fun and funky glasses along with plain horn-rimmed for guests with a more conservative side. It’s a fun conversation point and something staff can use to engage guests.”

While the Peepers are practical, Marquez noted that they add a level of enjoyment and help to create a memorable experience. “There’s interaction between guests, and sometimes they’re poking fun at the person picking the glasses. We consider it a service. If people take them and remember The Hay-Adams then that’s OK. We made somebody happy.”