The life of a shuttle driver

In the driver's seat

Every hotel shuttle service needs drivers. Who exactly serves as the drivers and what is expected of them—that can vary.

At the 83-room Microtel Inn & Suites Cincinnati Airport Florence (Ky.), there is a relatively small staff with about seven full-time employees on hand at any given time. Its shuttle service runs from 7:30 a.m. to midnight, primarily to the airport. The property employs three drivers and has one on hand per shift.

"They are van drivers, but they are cross-trained because there is a lot of down time," GM Wes Warren said. "They work in laundry; they work front desk and answer the phone if needed ... a lot of the grunt work and a lot of the errands."

COUNTRY INNS & SUITES

At the Country Inn & Suites Bloomington (Minn.) at Mall of America, the shuttle drives to the airport 24 hours a day and leaves on scheduled half-hour trips. The hotel employs four drivers. But technically, with the intense driving schedule between the airport and the Mall of America nearby, it has as many drivers as it does staff.

"We have four official drivers, but everyone is a back-up driver," GM Jodie Grannes said. "If you work at night [in any position], you need a driver's license. That's why we have two night auditors so that one person could go to the airport."

Drivers aren't expected to help in other areas because of their busy schedules, but Grannes said they take it upon themselves to contribute.

"They do other things, like empty the garbage," she said. "We just have very seasoned employees here. Probably the highest scores on guest surveys come from [the drivers'] friendliness."

How the other half lives

The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., doesn't worry about who's driving, who has a license or what the driver is doing in his or her down time. Like many upscale hotels, it doesn't even have a shuttle.

Road tested

The hotel contracts with a chauffer service, Empire CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services, which provides rides in luxury cars, such as the BMW 750i, for any trip within a 3-mile radius. The service is available at the front entrance and guests can take advantage of it from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Quotable

"The courtesy service is on a first-come, first-serve basis," hotel manager Michael Robinson said. "Guests approach the doorman and [say] they'd wish to utilize the service and their destination."