Letter Lingo

Let’s lift each other up.

This activity gave Room 301 guests access to two letter-boards and asked them to leave a message for the next guest in the room. What would people choose to say to a perfect stranger?

This was perhaps the most lighthearted activity in the room -- where other activities found our guests pouring out their deepest thoughts, fears and feelings, this one resulted in positive, encouraging or inspirational phrases (26%), words of wisdom (32%), and fun, playful sayings (39%). Just 3 percent were more personal or confessional, including:

“I am here for training but found myself instead”

“I am not really here for work”

Perhaps the lack of more personal phrases or confessions was due to the prominent, standalone placement of the boards, and the fact that the phrases were specifically meant to be passed between guests, as opposed to sharing as part of a collective wall of commentary, in a guestbook or in a private video format. Just like in the online world, perhaps our most prominent outward displays are indeed “highlight reels” of our lives.

Other themes that emerged included leadership, dreaming, taking risks and living in the moment -- the last two of which showed up in other in-room activities, as well. Political commentary again made an appearance (this time in the form of an encouragement to vote), as did a love of animals:

“Dogs are the best people”

Guests also used a variety of hashtags and expressed love for the Kimpton brand in their messages.