“Good Morning! Mr Rogers,\u201d the cheerful Ms Patel greeted me with all the affection of a mother welcoming her son back from war. \u201cYou\u2019re a tad early (I arrived at around 7 am, hardly the time to expect my room to be ready) but \u201cyou leave your suitcase here and I\u2019ll get you a key you could use to freshen up in the gym (she\u2019s seen my muscles though the suit) and you could enjoy a coffee before you rush out for meetings. When you\u2019re back, the bags will be in your room.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n When I returned, 1107 was a \u201chome way from home\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s amazing what can be achieved in a small space! Spotless, the room is ideal for a small family, a couple or even a small team of colleagues. A welcome note sits near a neat tray of fresh fruit exquisitely cut. <\/span><\/p>\n The following morning, down to the Two Forks restaurant (I never discovered why they call it that), I made straight for the organic corner for a bowl of fresh muesli, plump apricots, mixed berries, a dollop of fat-free yoghurt and a splash of whole milk. Marvellous Maurice greets guests and guides them to their table when he isn\u2019t darting between his post and the kitchen, stopping on the way only to take the occasional order. His warm, friendly banter is welcome on a cold morning like this. <\/span><\/p>\n Maurice is an essential. The essence of service is not a flame you can hide or fake. He has it and it burns brightly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCoffee, Mr. Rogers?\u201d I look up at the smiling Kristina who I suspect manages the restaurant among other things. As we chat, I feel, through her, the invisible but strong energy of a man with whom the buck stops — the General Manager of the Novotel Sydney Parramatta. <\/span><\/p>\n A consummate professional, among Kristina\u2019s greater accomplishments may be her ability to convey mood. Eager to improve, she enquired about my stay so far, the quality of the room and service, the cleanliness, appointment, facilities etc and if there was any way, my breakfast experience could be improved. <\/span><\/p>\nBuilt to Serve <\/span><\/h3>\n