In a heartwarming display of spectacular customer care, a Holiday Inn Express in Virginia made headlines after going above and beyond for a young guest’s forgotten plush toy. The story started when a 4-year-old little boy accidentally left behind his beloved stuffed puppy during his family’s stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Richmond, Va.

Upon realizing the toy was missing, the boy’s family contacted the hotel in hopes of retrieving it. “He was really upset that it was missing as it’s one of his favorite toys,” said the boy’s dad, Mike Villahermosa. The puppy, his mom, Tori, said, was a present they gave him when he was sick once with a cold. They had gone to the pharmacy when they spotted the puppy.

He needs it every night to go to sleep.”

“He saw the stuffed dog and just had to have the ‘snuggle puppy’ to match a book we would sing to him,” she wrote, adding that it has similar coloring to the family’s dog, Lily The Destroyer. Little did they expect the extraordinary response they would receive. Rather than simply returning the toy, the hotel staff decided to give it a “vacation” of its own.

Dubbed “Little Puppy” by the staff, the plush toy became an honorary member of the hotel team, taking on various tasks and adventures throughout the establishment. From manning the front desk to assisting with breakfast setup, Little Puppy’s escapades were meticulously documented and shared with the family.

The messages even included pictures that showed the toy at the front desk, enjoying snacks, taking a nap and even having a little workout “to make sure he was strong so he could get home faster.” “We are happy that he is headed home to you! It has been such a pleasure having him here!” the story said, per the dad’s post on X (formerly known as Twitter), which has gotten more than 82,000 likes and 8,000 reposts so far. 

Seemingly blown away by the hotel’s attention to detail, the dad shared the story on social media. “Help them get some recognition for awesome customer service!” wrote the dad, who goes by the username HappyCaptain.

The heartwarming gesture didn’t go unnoticed, as the family took to social media to express their gratitude. The post quickly gained traction, garnering thousands of likes and shares from users around the world who were touched by the hotel’s kindness.

Snuggle Puppy enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. Photo courtesy of Holiday Inn.

“It was the coolest thing in the world,” Villahermosa said. He was so happy his dog was at the hotel and helping out.” For the hotel staff, it was a simple yet meaningful way to show compassion and empathy towards their guests. “To help their son feel better about being without his friend, we had a little fun and shared photos of the adventure the toy pup had during its time with us,” Diaz explained.

As the adventure came to an end, and Little Puppy was reunited with its owner and the family couldn’t be more grateful – especially his son. “He is ecstatic,” Villahermosa shared. For a glimpse of the book and story that started it all, watch below.

Sources: People | Washington Post