Ronald Antonucci, general manager of the Pittsburgh Marriott North, figures that nine of 10 travelers have encountered something unpleasant in their journey before they arrive at the hotel in Cranberry.

So whether the issue is lost luggage, a flight delay or a transportation snafu coming from the airport, his front-desk staff tries to ease the stress for those guests with a "special check-in procedure" that includes shaking their hands, walking them to the elevator and explaining in detail all the amenities the hotel will offer during their stay.

"It gives our team the opportunity to connect with the guests emotionally," said Mr. Antonucci.

The extra concern demonstrated for such "weary travelers," as Mr. Antonucci calls them, is one of the services that helped the hotel earn the No. 1 ranking for guest satisfaction among 346 Marriotts throughout North America in 2007.

The ranking was based on surveys from 1,024 guests who stayed at the property last year and who responded to e-mail questionnaires after they checked out.

In addition to the overall top ranking, the Marriott North achieved first place in four categories of service: arrival experience, maintenance and upkeep, in-room dining service, and extras that guests said "enabled me to relax and enjoy my stay."

The last category includes providing guests with help using the Internet and other specialized services, said Mr. Antonucci. "We train and orient our folks to look for cues to exceed our guests' expectations … observe travelers who are having trouble and try to help them with the Internet or technical capabilities."

With an overall satisfaction rating of 92.7 percent, the Marriott North beat out other high-scoring Marriotts including the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek, Colo.; the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center, Kingsport, Tenn.; and the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia.

The 295-room Marriott North, located in the Cranberry Woods office park, opened in July 2003. It has 14,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, an indoor pool, fitness center and one restaurant and lounge. It employs 152 full- and part-time workers.

Mr. Antonucci, who has been the manager since it opened, credited the work force with generating the hotel's top honors for guest satisfaction.

"Our people are really passionate about service. It's easy to get engaged in our mission and vision, which is to exceed guests' expectation every time they stay with us."