After the Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, received its fifth star from Mobil last year, team members had the idea of using their expertise in guest service to transform Charleston’s Ronald McDonald House into a five-star property for a day.

Casey Lavin, the Sanctuary’s director of F&B, met with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston (RMHCC) director Barbara Bond last summer, and they chose November 22 as the date for “Five Star Day.”

The resort publicized it to its 1,500 employees and fielded roughly 70 interested volunteers from different departments, appointing them as the day’s directors of rooms, food and beverage, spa, and more. Volunteer committee meetings were held once in September and October, and then weekly as the date grew closer. “It was very regimented,” Lavin says. “Everyone knew exactly what to do and where to go.”

A week prior to the event, Lavin and staff set up a timeline so all RMHCC residents could sign up for spa treatments such as manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages, complete with robes, slippers, and soothing music. Setup for the day began the night before when trucks delivered glass and silverware, which were deposited in a room designated as the back of the house. The housekeeping team made all beds with new donated linens, and each room was outfitted with an amenity basket and flowers.

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the big day, Sanctuary staff worked to make residents feel as though they were staying in a first-class hotel, beginning with a doorman greeting newcomers and a pianist and concierge in the lobby.

Residents started the day with a full-service breakfast served with the Sanctuary’s china, silver, and napery. Sanctuary staff hosted special activities at RMHCC for families and about a dozen children who were able to leave the hospital. The pastry chef demonstrated how to decorate cookies and make gingerbread houses. The Sanctuary’s recreation team set up games, read stories, and brought in small alligators and birds to teach residents about local wildlife.

Other volunteers cooked the food in the Sanctuary kitchen, about 45 minutes away, and delivered it throughout the day. Lunch was served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the evening, the team served a turkey dinner with traditional action stations attended by servers in jackets and ties.

The exact costs of turning RMHCC into a five-star hotel for a day, says Lavin, are not known, but he believes it was “only a few thousand dollars, thanks to partnerships with vendors including Harbor Linen, Sysco, Tiger Lily Florist, and Lexus, which ferried residents back and forth from the hospital.” The vendors were anxious to help, Lavin says. “There was a lot of enthusiasm, passion, and support behind this.”

The hotel received many thank-you letters from families and children for its work that day, and the RMHCC Board gave the Sanctuary its Red Shoe Award, presented to a person, entity, or group with an outstanding relationship with RMHCC, says Bond. The only hitch in the day, Lavin says, was at times there were too many volunteers. He counted as many as 30 employees in the lobby waiting to do something at one point. But because there was such great response from employees wanting to help, the resort now allows employees to volunteer at RMHCC on a monthly basis doing as-needed jobs such as painting and landscaping.

The Sanctuary plans to repeat its Five-Star Day each year during the week before Thanksgiving. It has also made a commitment to delivering dinner to RMHCC on Thanksgiving Day. Lavin believes that being a good corporate citizen fosters loyalty in employees, who are rewarded by the experience of helping in the community. “This is one of those ways you can really build enthusiasm for your company.”

Beth Rogers is a freelance writer based in Bethesda, Maryland, and a long-time contributor to HOTEL F&B.