# Notes on PCD - Day 1 (the day before)



## fabiani (Jan 14, 2013)

Hi Everyone -

In preparing for PCD I did some looking around for detailed descriptions of the experience. A few things are different, and I have a few observations that might be of use for some, so I'm writing this up.

*Leading up to PCD*

I ordered my 328i sedan at the end of March. Others have had different experiences, but for me as soon as the order was in my dealer worked with the folks at PCD to set a date. The car hadn't even started its way down the assembly line and PCD sent me an email. The first date they selected, a Tuesday in early June, didn't work. My dealer contacted PCD again and they scheduled me for a Friday (my preferred day of week) in Mid June. Plenty of time to plan.

Booking airfare was a bit of a pain. We're pretty hardcore about finding the best price on flights. Coming from Philadelphia, the flights kept bouncing around from $180 to $250. Finally we found flights through Washington Dulles (IAD) for about $180 on United. The planes were basically the size of Lear jets, but the total travel time was under four hours to the GSP airport.

*Day One - Leaving Philly and Arriving in GSP*

Philly airport was jammed at 4:30am, but in retrospect I was happy we booked the earliest flight for a couple reasons. First, the plane in Philly and the connecting flight in DC were waiting for us. It was each plane's first flight of the day, so they weren't coming from another place. There are lots of reasons for flights to be delayed, but with the early flight one of the chief reasons (delays in another city) wasn't in the mix. Connections were perfect.

The other unexpected benefit was that we had an entire day to spend in downtown Greenville - a great experience.

When we landed at GSP we made our way through the impressively well maintained and cozy airport to baggage claim, picked up the courtesy phone to call the standard BMW hotel - Greenville Marriott - and they sent a car to pick us up. The car was at the airport in minutes (literally less than 5). It was a white 750. The driver, Chuck, was a trip. Very chatty and happy to help in any way he could.

We were at the hotel by 10AM. While Chuck went off to grab our welcome packet (just some release forms and instructions for PCD the next day), the staff bent over backwards to get us situated in a room even though we were so early. Very impressive service. When we told Chuck that we were hoping to spend the midday and afternoon in downtown Greenville he rearranged his schedule to give us a lift. We left the hotel in an X5 and 15 minutes later we were in cute downtown Greenville. Walk the main street, check out the downtown park, enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants (we went to the Lazy Goat - very good). There's great shopping and strolling through the park. Plenty to do for an afternoon. About 5:00 we called the hotel to see if they would send a driver back to pick us up. Sure enough, 15 minutes later the white 750 showed up and back to the hotel we went. Each ride earned the driver a $10 tip, which seemed to make them pretty happy.

The Greenville Marriott is a decent place. Not in the best location for anyone without a car, but clearly the hotel works pretty hard to accommodate the BMW customers. The hotel has an indoor sauna, whirlpool and pool, and a larger outdoor pool. We enjoyed these after our day in Greenville and then sat down for the PCD Dinner at 7:30.

*The Dinner*

So much has been said about the poor quality of the food that I had to create a section on dinner itself. Clearly someone heard the comments and they made some changes. Our server, Brittany, was fantastic. She let us know that the menu had changed in the last week. The bad news: the filet is gone. The much better news: It's been replaced by Chateaubriand and that's incredible.

When we checked in we received vouchers for two free drinks, which we used for our starter drink. We each had a signature cocktail. The better of the cocktails was the apple martini. Very nice over ice. But they all looked good.

Dinner started with a salad. Choice of two - we both chose the healthier option. Spinach, two kinds of beets, pistachios, blueberries and a mild honey drizzle. An additional avocado dressing was served on the side. The salads were accompanied by dry but flavorful dinner biscuits. The salad, especially with the avocado dressing, was delicious, unique and very fresh. The biscuits are supposed to be dry - not my thing, but tasty when dressed in the whipped butter they're served with.

For entrees, I had the Chateaubriand and Dave had the pork chop. The Chateaubriand was tender, perfectly cooked and accompanied by a surprisingly well matched handful of marinated cherries, blanched spinach and a few small potatoes. This entree was, for beef lovers, a real winner.

Dave's pork chop was enormous. It was accompanied by lima beans cooked perfectly and served in a mildly spicy sauce. And, as Brittany said it would, it fell off the bone. This is an impressive dish for folks who are really, really, hungry.

The meal ends with dessert - a choice of two. A sundae with a chocolate ice cream and three small cakes was pure comfort food. The other option, panna cotta, was incredibly unique in flavor with hints of coconut, cinnamon and the classic thick texture made for a very rich treat. Order one of each and share.

One final note - at the end of dinner they bring the bill, which you sign and "charge" to the room. Of course BMW pays for the room, so you don't pay for anything. Note, however, that the tip that BMW leaves on your behalf is based on a negotiated rate and is embarrassingly small (something like $9 after a three course meal, two drinks and high touch service). Our server was great and deserved a bit extra. You may want to make a note of the tip included on the bill and adjust upwards as appropriate.

So that's day one. More to come on the Day 2 experience!


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## DDGator (Mar 4, 2013)

I just did my delivery this week, but haven't had a chance to do a detailed write up yet. My experiences with the Marriott are much like yours. The staff is very accommodating. They also drove us around in the X5 -- took us to Walmart, etc.

Dinner and breakfast were both very good. I had the Chateaubriand as well, and really enjoyed it.

I agree on the tipping too. Since everything else is free, it makes it easy to drop some nice tips on the drivers and servers and everyone is happy!

You will have a blast tomorrow. Justin did our delivery and he was great. Be sure to look for your car in one of the glass showrooms (or the lobby) when the bus drops you off in front of the Performance Center!


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## airportdoc (Sep 9, 2011)

I found tipping to be seriously inadequate and would recommend adding $$ for the great service.


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