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P. 2 Awards P. 3 Promotions P. 4-5 Housekeeping Week P. 6-7 Technology P. 8 Community Involvement C o n t e n t s Vol. 28, No. 1Focus is published for the associates at our properties who continually strive to exceed our customers’ expectations. Thanks for your efforts and commitment.
winter
2011-12
winter
2011-12
2012 PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE
Awards reflect
commitment to
excellence
In addition to the individual hotels and associates listed in the 2011 Summer Focus that were rec-ognized by Marriott International, WHI has also been recognized as a strong ambassador of the Marriott and Renaissance brands.
WHI has secured Marriott’s Partnership Circle Award for the 13th consecutive year. This award is the highest recognition given by Marriott to honor fran-chisees whose values and oper-ating philosophies are aligned with the brand. “I extend a sin-cere thank you and congratula-tions to all associates; this honor is a testament of the hard work of each and every WHI associate,” says Kent Bruggeman, sr. vice president of operations/HR. In addition, WHI, for the first time, received Marriott’s Food and Beverage Excellence Award, which recognizes com-panies with excellent results in both GSS and ESS F&B scores and have shown a commitment to quality and service excellence in all F&B areas. WHI also received the Service Excellence Award, given to franchisees that exceed Marriott and Renaissance brand standards in guest satisfaction and whose portfolio of hotels averages in the “Green” zone (85 or better) for Overall Satisfaction.
WHI adds two hotels to portfolio
In mid-November, WHI assumed management responsibilities for Residence Inn Winston-Salem, N.C. Owned by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the hotel has 88
guest suites and studios that are housed in 11 buildings. RBS is planning an extensive renovation of the hotel that will touch all aspects of the property. Janelle Richard has
been promoted to GM of Residence Inn Winston-Salem after serving as AGM of Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky. The hotel is located 1.5 miles from Wake Forest University.
Together with Western & Southern Life Insurance Company/Eagle Realty Group, WHI broke ground on Courtyard Pittsburgh North-Cranberry Woods in November. Slated to
open in Fall 2012, the property will include: 125 guest rooms including three, two-room suites and 13 extended stay suites; 1,000 square feet of meeting space; an indoor pool and fitness center; The Bistro; lobby with open spaces; and work stations.
“The addition of these two hotels to the WHI family represents growth opportunities for our company,” shares Kent Bruggeman, sr. vice president of operations/HR. “Our track record
will continue to create opportunities that allow our associates to grow and develop.”
LOOKING BACK ON 2011
We find ourselves on familiar ground as we look back over the past 12 months. Not much has changed since my last Focus update in 2009 where I addressed the economic conditions that led us down the path to a recession … the financial market meltdown, the housing and mortgage industry debacle and the auto industry woes. Today’s economic drivers have shifted to unemployment, the national debt and global economic instability. The bottom line ramifications for the hospitality industry remain unchanged - we are still operating in a very challenging, difficult and uncertain business environment. Despite these economic pressures, our hotels showed improvement on a year-over-year basis, driven primarily by improved business travel. This resulted in a 4 percent increase in REVPAR (revenue per available room), the industry’s measure of performance. This revenue increase, combined with our continued focus on cost controls, resulted in us meeting our financial expectations overall. Although our results are nowhere near levels achieved before the economic downturn, I am encouraged by the performance of our hotels in this very challenging business environment.
2011 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
I want to thank all of you for your hard work, leadership and commitment to live our Mission Statement, which has come to define who we are and how we conduct business. The proof of this is demonstrated by the accolades bestowed upon WHI and our associates in the form of awards and recognition by franchisors and industry professional groups. WHI was named a Gallup® Great Workplace award winner for the fifth straight year. This award is one of the most prestigious awards that an organization can achieve, and it highlights our success in living up to our Mission Statement priorities of human resources and individual and corporate growth. I applaud all of you - WHI strives to be the best, and we want all of our associates to be proud to call themselves members of the WHI team. WHI grew in 2011. We added a new development capability to the WHI toolbox when we opened Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown. This urban, adaptive re-use of a historical building in the city’s central business district opens doors for future development opportunities. Congratulations and thank you to Terry Dammeyer, sr. vice president of construction, and the entire product management/construction team for leading us through the successful completion of this project. We broke ground on Courtyard Pittsburgh North-Cranberry Woods in November 2011. This new build prototype hotel development, adjacent to our Marriott Pittsburgh-North, is being built as a result of the new demand for hotel rooms created by the recent relocation of the Westinghouse Nuclear Global Headquarters into the business park. WHI also acquired two new management assignments – Marriott at Renaissance Park-Spartanburg, S.C., and Residence Inn Winston-Salem, N.C. These growth opportunities are a direct result of everyone’s dedication to live our Mission Statement, which has contributed to our reputation as one of the best hotel management and development companies in the country.
OUR CHALLENGE IN 2012
As I said earlier, the challenges facing our industry remain the same – the business environment remains very difficult and uncertain. Smith Travel Resources (STR), one of the foremost experts in hospitality industry forecasting, projects another lackluster year of REVPAR growth for 2012 of 3.9 percent. The challenge for us in 2012 is to grow the value of our hotels for our owners and investors by outperforming the industry and our competition. One way to accomplish this is to grow our top-line revenues by attracting new business from our existing customers and our competitors. To do so, we must develop new marketing programs and sales strategies to grow our revenues and market share. In addition, we need to grow our average daily rates with aggressive pricing policies. I have challenged Mike Conway, sr. vice president of marketing, to lead these efforts along with our national sales team, revenue management team, general managers and property-level sales teams. In addition, we need to continue to find ways to save. I’ve asked Kent Bruggeman, sr. vice president of operations/HR, and regional vice presidents Brian Perkins and Greg Horeth to identify new ways to be more efficient and adopt new cost control measures. I am also asking you, our managers and associates - who know your jobs better than anyone else - to identify areas where improvements can be made. More than ever, we need you to speak up! Lastly, we need to continue to grow through a deliberate and controlled growth strategy. We will continue to pursue new management, acquisition and development opportunities. While this won’t be easy, I am confident we will continue to grow because of our excellent reputation as one of the industry’s best hotel management companies. We face formidable challenges, but we’ve risen to the occasion in the past and succeeded. The WHI Mission Statement, coupled with our committed and engaged associates, sets WHI apart from all other hospitality management companies. As we look ahead to 2012, we must leverage these points of difference to ensure our continued success. Don’t veer off course. While we have little to no control over the economy and the challenges that lie ahead, we can focus on what we do have control over. Stay focused on the 20 percent of your activities that deliver 80 percent of the results - growing our revenues, controlling costs and delivering on the five priorities of the WHI Mission Statement. This will produce the results needed to satisfy our owners and investors by growing the value of our hotels, and, in turn, lead to continued corporate and individual growth, providing opportunities for everyone. Thank you for all that you do.
Awards Awards Awards Awards ...
2 WHI Focus Winter 2011-12
GM receives national recognition
GM Charles Mahabir of Doubletree Hotel Dearborn, Mich., was recognized by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations’ (NaFFAA) search committee as one of the Twelve Outstanding Young Asian Americans of Michigan (TOYAAM) awardees for 2011.
The NaFFAA is recognized by Washington, D.C., poli-cy makers, private industry and other advocapoli-cy groups as the “Voice of Filipinos and Filipino Americans” throughout the United States. Its 12 NaFFAA regions represent the almost 3 million Filipino Americans in the continental U.S., Guam and the Marianas.
Five-star honor
Holiday Inn Cincinnati-Airport, Erlanger, Ky., was awarded the Five Star Award from the Destroyer Leader Association (DLA), an organization that helps the people who served aboard one of the U.S. Navy’s five original Destroyer Leaders: USS Norfolk, USS Mitscher, USS John S. McCain, USS Willis A. Lee and USS Wilkinson. “I am proud of our team for earning the Five Star Award,” states GM Greg Hurst. “This is the definition of living the WHI Mission Statement and the Holiday Inn brand’s ‘Stay Real – Be You’ initiatives. As our team has grown accustomed to hearing, YOU make the difference!”
Chili masters
The culinary team at Ohio University Inn & Conference Center, Athens, Ohio, entered the annual Chili Bowl Cook-Off in Athens this year. Executive chef Jonathan Lange and sous-chef Austin Phillips put their creative minds together and took first place for Best Vegetarian Chili. Proceeds from the event benefited local fire departments.Tip your bartender
Michael Smith, mixolo-gist at Marriott Cleveland-East, has been named one of Cleveland’s Top 11 bar-tenders via an online poll conducted by Cleveland. com. Smith has been bar-tending for 13 years. “I tend bar to connect with people, have conver-sations and make them feel at home,” states Smith. “I’ve always want-ed to bartend. Besides, I’m an Irish Catholic … it’s in my blood.”
WHI properties named ‘Best Places
to Work’ in Cincinnati
Marriott Cincinnati-Northeast and Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Eastgate were named “2011 Best Places to Work” by the Business Courier of Cincinnati. Organizations are selected based on the results of anonymous employee surveys measuring workforce engagement, management effectiveness, trust and other workplace issues. More than 100 firms were nominated to participate in the competition.
Three-time winner Marriott Cincinnati-Northeast credits its associates for the designation. “This is all about our employees and the positive working environment they create,” GM David Lanterman states. “We hire the right people for the right jobs and take responsibility in attracting and developing the best talent in the marketplace. We must continually celebrate our associates’ initiative and creativity as they serve our customers. This award speaks to that and our conscious
effort to live the WHI Mission Statement each day.” Alex Blust, GM at Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Eastgate, notes that it’s all about relationships. “Being recognized as a ‘Best Place to Work’ is a direct result of our ability to connect with our employees through open and honest communication. We strive to keep two-way feedback a priority – and it shows. As managers and fellow employees, we have looked for opportunities to reinforce our employee recognition programs. Going forward, we hope to keep improving and leading by example.”
Movin’ on up
The results are in: Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky., continues to battle for the Top 10 percent of the brand for CRM. After the third quarter, Team Embassy was ranked No. 18 in the “Race to the Top with Enrollments” competition for Hilton Honors sign-ups and No. 20 for “Recognizing our Members.”
FRONT DESK
Hristiyana Ralinova has been promoted to guest service supervisor at Embassy Suites Williamsburg, Va. She most recently worked full time as a guest service representative and sales assistant after serving as a seasonal GSR for four years.
HR manager Brenna Dill shares: “Since starting as a seasonal exchange student, Hristiyana has taken every chance to improve her skills and grow. This new challenge comes after widening her knowledge base by working with our sales department.”
Ralinova has a master’s degree in international business from University of Economics-Varna, Bulgaria.
Elyce Johnson has been promoted to p.m. guest service supervisor at Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Eastgate from night auditor at Doubletree Guest Suites Cincinnati. She began her career as a night auditor in 2007.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Strayer University, an Associate of Applied Business from the University of Cincinnati and an Associate of Arts with a major in hotel and restaurant management from Northwood University.
Jacque Newton has been promoted to bookkeeper from sales coordinator at Ohio University Inn & Conference Center, Athens, Ohio. Newton began her career at OU Inn in October 2009 as a banquet server.
Lauren Southwood has been promoted to guest service supervisor at Holiday Inn Cincinnati-Riverfront,
Winter 2011-12 WHI Focus 3 Covington, Ky., from guest service representative at
Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown. While at Residence Inn, Southwood was instrumental in ensuring the hotel maintained its high GSS scores for departure experience. She began her WHI career at Marriott Cincinnati-Airport, Hebron, Ky., as a server/hostess in March 2011.
Southwood received a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management and a minor in business management from Saint Leo University in North Tampa, Fla.
BANQUETS
JT Doodley has been promoted to assistant banquet manager from banquet setup attendant at Marriott Columbus-Airport, Ohio. Doodley has been with the hotel since 2005 and has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He also has worked for a local catering facility and was the assistant banquet manager at Renaissance Downtown Columbus.
Doodley earned an associate degree in hospitality from Columbus State.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Chuck Meyer has been promoted to p.m. dining room supervisor from night auditor at Marriott Cincinnati-Airport, Hebron, Ky. He has been the recipient of many awards including the 2011 ROSE Award given by the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Spirit to Serve Award, bestowed by Bill Marriott. Meyer began his tenure with the hotel in June 2009 as a part-time night auditor and part-time bellman
after working at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Meyer was commended in a recent guest letter for changing the guest’s flat tire. The letter concludes: “I travel eight states for my job and often stay in Marriott hotels and have always had excellent customer service, but this takes the prize!”
SALES
Brittany Denney has been promoted to sales coordinator from banquet server at Ohio University Inn & Conference Center, Athens, Ohio. She began her position as a banquet server in October 2010.
Banquet manager Stephen Burke says: “We are very excited to see Brittany progress with WHI and with the OU Inn. She was such a strong part of the banquet team, and now she can develop and grow in her new position as sales coordinator.” Denney is a graduate of Ohio University.
Amy Stamper is the new sales account manager at Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky. She previously served as a catering and sales manager when, in 2007, she set a hotel record for booked wedding receptions (37). Stamper has been with the hotel since 1998. “Amy is always upbeat and willing to lend a helping hand,” says Susan Kluenenberg, HR manager.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Cindy Alles is the new HR manager at Doubletree Guest Suites Cincinnati. As the guest service supervisor at the hotel for seven years, Alles successfully managed the front desk department and contributed to the hotel’s overall success – even while assuming many responsibilities. GM David Sundermann shares: “In the spirit of the Mission Statement, we were pleased to offer this position to an internal candidate looking for growth within the company. Cindy excelled as a guest service supervisor, and we are excited to see her bring her enthusiasm and talents to this new position.”
Alles has been in the hospitality industry for 13 years. Kier Muchnicki has been promoted to HR manager at Marriott Cincinnati-North after serving as HR manager at Doubletree Guest Suites Cincinnati since 2008. She began her career with WHI as a dining room supervisor at Marriott Cincinnati-North in 2005 before being promoted to HR manager at Holiday Inn Dayton/Fairborn, Ohio, one year later.
“It is exciting to be back at this property,” she shares. “I have loved every moment of my experience with the company.” Muchnicki has a degree in organizational communications from Ohio University.
GM Ralph Mordocco (L) and executive chef
Jonathan Lange
Marriott Hartford/Windsor Airport, Conn., associates brought home some serious hardware from the Connecticut Lodging Association (CLA) annual dinner and awards ceremony in November. Eight team members were nominated.
GM Michael Trosin took home one of the most distinguished awards of the night – General Manager of the Year. In his five years as hotel GM, Trosin has taken the hotel from a No. 149 brand ranking for overall customer satisfaction to a ranking in the Top 20 percent four years running.
“As a leader, Michael is quick to accept responsibility of running the hotel, yet he routinely credits his staff and management for any and all successes,” HR manager JoAnn Masi states. “He has mentored numerous managers that have gone on to other positions within the company, including four AGMs. Michael is, by nature, a natural teacher, often saying, ‘when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.’” Joel Karliner, a.m. concierge, was named Outstanding Front Office Associate of the Year. Since assuming the role in January 2004, service scores have consistently ranked in the Top 25 percent both regionally and nationally. He is a past Associate of the Year award winner at the hotel.
“Joel comes from a family of hoteliers and he just gets it,” Masi states. “His caring, empathetic and compassionate personality wows each guest he serves. He truly embodies the WHI Mission Statement of our company, putting customer service above all else.”
Sales account manager Tricia Caron was named CLA’s Outstanding Sales Associate of
the Year. In her role since August 2007, strong client relationships have allowed her to increase the production of top clients by 50 percent and attain customer service rankings of No. 4 in the brand and No. 1 in the region.
“Tricia is a true professional, exuding a can-do spirit and positive attitude that earn her many platitudes from clients,” Masi adds. “Her forward thinking and attention to detail ensure that clients are taken care of well before they arrive.” In addition to the above winners, the following associates earned recognition at the CLA awards ceremony:
• Amanda Roberts, sales account manager – honorable mention, Outstanding Sales Associate of the Year
• Christina Gutska, front desk manager – 2011 Hospitality Scholarship Winner
• Benjamin Cano, houseman – nominee for Outstanding Housekeeping Associate of the Year
• Theresa Quarrie-Gourlay, banquet server – nominee for Outstanding F&B Associate of the Year
• Kam Saleh, banquet manager – nominee for Outstanding Manager of the Year
‘STARS OF THE INDUSTRY’ SHINE
Left to right: Benjamin Cano, Theresa Quarrie-Gourlay, Amanda Roberts, Christina Gutska, Mark Timbro, Tricia Caron, Joel Karliner, Kam Saleh and
Michael Trosin.
Michael Trosin
Janelle
Richard JohnsonBryan VancoJan
Janelle Richard has been promoted to general manager at Residence Inn Winston-Salem, N.C.. This will be the third promotion for Richard since she joined WHI in 2009 after graduating from Cornell University. She was most recently AGM at Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky., after serving as AGM at Embassy Suites Williamsburg, Va. Her initial assignment was front office manager at Embassy Suites Williamsburg. Bryan Johnson has been promoted to general manager at Radisson Hotel Lansing, Mich. He was most recently AGM at Marriott Cleveland-East where he played a significant role in the hotel’s improvement in food and beverage financial results and service scores.
Johnson joined WHI in 2009 as AGM at Radisson Lansing. During his first tenure at the hotel, he was instrumental in a renovation that resulted in improved GSI scores and Q12 results. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio.
Jan Vanco has been promoted to assistant general manager at Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky. He joined WHI in July 2011 in a training capacity at Marriott Austin-North at Round Rock, Texas.
Vanco’s most recent position was director of food and beverage at the Sheraton in Fort Worth, Texas. His prior experience includes six years in food and beverage with Hilton International in Europe and the United States. Vanco has a business degree from Southwest Missouri State University.
WHI supports United Way
Winegardner and Hammons, Inc. held its annual United Way campaign in early October. A full week of events kicked off with a bake sale and concluded with a picnic, bingo and WHI’s version of “Minute to Win It.”
Chuck
Meyer BrittanyDenney Stamper Amy CindyAlles MuchnickiKier Hristiyana Ralinova Elyce Johnson Jacque Newton Lauren Southwood JT Doodley
Marriott Cincinnati-North
Executive housekeeper Tammy Clements and
Jacquelyn Horak, executive bookkeeper, or-ganized a fun-filled week for the housekeep-ing staff, which included: a Mr. Potato Head
contest, scooter races and scavenger hunts. Other departments joined the fun, too; each one picked a day to prepare special thank-you notes
and bring treats to show their appreciation.
Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky.
Laundry attendant Nishimwe Chan
tal gets the better half of a piñata while dining room supervisor Dane Spoelker
tries his best to stay out of harm’s way.
Renaissance Hotel Indianapolis-North
IHW started with a bang as GM Paul O’Connor individually recognized each team member in front of the staff, applauded their hard work and presented
them with coolers full of goodies. The rest of the week included food, games
… and more food.
Room attendants Susan
Youman (left) and Sandy Macikas enjoy a special
luncheon.
Marriott Suites on Sand Key, Clearwater Beach, Fla.
Associates take a break from the festivities to pose with Lisa the bird.
Room attendants Celdita
Shkullaku (left) and
Venetike Topciu pick out
their delicious dishes at the IHW luncheon.
Room attendant Delma Bo-hanan (L) and sales account
manager Erin Daniels took home second place in the
bed-making contest.
Catering and sales ac-count manager Shauna Philabaum (L) and room
attendant Ramla Maye
win first place!
Marriott Columbus-Airport, Ohio
Room attendants Amy Chapman and
Terri Washburn compete during IHW.
AGM Rick Antestenis and room attendant Terri Washburn take first
place in the bed-making contest.
Marriott Pittsburgh-North
The only losers in this IHW competition – the cupcakes!
Embassy Suites Williamsburg, Va.
Ohio University Inn & Conference Center Athens, Ohio
Stephen Burke, banquet manager, shows off his breakfast-making skills.
International Housekeeping Week (IHW) was held Sept. 11-17 at all WHI hotels. Associates celebrated with food, games, prizes and relaxation. The following images document the week-long celebration.
HOUSEKEEPING WEEK
Winter 2011-12 WHI Focus 5
Ohio University Inn & Conference Center , Athens, Ohio
The housekeeping department takes a load off and chills out in their bowling shoes.
Marriott Chicago-Northwest
Beware! The housekeeping staff has scary amounts of fun.
Marriott Chicago-Northwest
Associates show off their manicures and pedicures.
Marriott Austin-North at Round Rock, Texas
Associates hit the bowling alley during IHW.
Marriott Cincinnati-Airport Hebron, Ky.
Associates compete in the hotel’
s inaugural Wii Bowling T
ournament on a big screen in the ballroom.
Marriott
Hartford/Windsor Airport, Conn.
Housekeeping associates share a laugh w ith room attendant Marie Jean-Philippe
during “Spin It to Win It.”
Marriott at Renaissance Park, Spartanburg, S.C.
Room attendants enjoy a carnival party with its very own moon bounce! From left:
Gina Simmons, inspectress; Leticia Sanchez, room attendant; and Savanah Hill
, assistant executive housekeeper.
DoubleTree Hotel Dearborn, Mich.
Room attendants Noemi Palacios and
Dora Pina relax during IHW.
Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Eastgate
The housekeeping staff enjoys a fun-filled week of raffles, take-home dinners, games, recognitions, gifts and more. Front
row, from left: Terry Kelley,
Kelly Gruber, Karen Lindsey
and
Judy Lawson. Back row, from left:
Chrissy Oliver, Angie Craig, Kathryn Baker, Linda Deaton
and Diane Schneider.
Holiday Inn Dayton/Fairborn,
Ohio
Room attendant
Tara Miller winds up to hit
GM Michael Miraglia
with a pillow to stop the clock during the IHW obstacle course.
Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown
Tissue anyone? GM David Meisner is attacked with tissues during IHW.
Marriott Hartford/WindsorAirport, Conn. Associates kick back during IHW .
Associates fashion dolls to resemble GM
Chris Covert.
Embassy Suites Williamsburg , Va.
Marriott Cincinnati-Northeast
Room attendants take a break to enjoy some snacks. From left: Yesenia Alvarez,
Angela Baez, Lydia Tawiah and Luz Rosa.
Marriott Columbus-Northwest, Ohio Room attendant Barbara Gonzalez is giving executive housekeeper
Stacy Hundt a nice taste of pie.
Doubletree Hotel Dearborn, Mich.
Team members go for the gold in the soap stacking contest during Housekeeping Olympics.
Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown
GM David Meisner greets associates with morning omelets.
Laundry attendant
Latasha Carter and room attendant Darlene St. Clair battle in the
Oreo challenge.
Lobby attendant
Leonard Peak takes home first place.
Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown
AGM Dan Potokar
demonstrates the rules of the Oreo cookie game.
Marriott at Renaissance Park, Spartanburg, S.C.
Maintenance technician Bobbie
Littlejohn maintains “The Terrace” by
pressure washing the new addition while making a fashion statement.
Marriott Cincinnati-Airport Hebron, Ky.
The housekeeping department enjoys an outing together with treats and goodies.
Marriott at Renaissance Park, Spartanburg, S.C.
Room attendants Ella Harris and
Crystal Lindsay enjoy the perks of
Housekeeping Week.
Marriott Cleveland-East
Room attendant
Amber Exum shows
off some unique skills during one of the week’
s contests.
Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown
Associates enjoy gifts and shaved ice during IHW .
Embassy Suites Williamsburg , Va.
Room attendants
Delma Rivera (left) and Victor Ponce
bowl for prizes.
Homewood Suites Dayton/Fairborn, Ohio
Members of the suitekeeping department pose for a group photo with Lewis the Duck.
Marriott at Renaissance Park, Spartanburg, S.C.
Sr. vice president of operations/HR
Kent Bruggeman gets in on the
Customer service, product quality and price/value have always been – and will always be – key elements to the success of any business. Yet, the ways businesses engage customers, build loyalty, entice new customers and convey value have never been more different. As technology has evolved, so have the methods in which the world shares information and makes purchasing decisions. WHI’s eCommerce manager Brandon Harper shares the six areas
in which WHI and its hotels are playing in the interactive game:
1. Website – A hotel’s most important and robust sales tool, a website
serves as an interactive brochure. While WHI’s hotels’ website platforms are designed and owned by the brands, WHI is charged with making certain each website has high-quality photos and accurate information. “Our core strategy is to have the best websites with great photography,” Harper stresses. “Marriott Suites on Sand Key, Clearwater Beach, Fla., is one example of how great
website photography can increase business. After updating the hotel’s online images, the online reservation conversion rate jumped from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent, which is no small feat.”
2. Search – Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays an important
role in WHI’s hotels’ online strategy. Yahoo once reported that 76 percent of all online travel purchases are preceded by some sort of search. WHI works with a company that specializes in SEO strategy to make certain its hotels appear in these organic searches. WHI also manages each hotel’s local optimization by ensuring its appearance in local search maps/listings.
Another facet of search is pay-per-click advertising through Google AdWords. When customers search online, AdWords’ competitive bidding process places relevant ads targeted by keyword and location alongside the organic search results. While brands manage this effort by leveraging their tremendous buying power to obtain the best rates, WHI examines the AdGroups, keywords and targeting to ensure maximum coverage.
3. Email Marketing – Email remains a popular method of
communication, and WHI actively looks for opportunities to land in potential customers’ inboxes and entice them with hotel and restaurant deals and information. In addition to local email marketing efforts in which hotels distribute emails to their opt-in databases, WHI routinely places deals with hotel brands for inclusion in email blasts to their extensive lists.
4. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) – Brand and hotel websites make
up just a fraction of the sites consumers visit when travel planning. OTAs, such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, aggregate information
from countless sources across the industry. “There are thousands of travel websites out there, but, fortunately, only a handful are responsible for creating
the content; it’s our job to make sure that content is accurate,” Harper states. “We audit every WHI hotel featured on these sites quarterly to verify accuracy.”
5. Customer Comments – Today, consumers not only have the ears
of their friends and families, the Internet offers a forum through which one person can reach millions. It’s important to know what customers are saying about WHI hotels online.
WHI uses Google Alerts, Yelp, Google Places, RSS feeds and other industry-specific tools to monitor this user-generated and third-party content. Harper explains: “Social media monitoring is critical; catching a bad comment and addressing it, when appropriate, is essential in this age of information sharing. We also monitor every TripAdvisor review and provide guidance on the appropriate response, or non-response, by a hotel.” By sharing this information internally, we are able to learn and form recommendations for service improvements, capital improvements, revenue generation and cost savings.
6. Social Media – “Our goal in 2012 is to continue expanding
hotels’ social media presence; however, we still recognize that social media is not for everyone,” Harper says. “Social media is a marketing and customer service tool, and, as such, we have to determine if this channel of communication will reach a hotel’s appropriate audiences and grow business. While there are no monetary barriers to entry into social media, the investment of time and resources can be great. When hotels establish a presence in social media, they commit themselves to remaining engaged in this space. Publishing content regularly and responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner are the expectations of consumers engaging in this two-way, interactive dialogue.”
In addition to these six areas of focus, WHI also is exploring the world of mobile apps. The brands are taking the lead in this explosively growing channel of communication. “Mobile touches on everything, and we want to make sure we’re playing in this arena as well. For now, all WHI hotel websites are mobile friendly. In the near future, we hope to have even more to offer consumers who are using their mobile devices on the go,” Harper adds.
TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION
6 WHI Focus Winter 2011-12
Read the articles on Pages 6 & 7 to learn how individual hotels are utilizing advanced technology.
Check in and check it out
Radisson Hotel Lansing, Mich., maintains an active Facebook page that promotes hotel and restaurant specials, events and staff. Regular guests and staff who “like” the page are encouraged to “check in” and share the soup of the day, daily lunch buffet offerings and special events.
In addition to Facebook, guests who share positive feedback via Radisson’s online guest survey program also are encouraged to submit online reviews on Trip
Advisor. Since launching the Trip Advisor project, the
hotel’s ranking has improved from No. 4 to No. 2.
New opportunities
Facebook and Twitter have proven to be useful tools to communicate good news from Marriott Columbus-Northwest, Ohio. According to Clare Schrack, p.m. RCG supervisor, the hotel posts and tweets its daily dinner features, drink specials, holiday buffets
and much more. “The easier we make it for our community to receive this information, the more likely they will be to visit our property.”
Diving in
Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky., has embraced the power of social media. Guest service supervisor Dominick Iacovone shares, “By using social networking, we create a feeling between guests, event holders and the staff to ensure that we are providing 100 percent satisfaction for anyone who enters our wonderful establishment.” Twitter is used every day to promote the property’s restaurant. The hotel’s Twitter link is integrated into emails and promoted to guests of the Paddock Grille. Daily lunch buffet menu items, dinner specials and restaurant promotions are regularly tweeted.
Embassy Suites encourages guests to rank the hotel and comment on Trip Advisor. For the past two years,
Trip Advisor has ranked Embassy Suites as the No. 1
hotel in Lexington.
Amy Stamper, sales account manager, has spearheaded the hotel’s presence on Facebook by engaging potential customers. Stamper regularly updates and uploads information, pictures and contact information. She also encourages event holders and brides to visit the page and upload pictures of their experience at Embassy Suites. Future event holders are directed to the page to see the many opportunities the hotel has to offer.
Technology helps sales soar
Social media outlets, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, have become valuable tools for Stephanie Rork, sales account manager at Marriott Cincinnati-Airport, Hebron, Ky. These outlets enable her to improve her prospecting and sales efficiency because they provide direct access to key decision makers, opportunities to collaborate and build real partnerships, unique visibility in the marketplace and access to some
competitor contacts. Rork shares, “By personally managing my profile to reflect ‘testimonials,’ hotel promotions, brand awards, news and tips, I am able to clearly demonstrate our proven ability to offer guests an outstanding product at a great value with exemplary service.”
Thanks to social media,
within two months, Rork gained nearly a dozen new face-to-face appointments and future prospects, two VIP dinners, two new short-term corporate meetings and new business with potential for more volume in the future. She continues, “I’ve found social media to be a great way to cast my net farther while waiting between sales appointments, closing out at the end of the day and getting through the seven ‘no’s’ it takes to get to ‘yes!’”
Understanding the
importance of social media
Udit Dang, AGM of Marriott Austin-North at Round Rock, Texas, appreciates the impact social media has on the hospitality industry. “We know our guests use social media before, during and after they stay with us,” he explains. Austin Marriott North uses social media as a tool for online PR, localization, on-site merchandising, social bookmarking and to access blogs and guest feedback.
Peer review sites, such as Trip Advisor and Yelp, are especially important monitoring tools. Dang continues, “We like to know if there’s a guest facing a challenge and be given the opportunity to take care of the guest’s concern.”
Interacting with guests via Facebook, Yelp and Trip
Advisor enables the hotel to accelerate conversation and
communicate efficiently, resulting in great service and service recovery.
Austin Marriott North also recognizes the importance of localization. Dang explains: “We’re committed to understanding what is important to an arriving guest, creating relevant content and then delivering it in an appropriate format. We share information on current community events, revenue-generating activities on the property and the uniqueness of the property on Facebook.”
Mobile marketing also is a priority. With Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, the hotel has opportunities to facilitate guest communities. In addition, corporate and luxury travelers with advanced smart phones can utilize the Marriott Mobile app, allowing the property to get a step closer to its loyal Marriott Rewards members and other guests.
Monitoring social media
efficiently
To successfully monitor and track mentions of
Doubletree Guest Suites Cincinnati across a number of social media outlets – including Facebook, Twitter and Trip Advisor – the property uses a program called Maestro. The service provides a one-stop snapshot that enables
the property to respond to guest comments. Maestro helps reflect the goal stated by GM David Sundermann, which is: “As a property, we try to maximize our exposure with technology while minimizing the time spent.”
Doubletree Cincinnati also hosts a site on Foursquare, offering a free appetizer to its current “mayor.”
Ramping up
Renaissance Hotel Indianapolis-North has increased its online visibility in a number of ways. The hotel was chosen to be part of a handful of hotels to pilot a new interactive and branded website, grille39restaurant.com. To leverage the site a bit further, the restaurant’s new Open Table page will be linked to it. The hotel’s
Grille 39 supervisors, Dan Tomamichel and Jeremie Smith, along with AGM Lucas Laidlaw, are leading the implementation of the new site and Open Table to increase visibility and revenues.
Also using advanced technology, sales manager Laura Miranda is in charge of the Reserve by Renaissance program. As part of the program, Miranda prepares a monthly e-newsletter that updates 300+ members of the community about upcoming events and specials. With almost 500 fans, the hotel is also active on Facebook. The property updates the site with menu specials and events.
Popular in the community
Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown uses several social media sites to maintain its popularity in the community. On Trip Advisor, the hotel fluctuates between being the No. 1 or No. 2 hotel out of 72 in the Cincinnati area thanks to great comments posted by guests.
The hotel’s BAR 506 has a Facebook page that displays small bites and comments from fans and guests (who frequently “check in” with their smart phones). Nick Michael, F&B supervisor, and the BAR 506 staff keep the Facebook page active.
BAR 506 – and excellent reviews made by its guests – also regularly appear on Urbanspoon and Yelp. In fact, doing an Internet search for BAR 506 in the Cincinnati area will result in great reviews from many sources and blogs.
Technological recruiting tools
Marriott Cincinnati-Northeast has found LinkedIn and Facebook to be useful tools when recruiting new hires. LinkedIn has especially helped with the marketing of jobs and has been deemed a great resource for narrowing the search of new hires.
Be a fan
Maral Abrahamian, sales account manager at Marriott Chicago-Northwest, established a Facebook page for the hotel and invited friends and family to become “fans.” “We encourage clients who have
experienced our service to become fans and check in for events and special offers,” she says.
Many technological
touch points
According to Brenna Dill, HR manager at Embassy Suites Williamsburg, Va., the property uses several social media tools to attract new guests and keep yearly guests updated. Dill shares that they use the Hilton customer service survey page to gauge how guests perceive their employees and product. “We make sure to personally contact all guests who may have had a bad experience so that they know we care about their opinions,” Dill says.
Embassy Suites Williamsburg also uses Facebook to promote products and collect guest feedback. The property updates its page with area activities and events and allows guests to voice their opinions, concerns and compliments. The property also has links on various attraction sites that allow guests to book rooms at the hotel directly. Embassy Suites Williamsburg also emails customers with updates on offerings.
Facebook, emails and iPads
... check!
Marriott Columbus-Airport, Ohio, uses a variety of technologies to interact with guests. Tony Layne, executive sous-chef, regularly posts food photos, menus and specials on the hotel’s Facebook page while sales and catering manager Shauna Philabaum sends weekly e-cards to lunch
regulars promoting the River City Grille menu. The sales team also uses technology to create and distribute e-cards from the Marriott site to announce promos. When meeting with clients, they often use an iPad to display photos of room sets and menus. To reinforce this effort, Traci Dixon, sales and catering manager, shares, “We
encourage our clients to go to our website to look at our menus and room layouts instead of printing them.”
Staying connected to the
community
Ohio University Inn & Conference Center, Athens, Ohio, is very active in the area’s online community. In addition to its Facebook page, which receives a great deal of guest feedback, the hotel distributes a monthly newsletter called “Cutler’s Corner” that informs guests of upcoming wine and beer tastings and restaurant specials. “It really gives us another way to reach our regular guests as well as many new guests,” shares HR manager Nicole Franz.
The Chamber of Commerce also distributes a monthly e-newsletter, which reaches hundreds of community members and businesses, that frequently promotes OU Inn’s events and specials.
Staying competitive
with technology
Since Trip Advisor named Doubletree Hotel Dearborn, Mich., the No. 1 hotel in the Detroit area in 2010, the property has been actively monitoring the site and encouraging guests to visit the site and comment on their great experiences.
In addition, Rodolfo Ortega, restaurant supervisor, is developing a barcode for the property’s business cards that are
distributed to potential customers. In return, the customers can scan the icon with a mobile device and be directed to the hotel’s website.
Dan Tomamichel (L) and Jeremie Smith
Winter 2011-12 WHI Focus 7 Brandon Harper
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C O M M U N I T Y I N V O L V E M E N T
Winter 2011-12 Vol. 28, No. 1 Winegardner & Hammons, Inc.
4243 Hunt Road Cincinnati, OH 45242 513/891-1066 www.whihotels.com
Publisher
Kent Bruggeman, WHI Senior VP of
Operations & Human Resources
Corporate Editor
Dave Gordon, WHI VP of HR
Editorial Staff: Vehr Communications 513-381-8347 (phone) Laura Phillips, editor Darcy Little, writer Dan Guttridge, writer Jodi Zureick, designer PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
College rivalry raises
awareness
To commemorate the Michigan vs. Michigan State college football game at Doubletree Hotel Dearborn, Mich., banquet
service coordinator Lauren Rodriguez
put her game-face on for “Carrie’s Crew” - an
organization formed in honor of former sales manager Carrie Noble
who tragically lost her battle with breast cancer. Associates donated $5 to wear their favorite teams’ jersies to work on the Friday before the big game. Stacy Yerby, catering and sales account manager, also made pink ribbons for associates to wear on their nametags. “Carrie’s Crew” collected $250.
One World, One Future
Radisson Hotel Lansing, Mich., recently hosted ‘One World, One Future,’ a fundraising event to raise awareness about human trafficking. Hotel associates, including restaurant manager Karen Wilson, AGM Scott Kovalick and HR manager Michelle Miller, attended the event hosted by the former Miss Michigan.
Reserve your tailgates
Holiday Inn Cincinnati-Airport, Erlanger, Ky., hosted a tailgate party for nearly 100 Reserve members. The event included food prepared on an outdoor grill, music, cornhole and prizes. Sales managers provided tours of new guest rooms, the fitness room and the refurbished pool and spa.
“This was the best attended Reserve event we’ve ever had,” states sales account manager Molly Fruin. “Our staff did a fantastic job putting it all together, and our clients appreciated the recognition and opportunity to see the new additions.”
Supporting local youth
Ron Kelso, guest service supervisor at Marriott Columbus-Airport, Ohio, is an active contributor to
Camp Sunrise, Ohio’s only summer camp program developed specifically for children affected by HIV/ AIDS. Each summer, Camp Sunrise welcomes at least 100 children to experience the joys of friendship, an encouraging environment and love and support from a caring community.
In addition, Kelso actively works
year-round with Franklin County Children’s Services to raise funds and collect toys for less fortunate children.
School pride
The Mason Deerfield Rotary Club hosts an annual chicken barbeque to help support the organization and the Mason Band Boosters. Marriott Cincinnati-Northeast employees, including GSR Pasna Bernet, bookkeeper Debbie Harding
and HR manager Lisa Compton-Martin, prepared 700 cups of coleslaw for the homecoming pre-football game meal for the Mason Marching Band and 320 guests.
Margaritaville, Ohio
The entire staff at Ohio University Inn & Conference Center, Athens, Ohio, transformed the city of Athens into Margaritaville. A fundraiser for the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, the staff planned for weeks to bring the event, dubbed “Business After Hours,” to life. The event included tropical attire, great food
and Jimmy Buffet music.
Donations for life
Marriott Columbus-Northwest, Ohio, guest service supervisor
Christine Soika is an avid believer in donating blood on a regular basis. She is arranging a blood drive at the hotel.
Lids for kids
Holiday Inn Dayton/Fairborn, Ohio, laundry attendant Susan Gilliland collects plastic lids for children battling cancer. In addition to her responsibilities at the hotel, Gilliland works at Dayton Daily News, where the collection originated. She recently reported that 26,000 lids have been collected. Although the drive is not
active, Gilliland is stockpiling lids for the next drive.
Coffee, anyone?
PM McKenna associates Heather Smith and Nicole Greathouse
represent Holiday Inn Dayton/ Fairborn, Ohio, as they volunteer at Patriot Ridge Nursing Home. In an effort to serve their
community, Smith and Greathouse host a coffee and arts & crafts hour each week. They spend individual
time with residents who are unable to leave their rooms.
Running support for
the Air Force
Each year, the Dayton/Fairborn area hosts a marathon in support of the United States Air Force. Employees at Homewood Suites Dayton/Fairborn, Ohio, have supported runners along the marathon route by
making signs and cheering. Lewis the Duck joined the fanfare, handing out tattoos and cheering on participants.
Double dose of donations
Associates at Embassy Suites Lexington, Ky., recently joined the fight against breast cancer on two fronts. First, employees participated in “jeans days” by donating $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. More than $400 was collected.
In addition, the breakfast crew cleaned and saved yogurt lids for Cups of Hope, a partnership between the Dannon Company and The National Breast Cancer Foundation. For each under-the-lid code from specially marked packages of Dannon yogurt, NBCF receives a 10-cent donation. Tina Kohrs, restaurant manager, entered in more than 1,000 codes from the lids collected by the breakfast crew.
Kelch in the community
Marriott Cincinnati-North concierge and 11-year associate
Susi Kelch is very active in the community. She collects Yoplait lids from the concierge lounge daily to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Kelch also raises funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Cincinnati and participates in its walk every year.
“Susi is very proud of her work in the community and uses it to build strong ties for Cincinnati Marriott-North,” states executive bookkeeper Jacquelyn Horak.
8 WHI Focus Winter 2011-12
Strides of courage
In October, 12 staff members from Marriott Hartford/ Windsor Airport, Conn., along with family and friends, met at Bushnell Park to raise funds for breast cancer research by walking in Strides Against Cancer, an event hosted by the American Cancer
Society. The team raised $600 through various events including a bake sale.
Operation Warm a success
Marriott Chicago-Northwest
sales account manager Jeff Winkenwerder volunteers at the Schaumburg AM Rotary. As part of Operation Warm, the Rotary presented approximately 80 coats to children at Schaumburg’s Children’s Home and Aid Society.
With assistance and funding from local organizations, like Marriott Chicago-Northwest, Operation Warm will donate about 200,000 coats nationwide.
Animal rescue
Staci Sharp, guest service supervisor at Renaissance Hotel Indianapolis-North, is on the Indianapolis board for a local ferret rescue, Five Points Ferret Refuge. She says, “We promote the well being of the animal, do outreach and education and raise
money.” Sharp also will take part in hosting a large-scale ferret show in Indianapolis, slated for June 2012.
Vote with
Barnett
Taylor Barnett, bartender at
Renaissance Hotel Indianapolis-North, is an annual volunteer at the polls on Election Day, and this year was no exception. “I like being involved at the local level in my community because I think it has the largest impact,” he states.
Serving with
grace
Renaissance Hotel Indianapolis-North sales account manager Kim DeLong is an active member of a small group at Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Ind. On Nov. 5 &
6, the church hosted a “Weekend of Service” in which the group took on a landscaping project at Shepherd Community Center. “Weekend of Service” has approximately 4,500 participants in Hamilton and Marion counties. In addition, each participant brings one food item to benefit a local food pantry.
Helping the less
fortunate
Corrine Stewart, laundry attendant at Residence Inn Cincinnati-Downtown, donates canned goods on a regular basis to the Freestore Foodbank. Stewart and housekeeping inspectress Donna Waters
encouraged the entire hotel to collect items for the Drop Inn Center in downtown Cincinnati. “The city of Cincinnati has given us such a warm welcome,” states GM David Meisner. “Supporting the Freestore Foodbank and the Drop Inn Center are great opportunities for us to give back to the city.”
