Vesta Times Newsletter

ISSUE: first quarter 2015
Sales SuperStar
Brianna Fischer and the Glendale team targeted a large mailorder retailer in their market for
four years. This large account
had loyalties at their competitors
but because of Brianna and
team’s persistence and savvy
sales strategy they were successful in winning the 2015 contract that will bring at least 5,000
room night to the hotel. The
Glendale team is tenacious,
motivated, and creative in their
sales approach.
Congratulations Glendale Team!
Homewood Suites La Quinta Helps Make a Dream Come True for a
Cancer Patient
The staff at the Homewood Suites La Quinta had the opportunity to make a cancer patient’s dream come
true. Working with “Dream Foundation”, a group that makes wishes come true for terminally ill adults, they
helped Barbara spend valuable time with her entire family. Barbara has an aggressive Glioblastoma brain
tumor that is growing rapidly and causing very frequent seizures.
The hotel staff went above and beyond to help make Barbara’s dream a reality and the result was impactful
for both the family and the Homewood team. “I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing people and foundations in my career. This is one of the memorable days that I will not forget. To see Barbara
and her family smile, and Barbara to enter the room and be “WOWed” is something I will treasure forever. I called her sister to find out what Barabara loves, her top 3 favorite things. She loves red, feathers and
chocolates. Easy enough!! We embellished her room surrounded by her favorites and she was
thrilled. The whole team worked hard making sure each detail was executed as envisioned!! Her only
wish was to have Christmas with her Family, all together. We were able to make her “Dream” become
reality. Her parents are both blind and they stayed with us along with her brother, sister, niece, her daughter, grandson and other immediate family members.” Robyn Gallegos, Director of Sales.
Great Teams, Great Experiences, Great Results
this issue
Pictured along with Barbara are some of the
Homewood team and Pete and Jan Drummond (in red), supporters of the Dream
Foundation.
President’s Message P.1
Associate Spotlight P.1
Vesta Tidbits P.2
Kudos & Congratulations P.2
Best of the Best P.3
Celebrating Team Spirit P.4
Vesta Times first quarter 2015
President’s Message
In the hospitality industry our focus is to ensure each and every guest is a happy
The Vesta Wheel in Action P.2
Vesta Times
Sales Superstar P.4
guest. We have a multitude of programs in place to ensure each guest feels welcome,
the hotels are clean and comfortable, and they receive exceptional guest service. Their
“Great Experience” relies on our “Great Teams” delivering a top notch experience.
Creating solid team work in our hotels is possible with comprehensive training programs, team goals and most of all the individual commitment and personal responsibility from each associate.
The synergy within a successful working team starts with you. Not with the manager,
not with the supervisor, but with you. Every interaction you have with either a guest or
another team member sets a foundation for success; success in service delivery, sucRick Takach
cess in personal job efficiency and success in feeling a sense of accomplishment that
President, CEO
day. It’s that personal accomplishment that gives us a momentum to be the best everyday. It is the driving force to make others smile and to let your smile shine. Taking personal responsibility for the
success of a team is what I consider one of the greatest personal growth accomplishments you can have as an
associate. A team is successful because of individual responsibility and the reverse is true too. Often times a
bad review of a hotel can be because of one individual person. I encourage everyone to reflect inward and ask,
“what is my personal contribution to the success of my team, the hotel, and the company?” “what can I do to
exceed the expectations of my team?”. Then, let your confidence, your hospitality and your great attitude shine
through to help create GREAT Teams, GREAT Experiences, and GREAT Results.
I would like to express a special thank you to the team members mentioned on page 3 that were nominated by
their General Managers because of their personal commitment to success to be highlighted as the best of the
best in Vesta.
Vesta Value: I am responsible for the revenue success of my hotel.
Vesta Hospitality Associate Spotlight
Marcia Prince has been in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years and worked in all facets to include, guest
service agent, housekeeping, food service, and she was even a Front Desk Manager before joining the team at
the Best Western PLUS in Savannah in May 2008. Marcia currently works as a night auditor. After 7 years at the
hotel she stays motivated because she of her love for working with people, both guests and team members. In
her role she likes that she never knows what to expect each night it could be a weary traveler, the occasional
“nightly” intoxicated person, or just a guest who needs someone to talk to at 3am and the mystery of never knowing is fun. General Manager, Jeff Fouste said “Marcia has continued to be one of
my rock steady employees since 2008. She is always willing and able to help
whenever it is needed. I can rest at night knowing Marcia has the best interest of
the hotel in mind in everything she does.”
When asked what Vesta Value resonated with her, Marcia stated that she most
closely associates herself with the Vesta Value “I believe that serving others is
the heart of hospitality and is the reason I am here”. Marcia has been in this industry for many years and been through many changes, but the one constant is
her ability to deliver memorable experiences to both guests and coworkers
through exceptional customer service. She also added that she enjoys working
for Vesta because she knows her opinions and views are always welcome.
Outside of work, Marcia volunteers with the Savannah chapter of Meals on
Wheels and helps distribute meals to those in need of a nutritious meal. In any of
her left over down time she can always be counted on to babysit her grandbabies. Anyone who knows Marcia knows that her family and friends are the most
important thing in her world.
Marcia Prince
(360) 737-0442
Vancouver, WA 98660
900 Washington Street, Suite 760
Vesta Tidbits
Vesta is pleased to announce the
appointment of two positions in the
Vancouver corporate office; Karen
Cooksey and Susanne Cox.
Karen Cooksey
joins the team as
Vice President of
Sales & Marketing. Karen has
been in the hospitality industry
for
over
30
years. Her key
strengths include
identifying opportunities to improve revenue and then developing sales teams that will exceed
revenue objectives.
Susanne Cox has
rejoined the Vesta
team as Director
of Human Resources. Susanne
worked for Vesta
from
1999
to
2011 and was
instrumental
in
our growth during
that period. Susanne’s new responsibilities will include all Human Resource functions; associate insurance, training, recruitment, and much more. Welcome
back Susanne.
The Downtown Shreveport Hotel
underwent an extensive renovation and staff training and last December they passed the Holiday
Inn inspecting. The hotel earned
back it’s flag and now is the Holiday Inn Downtown Shreveport.
Congratulations to the Holiday Inn
Downtown Shreveport Team.
Connect with Vesta on Linkedin.
Did you know you can stay up to
date on Vesta news by following
us on Linkedin?
Vesta Wheel in Action: Our Revnue
Best of the Best—Associate Recognition
The Stars Aligned at the Comfort Suites Redmond, OR
Delivering GREAT EXPERIENCES and GREAT RESULTS starts with GREAT TEAMS. During the end of year Presidents Message conference call, Rick Takach highlighted outstanding associates or teams that exemplified Vesta Mission and Values. Kudos to these associates that were chosen by their General Managers to be mentioned based on their commitment to service.
Director of Sales, Dawn Tombs and the team at the Comfort Suites have masterfully managed their rates, accounts and competition to successfully achieve their
wheel goal to increase REVPar indexes. By negotiating existing account rates,
using skilled revenue management tactics and meeting the needs of clients and
guests they have hit their STR goals. The sales approach they have adopted is to ensure a diversity of
business mix while managing rates and inventory on peak demand nights. Their efforts have paid off
and as Dawn Tombs states: “we are fortunate
to have a hotel product that Vesta Hospitality
is committed to, insuring there is a capital
plan in place to make us the leader in the
market, providing our clientele with a product
they are willing to pay a fair price for.
Pictured left to right - The revenue “it takes village
team” at the Comfort Suites, Redmond; Paul
Haggerty, General Manager Amanda Williams,
Front Office Manager, Dawn Tombs, Director of
Sales, not pictured Chad Smith, Housekeeping/
Maintenance Manager.
Vesta Wheel in Action: Responsible Business
Over the Edge: Lincoln Hosts Big Brothers/Big Sisters Fundraiser
Last September, the Holiday Inn Downtown- Lincoln hosted a
fundraiser with Heartland Big Brothers Big Sisters called Over
the Edge. The event brought great exposure to the hotel as
60 brave individuals rappelled down the 16 story building.
The two day event raised over $90,000 for the local chapter
and will help create matches for many youth waiting for mentors.
Five staff members of the Holiday Inn Downtown- Lincoln
were able to participate in the event to help raise money for
the organization. Overall, the event was a huge success and
was featured several times on the local news and radio stations.
Kudos and Congratulations
Congratulations to
the Staybridge
Suites—Portland
Airport for being
chosen as an Orbitz
Best in Stay Elite
winner.
BEST WESTERN—SAVANNAH, GA: Latoya Williams, Executive Housekeeper – Latoya has regularly taken on special projects and
identified ways to improve guest experiences. During her time with the hotel Latoya has proven to be an invaluable part of the housekeeping staff so much so that on November 15, 2014 she was named as the new Executive Housekeeper and we are looking forward to
an excellent 2015.
COMFORT SUITES—REDMOND, OR: Dee Reed, Housekeeping – Dee volunteers time at the Redmond Habitat for Humanity and recently spent several days assisting with Habitat’s location here in Redmond.
COUNTRY INN & SUITES—PORTLAND, OR: Yolanda Gonzales, Position – Yolanda is one of the longest term associates with the
Country Inn & Suites Portland Airport. For the past 15 years, Yolanda has never missed a day of work or even been late. Yolanda always
comes to work with a genuine gratitude for her job and always greets the guests and her fellow team members with a friendly smile and
“how are you doing?” Yolanda is a model employee and sets the standard for Vesta’s mission.
HILTON GARDEN INN—SHREVEPORT, LA: Brittany Bates, Front Desk – Brittany is an asset to the hotel with her guest service skills
day in and day out. She always has a smile on her face regardless of what is going on and always starts the day out with a positive outlook. One can always count on her. Anything that is asked of her, she always responds with “Absolutely!”
HOLIDAY INN—LINCOLN, NE: Dana Wenzl, Van Driver – Although his title is officially van driver he is extremely helpful in whatever
capacity we need to use him. He routinely helps in our garage and many weekends he is here most of the night doing runs for Amtrak
and SkyWest and helps security when they need him. Dana has never said “no” to anything we have asked of him and one can truly say
he cares as much as anyone in the hotel about our success.
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS—-GLENDALE, AZ: Cynthia Romero, Guest Service Representative – Cynthia has positively impacted the
hotel for this past year for a few reasons: She is always willing to help out in all departments whenever and wherever necessary without
hesitation and she has the best interest of the hotel in mind. She also helps train numerous associates and inspires them in areas of opportunity to aim higher. Truly a “Vesta Team Player”!!
HOMEWOOD SUITES—LAQUINTA, CA: Keren Ceniceros, Sales Coordinator – Keren moved from the front desk where she acted as
temporary Front Office Manager in time of a need. Then moved into sales where she has made an enormous contribution. She has been
a key player in helping to tie the sales department and the front desk together into a more effective work force.
HOMEWOOD SUITES—VANCOUVER, WA: Leadership Team: Not one person alone but all together we make each other stronger and
the hotel successful. The team’s youngest member is 7 years at the hotel and the oldest 17 years, with this experience it has become a
“well oiled” management team. Every manager has a special skill set that supports each other and are great role models for all the associates at the hotel. Thanks to: Jeff Rosenberg (17), Tracie Red Elk (7), Stephanie Shores (14), Arnela Gogalija (15), Jodi Paz (8) and
Crystal Giles (8).
RENAISSANCE—MCALLEN, TX: Marco Melendez, Maintenance Engineer – Marco never calls in sick, is always on time, comes in
when needed (on Call), and always completes his work assignments on time and with excellence. Marco works well with all departments
of the hotel. He is great with guests, enthusiastic about his work, helps develop other associates, is highly productive and does quality
work. He takes pride in his work, is a team player with great integrity and honesty.
STAYBRIDGE SUIITES—GLENDALE, AZ: Ovdulia Vivar, Laundry Attendant – Ovdulia is an inspiration to all of us every morning
when she greets us. She always has a smile on her face and is very positive. We also receive compliments from our guests on how
happy Ovdulia always is when they see her. She also has reclaimed numerous amounts of soiled laundry which has been cost effective
for us during this past year.
STAYBRIDGE SUITES—PORTLAND, OR: Kim Ploshay, Executive Housekeeper – Kim has been with the hotel for eleven years,
takes pride in her work and “owns” the results. She loves the hotel and her work and is very engaged, making a great impact, achieving
best results.
HOLIDAY INN—SHREVEPORT, LA: Trish Morgan, Executive Housekeeper – Trish handled extreme situations with bravura while
keeping the renovation smooth and moved things forward. She responded to the ownership and the contractors in the hotel in a professional, friendly and timely manner. And, EJ Boswell, F&B Director – EJ handles extreme challenges very well: crew meals, limited supplies and daunting catering functions. He always tries to find a way of generating additional income.