Spring / Summer 2009

Transcription

Spring/Summer 2009 • Issue 7
LBA INN CROWD
“TASTE OF LINDEN” OFFERS LITTLE BITES
TO HELP LITTLE PEOPLE
12 local eateries and businesses participate in Courtyard Bristol’s
fundraiser for Speedway Children’s Charities
Diners had a chance to
turn their appetites into
assistance for scores of
children at the first annual
Taste of Linden, benefiting
Bristol Speedway Children’s
Charities. The event, hosted
and organized by the Bristol
Courtyard by Marriott, was
held from 6 pm – 8 pm at
the hotel, located at 3169
Linden Drive. The event
raised more than $2,000 for
the children!!!
A dozen local restaurants
donated samples of their
signature offerings for the
event, which also featured a
silent auction. Local businesses donated items and
services for the silent
auction. Tickets for the
event, priced at $15, were
purchased at the hotel and
at O’Charleys. The silent
auction included (1) 15 laps
to drive your car around
Bristol Motor Speedway, (2)
tickets to the truck race and
The Food City Cup, (3) Jeff
Gordon racing hoods
donated by Pepsi, (4) tickets
to Dollywood donated by
Dollywood, (4) Black Wolf
Harley T-Shirts and Jeans,
(5) free night at the Holiday
Inn, Bristol (6) a Raffle for $1
gave a weekend stay at CBV,
(6) restaurant gift certificates
and many more items that
were donated.
Founded in 1996 to help
children in the surrounding
area of Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol Speedway
Children’s Charities’ sole
purpose is to distribute the
funds raised each year to
qualified local childrenbased 501(c) 3 organizations.
Mark White, General
Manager of the Courtyard,
reported to the media that
the event was inspired by
LBA C.A.R.E.S., a national
initiative of the property’s
management company,
Larry Blumberg & Associates, which encourages all of
its hotels to give back to
their communities. ”We are
especially proud of Angel
Sargent, our Ambassador of
C.A.R.E.S. and the coordinator of this event; she and her
team have worked very hard
to make Taste of Linden a
huge success for Speedway
Children’s Charities.”
“We are so pleased that
the Bristol Courtyard by
Marriott has chosen
Speedway Children’s
Charities as the benefactor
of this wonderful event,’’
said Claudia Byrd, director
of the Bristol Chapter of
Speedway Children’s
Charities. “We appreciate
Mark’s efforts and desire to
help the young people in
this area, and we thank the
restaurants who have so
graciously offered to be
part of this fundraiser, as
well.”
Participating restaurants
and businesses were
O’Charleys, Holiday Inn’s
Cabaret Restaurant, Red
Lobster, Salsaritas, Starbucks, Parks Mill BBQ, Brad
Pitts BBQ, Charley’s Grilled
Subs, Pepsi, Region’s Bank,
Bobby Griffin, Inc., Black
Wolf Harley Davidson, and
Wachovia Bank.
As a special gift, Courtyard
Bristol was given a framed
picture drawn by a child who
was helped by Speedway
Children’s Charities.
Displaying the picture are
Kimberly Owens and Brandon
Morgan.
Kimberly Owens, CBV
Director of Sales and
the WXBQ mascot
A WA R D S
Residence Inn Columbus
Ashley Tillery (GSA) was awarded
Employee of the Quarter at
Residence Inn Columbus.
Congratulations Ashley on a
job well done!
Courtyard Orange Park
Courtyard Hattiesburg
and Residence Inn Hattiesburg
The Courtyard Hattiesburg and Residence Inn Hattiesburg had two
associates that were recognized by the City of Hattiesburg’s Tourism
Commission. A luncheon was held on May 14, 2009, honoring
“Shining Stars” in hospitality. Chris Landry, Director of Sales and
Olimpiya Timmons, Courtyard Hattiesburg, were honored. Chris
Rowell, Courtyard Hattiesburg General Manager, presented the
award to both recipients. Rhonda Phillips, Residence Inn General
Manger, was unable to attend to due to travel. The City of Hattiesburg Tourism Commission is a locally developed program in its
eighth year which honors shining stars from all facets of the tourism
industry in Hattiesburg. There were 14 inductees, two of which
were from LBA properties. This event is part of National Tourism
week each year, with guest speakers and local dignitaries attending.
Congratulations to Jennifer Doan,
Director of Sales at the Courtyard
Orange Park! Jennifer was awarded
the prestigious honor of Director of
Sales of the Quarter for the First
Quarter of 2009 for her
accomplishments in driving sales
for her hotel. Great job Jennifer!
Courtyard Pensacola
Courtyard Pensacola reached 52
enrollees for the Marriott Rewards
program. Forty-eight of the fifty-two
enrollees were signed up by one front
desk associate, Josh Trawick. Josh has
set a personal goal to beat Philadelphia
Courtyard’s total hotel goal of
approximately 104 MR sign ups. Josh is
a Guest Service Representative at
Courtyard Pensacola. He currently attends college and hopes to
continue working in the hospitality industry. Pat Sidler, CPF
General Manager, says Josh has the best attitude ever! Way to
go Josh!
Fairfield Inn Tallahassee
Fairfield Inn Pensacola
Alicia Plumb, Guest Service Representative at Fairfield Inn Pensacola, received a perfect shop call on July 24, 2009. Alicia started
with the property on May 25, 2007. Recently, she started training
as a room inspector in housekeeping. Way to go Alicia! Pictured
above: Glenn Aycok, Regional Director of Operations, Alicia
Plumb, and Melissa Bilka, Regional Vice President of Operations
Courtyard
Hattiesburg
Brain Hickey, one of our newer hires at
the Fairfield Inn Tallahassee, has been a
shinning star since day one. Guest asks
for him by name. He takes pride in
what he does and wants to make sure
that whatever it is that needs to be
done is done with perfection. For the
past 3 months he has worn many hats
ranging from front desk associate and housekeeping all the way
to maintenance. In addition to being awarded Employee of the
Quarter, Brian ranks #1 at the property for the most Marriott
Rewards enrollments. For the past two months Brain held the
top spot in reward enrollments by enrolling 118 members.
TownePlace Suites Columbus
Congratulations to Russ Andrus
of Courtyard Hattiesburg,
June’s winner of LBA’s mystery
shopper contest. Russ not only
had one, but two perfect shops
for the month. Russ, pictured
on the left, is receiving his
award from General Manager
Chris Rowell. Way to go Russ!
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Congratulations to Denisa Smith,
Guest Service Manager at the
TownePlace Suites Columbus!
Denisa was April’s winner of a $50
American Express Gift Card for her
perfect score during a Reservations
Mystery Shop Call. Way to go
Denisa!
Congratulations to our
3rd Quarter Awards
Based on growth over last year results and increase over current budget
Occupancy to Last Year
TownePlace Suites, Columbus, GA
Most Improved GSS Overall Satisfaction
25.4%
15% above prior period
Homewood Suites, Chattanooga, TN
Nominees: Holiday Inn - Louisville, KY &
Homewood Suites, Montgomery, AL
Occupancy to Budget
Nominees: SpringHill Suites, Montgomery, AL,
Holiday Inn, Louisville, KY &
Hampton Inn & Suites, Dothan, AL
8.54%
Nominees: Courtyard, Pensacola, FL &
Courtyard, Bristol, VA
ADR to Last Year
Fairfield Inn & Suites, Jacksonville, NC
Most Improved GSS Maintenance
4%
Fairfield Inn, Birmingham, AL
Nominees: Residence Inn, Huntsville, AL &
Fairfield Inn & stuies, Columbus, GA
Courtyard, Trussville, AL
SpringHill Suites, Clearwater, FL &
Fairfield Inn, Huntsville AL
Nominees: Courtyard, Panama City, FL &
Courtyard, Albany, GA
ADR to Budget
3.97%
Nominees: Holiday Inn, Dothan, AL &
RevPar to Last Year
Most Improved GSS Cleanliness
Courtyard, Lakeland, FL
21.9%
Nominees: Fairfield Inn, Birmingham, AL &
Homewood Suites, Chattanooga, TN
Nominees: TownePlace Suites, Jacksonville, NC &
Holiday Inn, Louisville, KY
Most Improved GSS Staff Service
RevPar to Budget
3.31%
SpringHill Suites, Montgomery, AL
Nominees: Homewood Suites, Chattanooga, TN &
Fairfield Inn & Suites, Columbus, GA &
Fairfield Inn, Birmingham, AL
Nominee: Courtyard, Pensacola, FL &
Courtyard, Bristol, VA
House Profit POR to Last Year
19.7%
GSS Variance to Brand Overall Satisfaction
11.6% above brand avg.
Nominees: Holiday inn, Louisville, KY &
Courtyard, Prattville, AL
Nominees: Residence Inn, Hattiesburg, MS &
Courtyard, Hattiesburg, MS
House Profit POR to Budget
3.08%
GSS Variance to Brand Maintenance
Nominees: Courtyard, Albany, GA &
Courtyard, Panama City, FL
Flow
68.7%
Nominees: Hilton Garden Inn, Dothan &
Courtyard, Troy , AL
Nominees: Courtyard, Bristol, VA &
Courtyard, Pensacola, FL
GSS Variance to Brand Cleanliness
Flex
840.8%
Nominees: Courtyard, Troy, AL &
Courtyard, Trussville, AL &
Courtyard, Prattville, AL
Nominees: Homewood Suites, Montgomery, AL &
Turnover
SpringHill Suites, Clearwater, FL
SpringHill Suites, Sanford, FL
Fairfield Inn & Suites, Columbus, GA
GSS Variance to Brand Staff Service
0%
Nominees: Courtyard, Hattiesburg, MS &
SpringHill Suites, Clearwater, FL
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Congratulations to our
2nd Quarter Awards
Based on growth over last year results and increase over current budget
Occupancy to Last Year
Most Improved GSS Overall Satisfaction
7.8%
Hilton Garden Inn, Tallahassee, FL
Nominees: Holiday Inn Express- Niceville, FL &
Courtyarad, Pensacola, FL
Occupancy to Budget
Residence Inn, Dothan, AL
Nominees: Residence Inn, Huntsville, AL,
Hampton Inn & Suites, Pensacola, FL &
Hilton Garden Inn, Montgomery, AL
9.68%
Nominees: Courtyard, Pensacola, FL &
Holiday Inn Express- Niceville, FL
Most Improved GSS Maintenance
ADR to Last Year
9.2%
Residence Inn, Huntsville, AL
Nominees: Courtyard, Orange Park, FL &
Hampton Inn, Tupelo, MS
Nominees: Hampton Inn, Tupelo, MS &
TownePlace Suites, Huntsville, AL
ADR to Budget
Most Improved GSS Cleanliness
3.12%
Nominees: Hampton Inn, Tupelo, MS &
RevPar to Last Year
Holiday Inn Express, Niceville, FL
Nominees: Courtyard, Orange Park, FL &
Hilton Garden Inn, Montgomery, AL
5.6%
Most Improved GSS Staff Service
Nominees: Courtyard, Hattiesburg, MS &
RevPar to Budget
Holiday Inn Express, Niceville, FL
Courtyard, Orange Park, FL
Nominees: Residence Inn, Hattiesburg, MS &
Hilton Garden Inn, Tallahassee, FL &
4.45%
Nominee: Fairfield Inn & Suites, Jacksonville, NC &
House Profit POR to Last Year
Courtyard, Dothan, AL
GSS Variance to Brand Overall Satisfaction
10.1%
Nominees: Courtyard, Panama City, FL &
Nominees: Hilton Garden Inn, Macon, GA &
Homewood Suites, Huntsville, AL
House Profit POR to Budget
2.17%
GSS Variance to Brand Maintenance
Nominees: Courtyard, Dothan, AL &
Courtyard, Prrattville, AL
Flow
Nominees: Hampton Inn & Suites, Panama City Beach, FL
& Hilton Garden Inn, Macon, GA
203.7%
GSS Variance to Brand Cleanliness
Nominees: Courtyard, Orance Park, FL &
Courtyard, Pensacola, FL
Flex
Courtyard, Dothan, AL
11104.8%
Nominees: Hampton Inn & Suites, Panama City Beach, FL
& Hilton Garden Inn, Macon, GA
Nominees: Hampton Inn, Troy, AL &
Turnover
Courtyard, Albany, GA &
Fairfield Inn & Suites, Columbus, GA
GSS Variance to Brand Staff Service
0%
Nominees: Homewood Suites, Huntsville, AL &
Hilton Garden Inn, Macon, GA
Nominees: Courtyard, Orange Park, FL
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AWA R D S
Newton Receives Bobby Simpson Memorial Award
cane and has a paralyzed larynx
producing a scratchy but endearing
voice. After the accident, Kenny did
not work for eighteen years. Once
his youngest of four sons turned
eighteen, Kenny decided to try and
go back to work part time. Kenny
doesn’t drive, but he rides his bike
to work each day with his cane
hooked to the front.
Kenny has won associate of the
month three times in the two years
he has been with the Fairfield Inn &
Suites NC. He also won associate of
the quarter for the Second Quarter
2009. What a truly amazing and
inspirational story of determination
and hard work. Congratulations
Kenny in receiving an award well
deserved!
Kenny Newton, Guest Service
Representative, Fairfield Inn &
Suites NC was nominated by Anette
Houle, GM, for the Bobby Simpson
Memorial Award. This award,
presented
by
the
Mayor’s
Committee for Person’s with
Disabilities, is given to one person
with disabilities that has overcome
severe hardships. Kenny was
presented with this award on
October 15, 2009. His story is one of
great courage and determination.
After a bad car accident 20 years
ago, doctors were not very optimistic
about Kenny’s survival. He had
numerous surgeries on his legs,
back, face, jaw bone, cheek bones
and larynx. Kenny now walks with a
Pictured are: Kenny Newton and Anette Houle
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thomas Paul Phillips
Thomas Paul Phillips, was born
Saturday, April 25, 2009, at 1:33 p.m to
Michael and Phillps. Michael is the GM
at our Courtyard Lakeland property. Big
Sister, Francesca, is excited to have a
little brother, and is very glad that he
finally stopped hiding in mommy’s
belly! He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces
and is 21 inches long.
Congratulations Phillips family!
Janai MaKenzie Lockhart
Michelle and Rob Sobolewski
On March 14th 2009,
Michelle Sobolewski, DOS, New
Hotel Acquisitions, IMPACT sales, and
Rob Sobolewksi were joined together
in marriage. We would like to wish
them many, many happy years
to come!
Congratulations Michelle!
On May 20, 2009, Janai MaKenzie
Lockhart was born to Jatavius &
Naomi Lockhart. Jatavius is the
General Manager for the Fairfield Inn
Dothan. He says both he and Naomi
are really enjoying parenthood and everyone is doing great. Jania was a
healthy 7 pounds at birth and is getting bigger everyday. Congratulations
Jatavius & Naomi on your new addition!
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N e w t o t h e Fa m i l y
Hampton Inn & Suites Panama City, FL
The Hampton Inn and Suites Panama City Beach Florida, (IPC) opened it’s doors
March 13, 2009. The opening was smooth and flawless due to the hard work of all 30
excellent team members. Peaches Crawford, General Manager, the entire hotel team,
and the remarkable support staff were motivated, proud, and an extremely energetic
group to work with during the trying time frame of opening. Normally a GM has 5
months to accomplish the feat of opening of a hotel, yet Peaches was able to successfully handle this task in a mere 10 weeks!! Her dedication, as well as her team’s dedication lead to yet another wonderful addition to the LBA family. The staff is to be
commended on their Hampton Inn and Suites Quality Assurance evaluation score of an outstanding 100% in Cleanliness and a superb
score of 97% in Standards. The hotel is absolutely beautiful and set to be a winner. A very special thank you to Monica Sadhwani (RI
Dothan GM) and Luanne Coleman (IPC Housekeeping Manager) for the excellent score in guest rooms!! Monica was the training lead
and worked endlessly to ensure everything exceeded our expectations. Natasha Respicio did an outstanding job assisting with training at
the front desk. Marty Baylor did a great job training in the breakfast area. Melissa Bilka, LaShun Johnson and Patrick Lee provided essential support and guidance throughout the opening.Many thanks go out to all of those involved in the opening process. Congratulations to
Peaches and her team as they welcomed their very first walk in guests shortly after opening. Way to go IPC!
Fairfield Inn & Suites Louisville, KY
On April 16, 2009, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Louisville, KY became a part of the LBA
family. The opening went well and the property opened with no attachments. Lots of
hard work by the opening support staff, as well as the dedication and drive of the wonderful associates, proved to pull it all together for a beautiful and guest ready property.
Some of the exceptional opening team included: Adrienne Griffin (FLK), Mona Pearson
(FLK), Melissa Bilka, Chris Clements, Neal Obert, Fritz Loeffler, Ray Cooper (GHA), and
the entire FLK Staff. Everybody pushed and encouraged each other to be top performers
during the opening process and once again achieved success!
Hilton Garden Inn Dothan, AL
The Hilton Garden Inn Dothan (GDA) officially opened May 21, 2009. The opening
was smooth and easy due to the hard work of the 42 excellent team members in
Dothan. Marty Baylor, General Manager and the entire team were a fun and energetic
group to work with. Their dedication to the success of the hotel was already evident in
their attitudes and commitment to excellence. The staff is to be commended on the
Hilton Quality Assurance evaluation of an overall outstanding score of 94.4. The LBA
opening support team provided essential assistance to ensure the hotel opened successfully. A very special thank you to Monica Sadhwani (RDA), Terrie McConnell (GAA) and
Vickie Thrower (GHA) this team worked endlessly to ensure everything exceed our expectations. And a big thanks to the Melissa Bilka and
Patrick Lee for their hard work and guidance throughout the opening. I would like thank all of the LBA team members that were instrumental
in providing opening support to the Dothan team. Many thanks go out to all of the associates at the new Hilton Garden Inn that were involved throughout the opening process. Their hard work and enthusiasm resulted in a beautiful hotel ready for business.
Courtyard Troy
On Thursday June 18, 2009, Courtyard Troy, Alabama officially joined the LBA family. The
opening was successful due to the hard work of 24 excellent team members. The entire
team was a fun and energetic group. Debra Matthews (CPA), George Helewski (CPA ),
Steven Bales (GHA) and Patrick Lee (LBA) provided tremendous support to
ensure everything exceeded expectations. Many thanks go out to all of the Courtyard Troy
associates and LBA supporting staff that was involved throughout the opening process.
Once again, hard work and enthusiasm have resulted in another beautiful LBA property.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Lexington, KY
Fairfield Inn & Suites Lexington KY joined the LBA family on July 2, 2009. Jackie Hymel , General Manager, and her team worked hard to get the property guest ready. Some incredible talent was on-hand to
assist with this opening. The opening support staff included: Chris Clements who always kept everybody
focused and in good spirits; Neal Obert (FHA) who was available to assist with anything and everything
that came his way; Fritz Loeffler who was instrumental in preparing the hotel from a maintenance perspective; and Melissa Bilka who kept the timelines and insured everybody else was distraction-free so all
could focus on the task at hand. Congratulations to all!
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Property Happenings
Courtyard & Residence Inn Lakeland, FL
The staffs of the Courtyard & Residence Inn in Lakeland, FL joined
together on May, 20th, 2009 to celebrate Associate Appreciation
Week. A delicious lunch was enjoyed as well as a “friendly” game
of BINGO. What a great way to
show our associates just how
much they mean to us. Pictured
are: Stephen Cannon (RLF),
Leanna Vance (CLF), Ikca Bradley
(RLF), Jessica Zockoll(RLF), Joey
Hewitt(CLF).
Holiday Inn Louisville, KY
Courtyard Hattiesburg
For National Tourism week, the
Hattiesburg Convention and
Visitors Board of directors presented the City of Hattiesburg
with a symbolic check for revenues generated through
tourism dollars last year. Our
very own Chris Roswell, General Manager Courtyard Hattiesburg, was among the
representatives. From left to
right: Dr. Cathie Price, Chris
Rowell, General Manager, Courtyard Hattiesburg, Marshall Bell, Dr. James
Ratliff, City Councilman Dave Ware, Mayoral Representative John Brown.
On August 21, Residence Inn Columbus celebrated achieving GSS Green status
and a 100% Staff Satisfaction with guests with a luncheon. The staff brought in
delicious covered dishes, plus three different restaurants donated everything from
wings, pulled pork and spaghetti. The food was plentiful so they invited some
hungry military guests and employees from the Springhill Suites next door. A great
time was had by all and everyone walked away with a great sense of LBA pride and
a full belly. Pictured from left to right: Mike Donnelly, GM, Sandi Lynch, DOS,
Jenny Colvard, GSM, Allie Tillery, GSM, Mary Hall, Housekeeping, Terry Hall, Maintenance Technician, Jeff Crumley, Chief Engineer,Linda Dewahrt, Housekeeper,
Melissa Mckelvey, Housekeeper, Keonia Shaw, Laundry, Brenda Davis, Housekeeper, Alicia Smith, Housekeeper, Theresa Morgan, Executive Housekeeper
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Stuart Wilson, General Manager
“Wow! What a weekend and what a fantastic
Inaugural Derby for HLK” were the words of
Joe Maroney, Bench Manager at the Holiday Inn
in Louisville, KY.
Bennie Woolley Jr., the trainer for Mine That
Bird who won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday
stayed at the Holiday Inn Louisville, KY and
loved it. Woolley and Mine That Bird traveled
from New Mexico to Kentucky by van, a 21hour journey that included an overnight stop
near Dallas. Mine That Bird - the only gelding
in the race - rallied from last to first in the 19horse field under jockey Calvin Borel and scored
a runaway victory in the 135th Kentucky Derby
before an announced crowd of 153,563 on
Saturday at Churchill Downs. Woolley on
NBC’s telecast was asked about how little
anyone knew of him or his horse before the
race. “They know me now,” he said.
Joe was able to spend some time with the
trainers and was told a very touching story
about what happened before the race. The lady
that administered the specialty feed to the horse
felt a spiritual calling. Everyone was brought to
circle the horse yesterday. Prayers were said as
everyone bowed their heads. Holy Water was
sprinkled on the horse and jockey. Joe said he
was getting goose bumps just hearing the story.
The horse and jockey stepped off to go the
gate. The jockey had an overwhelming sense of
peace that came over him. When the race was
over, Mine That Bird had not even broken a
sweat. He returned the second-highest price in
Derby history.
The group even went on to tell me what a
wonderful job the staff of the hotel did. They
said that Holiday Inn had been their most
pleasant stay on their many trips to Louisville.
They further indicated that they know exactly
where they will be for their future visits.
Highlighted Guest Experiences
Mike Donnelly, General Manager, shares a warm story about one of our little guests
Matt and his mother checked into the hotel a
couple of days prior to the husband getting some
leave from Fort Benning. For some reason Matt and
I hit it off during the first breakfast. I saw Matt at the
pool and chatted with him and his mom a little. His
Mom asked if we could leave the reception open later
that night since the Father would be getting in late
(8:30PM), I said no problem. That night Matt started
fidgeting in the Gate House Area waiting for his
Father. I then showed Matt a card trick, to get his
mind occupied. Matt calmed down for almost an
hour learning the card trick. Mom thanked me
several times for getting Matt calmed down. About
8:30 dad showed up the family was united and
everyone was happy. The next day, Matt came down
to my office with a picture had had drawn of me. I
was now the transformer Monster Mike. His mom
said he had almost spent the entire morning drawing
it. It is now mounted in the front office.
Courtyard, Valadosta, GA
Good Morning
Tuesday evening my husband and I
stayed with you at the Courtyard
Valdosta. The rooms look so nice with the
renovations.
What I am writing about is your staff
member, John. He was a real life saver
(literally) to us. Inadvertently we left my
husband’s insulin in the room
refrigerator. We didn’t realize what we
had done until Wednesday when we had
traveled to Corbin, Kentucky. We called
immediately and John was most
courteous and helpful in getting the
insulin to us.
It arrived this morning via FedEx in
perfect condition and temperature (it
needed to be kept cool and John did an
excellent job in packing it). There were 8
boxes which amounts to several months
of injections. The loss would have been
substantial to us.
John is truly an asset to your
organization
and
exhibits
your
philosophy in regards to customer
relations. Your leadership in creating that
climate in the organization is evident and
one of the major reasons we choose
Marriott when we travel.
Thank you!
Marilyn Goodsman
Courtyard, Orange Park, FL
Richard Lowe, General Manager
Guest Carl Hedgepeth sent
compliments to Marriott Customer
Care concerning his experience at the
Courtyard in Orange Park, Florida:
Just wanted to thank Linda (front
desk) & the maid service for retrieving
Deborah’s hooded jacket & mailing it
home. Linda was exceptional & helpful
during our stay, & of course, afterward
as well! Our compliments also to the
breakfast staff. They did a fantastic job
turning the tables (after guests
departed), and still serving the needs of
those guests remaining in the area. We
have traveled to many Marriott’s & find
this one to be, not just professional - as
are they all, but cozy & personable. WE
WILL DEFINITELY RETURN for a
longer stay!!
Sincerely,
Carl Hedgepeth
Hilton Garden Inn,
Tallahassee, FL
I am a returning guest at your hotel
when I am doing business in Tallahassee. I wanted to take time to acknowledge some exceptional help from your
staff this week. I was down for business
and during my visit ended up with a
serious stomach flu that resulted in my
being confined to bed with a fever.
When notified the front desk of my
situation they went to all measures to
help make things easier for me. From
delivering light foods that I could keep
down to water bottles to keep me from
getting dehydrated, to calling my room
in the evening to make sure I was
comfortable and needed anything. This
went not only to the front desk but the
restaurant staff as well.
When a business traveler is on the
road and very ill like this it is
challenging. But when they are cared
for by a staff that goes the extra mile it
is worth my time to drop this note and
say thank you.
Sincerely
Bruce Alpert
Microsoft Corp
Associates: Deanna Kolbjomsen, night auditor; Whitney Hansen, front desk; Beth
Bond and Xania Jones, restaurant.
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Want more info or help with C.A.R.E.S.? - Please refer to the LBA C.A.R.E.S. Tool Kit on
innovations, or feel free to contact Tracey Whiddon at [email protected] or 334-793-6855, ext. 250,
for more information on C.A.R.E.S. and C.A.R.E.S. candy.
Hampton Inn & Suites Panama
City Beach Pier Park
Habitat for Humanity and the helping
hands at the Hampton Inn.
by Luanne Coleman
Trussville Courtyard by Marriott
David Arnott, General Manager
Feeding Bodies and Spirits
Unless you’ve been hungry for more than a few hours, you don’t
know what homeless people struggle with every day. They never
know how or when they’ll eat their next meal. Hunger affects their
ability to concentrate and function, making it more difficult for them
to find ways to help themselves.
Feeding Bodies and Spirits is just what David and Pat from the
Courtyard in Trussville did when they served food and offered
amenity packets for the homeless. Pat put us in touch with a lady
named Cindy who started taking medicine and food to the homeless out of the back of her van a couple of years ago. It has since
grown to have involvement from nurses and Doctors who provide
care to local churches who donate the food. What is amazing is
Cindy still brings the medicine in the back of her van; tables and
chairs are brought in and set up so they can be seen by the doctors,
medicine is provided, blood pressure is taken and eye glasses are
given out when needed.
When Pat and David arrived, they were greeted with “you are an
answer to my prayers.” She said she had been looking to partner
with a hotel that could provide soap, shampoo and lotion. A case of
lotion and shampoo was donated and the overwhelming appreciation shown was worth it all. On a more personal level, David said
he wanted to share how incredibly angry and guilty he felt with
himself for taking so long to really embrace the CARES program
and finding time to give back to the community that Courtyard has
been allowed to be a part of. For the 2 hours that we were there, I
never thought about labor, my man purse, or the Hotel in general what I did think about is how incredibly fortunate we are and not
only is it something we should do - it’s our responsibility.
While there, we booked a family reunion and socialized with the
administrator for St Vincent’s hospital who was so happy with our
Hotel that Courtyard is their first recommendation on the patient
list for lodging. Pat and David were proud to get the LBA name
out on the streets and share what C.A.R.E.S. is all about. Courtyard Trussville looks forward to participating once a month as a
hotel team and invites everyone to come and experience the joy of
feeding bodies and spirits.
9
Hampton Inn and Suites Panama City Beach Pier Park has lent a
helping hand to Habitat for Humanity. With sleeves rolled up and
nail guns in hand, two courageous women boldly ventured on a
mission with one thought in mind: To help to build a home. Peaches
Crawford and Carla Spears were the first in the Hampton team to
dedicate their time, love, and helping hands to build a home for a
family in Millville. During our
Grand Opening ceremonies, Habitat
for Humanity spoke about the family
and offered them this home as a
hand up with full heart. The family
was also given an engraved hammer
as a reminder of the joy that this
build has not only brought to the
family but to all of those involved, as
well as a 2x4 board signed by Hampton team members and local community members. As a tradition
LBA gives Habitat for Humanity a
$2,000.00 check at
every new opening,
and this Grand Opening was no exception,
however it was the
smiles on everyones
faces, the love in their
hearts, and the spirit in
which the gift was
given that will be remembered most of all.
Blue Ribbon Friday for Kid’s Day
On April 25th, Blue Ribbon Friday for Kids Day, LBA
home office associates proclaimed their
support for Child Abuse Awareness Month
wearing t-shirts purchased from the Southeast AL
Child Advocacy Center who focuses on providing
counseling and support and strives to eliminate the
sexual and physical abuse of children.
Team Huntsville
Relay for Life is a life changing event and Chris
Clements, former General Manager, Residence
Inn, Huntsville, AL and newly promoted to
Director of Hotel openings, continues to lead the
pack as he assembled LBA’s Huntsville area
Hotels to participate as a group in an event that
was held April 17th. Relay for Life is the
American Cancer Society’s signature activity that
offers everyone in the community an opportunity
to participate in the fight against cancer. The
Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites,
Homewood Suites and the Hilton Garden Inn all
united as they walked alongside those who have
battled cancer, and remembered loved ones lost
to the disease. During the 12 hour event, a path
of luminaries purchased in celebration of a
survivor or in memory of someone lost shined
the way for all participants. Team Huntsville
made a total contribution of more than $2,000 to
help in the fight against cancer. WAY TO GO
HUNTSVILLE!!!!
Courtyard Lake Mary
Courtyard Lake Mary participated in a Habitat for Humanity build providing a home for
the Abbot family. Jason Brown, General Manager, and Jon Gibney, Assistant General
Manager, teamed up to get the job done. As you can see by the picture personally drawn
by one of the Abbott children they were truly grateful for this wonderful opportunity.
Pictured above from left to right: Chris
Clements, Sue Daily, Kisha Jackson, Jennifer
Middleton, Nikki Stewart, Wanda Petty, Lynn
Rice, Candace Kent, Cindy Simpson, Tonya Little,
Olympia Miller and Trish Gonterman.
Hampton Inn & Suites
Panama City (Pier Park), FL
treating her to a weekend in Panama City Beach.
The winner of the Courtyard stay was a 12 year
survivor herself, a brave young woman with a great
Panama City and Panama City Beach smile that was so excited just to have the chance to
spend the night with her family in the hotel.
Care about Cancer
It was such a pleasure and so much fun to see
By Luanne Coleman
my
co-workers from both properties really get inOn April 17th and 18th Hampton Inn and
volved. To hear all of their personal cancer stories
Suites PCB-Pier Park and The Courtyard by Marriott Panama City had the pleasure of participating was touching. Having my GM Peaches, motivate
the evening crew was spirit lifting, my GSM
in Relay for Life. Together we raised a total of
$1,100 in cash and several hundred more dollars in Shane help to keep me awake at 2:00am was
donations from local businesses, to help fight can- touching, having the smiles and energy from the
staff at the Courtyard, Becky, Jackie and so many
cer. Thanks to the hearts and help of the two
others was such a joy as they spent their time with
GM’s, Peaches and Scott we were able to auction
us, donated prizes and kept us going. Then having
and raffle a one night stay, dinner and a limo ride
Scott the Courtyard GM, come over early in the
at their properties. The winner of the Hampton
morning to do laps with us, helped to keep our
night was a couple from Alabama that bid on the
team on the track strong for our final laps. It
package on Ebay, it was special to them because
their mother was a cancer survivor, and they were could not have been a better representation of a
10
better team as a part of a great company for a
great cause. Thank you LBA for supporting us, and
all of the staff that came out to help along with
your friends and family. We truly helped to make
the cure for cancer one step closer. Team members
include from left to right: Front row: Shane,
Peaches, Luanne, Dwayne Claretta Becky and
Jackie Back row: Daniel, Sherman, Trish, Scott and
Sam.
LBA Corporate Office Participates in
Habitat Dedication Ceremony
Courtyard Trussville
For the past school year, the Courtyard Trussville has
partnered with their local High School to provide on
the job training for special needs children. The class is
called Life skills and allows students with special needs
to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it
out in the workforce with some local business’s 2 days
a week. They welcomed the opportunity to have Sara
come and work with the Courtyard café staff and Jesse
who has been working in the laundry department.
Both of whom were an asset and a joy to have this past
semester. It has been a great partnership this past year
and not only have the students learned skills we have
as well and we look forward to that partnership for
years to come.
Rob Goldsmith, Director of
Community Affairs, said he was
honored to represent LBA at
the dedication of a new habitat
home in their hometown of
Dothan, Alabama. The ceremony was held on April 24th
with about 50 people including
local news teams on hand for
the celebration. Rob presented
the new homeowner, Maria
Arcuragi, with the Hammer as
a symbol of each person who
freely gave their time and efforts into making this dream become a reality for
the family. He went on to say that this was a very special and emotional ceremony as the home was blessed by Father Gallagher and the keys presented to
Maria. The Wiregrass HFH has built 103 homes in the Wiregrass community
and currently has over 20 available sites on which to build. Rob Goldsmith, Director of Community Affairs at LBA, presents Maria Arcuragi with the Habitat
Hammer as local dignitaries look on.
Hope for Your Future
If you ‘do hope’ by keeping your fingers crossed and waiting for your ship to come in ... If that is how you are doing
your life ... ‘Pack a lunch’ because it could be a long, long wait
for your ship to come in.
Chris Clements, former Residence Huntsville GM and
newly promoted Director of Hotel openings, along with the
staff at Residence Inn Huntsville were not just standing by
with their fingers crossed hoping these kids will have a future.
For four years they have enjoyed hosting kids with disabilities or learning disabilities from the Madison County Career
Technical Center. The children teamed up with the Residence
Inn staff during the morning hours for many various tasks.
This provided them with hope for a good future by allowing
them to work in different environments and proving to them
they CAN work and build self esteem at the same time.
To Chris and the staff at Residence Inn Huntsville: “When I
grow up, I wanna be just like you!”
Students Left to Right: Tosin Olugbode, Ryan Morgan,
Phillip Osmer, Josh Lyle, Tabitha Bell, Kim Beddingfield, Krystal Ford, Nathan Wires. Not Pictured: Cassie Hobbs, Toni Ivey,
Sean Larkin, Elizabeth Hill and Isaac Felknor
Critter Casual Day at LBA
May 8th was
Critter Casual
Day at LBA. To
emphasize the
importance of
being kind to all
animals, LBA
Corporate Office Associates
wore T-shirts in
honor of National Be Kind
to Animals
Week which
was May 3rd – 9th. Lisa Coleman led the effort and from the
sale of T-shirts collected a total of $170 to donate to the Wiregrass Humane Society who is dedicated to the rescue and care
of homeless pets in our community. Pictured are: Back row:
Dennis Slaughter, LaChun Ritter, Tracey Whiddon, Susan
Kirkland. Front row: Lena Burns, April Taylor, Pam Holloway,
KiKi Cox, Ellen Cain
11
LBA Inn Crowd
The LBA Inn Crowd is the quarterly newsletter of Larry Blumberg & Associates, Inc.,
developers and managers of hotels and other commercial property for over 35 years.
Newsletter submissions are welcome; Email stories and pictures to [email protected]
PRST FCM
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
DOTHAN, AL
Permit No. 440
Larry Blumberg and Associates, Inc.
2733 Ross Clark Circle (36301)
P. O. Box 5566
Dothan, Alabama 36302
Phone: 334-793-6855
Fax: 334-793-1707
E-mail: [email protected]
Chairman/CEO
Larry Blumberg
President
Barry Kraselsky
Thank you to all who
contributed to the
LBA Inn Crowd.
Check us out on the web at www.lbaproperties.com
A letter from Beau...
There has been a great deal of uncertainty in our economy and specifically in the hospitality industry. Experts in the industry are indicating that they feel that we are “bouncing off the bottom” and that better times are ahead. I was at an event recently that featured the leaders of
Marriott and Hilton as guest speakers. Neither believes that the recovery will be quick or easy.
Because of this, we must continue to work harder and smarter.
What can we do to set ourselves apart from the competition? We always say that an LBA hotel
should feel different. It should start with the arrival experience and stay with the guest long
after they have left your property. I have heard the term “aggressively friendly”. I love that
thought. I recently stayed at a non-LBA hotel and found myself in a “stare down” with the
front desk clerk. She never greeted me or even asked what I needed. She just looked at me.
That left a lasting impression of that entire property just because of that one associate. On the
other extreme, I love it when I hear from a guest how friendly the associates are on an LBA
property. Many times when I get that comment, they specifically mention someone other than
the front desk that went out of their way to speak or acknowledge them. I ask of each of you to
make sure that each day, you are continuing to go out of your way to make sure that the guest
feels the difference of an LBA hotel.
I thank each of you for what you do to set your hotels apart from the competition.
Sincerely,
Beau Benton

Spring / Summer 2009

Transcription

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