Accomplishments
Best Western St. Christopher receives “Director’s Award”
New Orleans, Louisiana-January 18, 2012-The Best Western St. Christopher Hotel in New Orleans has received the Best Western Director’s Award, the hotel chain’s highest honor for outstanding quality standards. The Director’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels scoring in the top twenty percent of all 2, 400 North American properties in cleanliness and maintenance. Hotels must also meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer service scores to qualify for the award.
For the full press release- BW St. Christopher Director Award 2012
ASSOCIATE AT HILTON GARDEN INN FRENCH QUARTER/CBD
WINS NATIONAL HOTEL AWARD
Bell staffer King Semiean is honored as 2011 national winner
of Catch Me at My Best® program for helping Hilton guests
NEW ORLEANS, LA (December 5, 2011)—King Semiean’s years of experience in the communications industry helped him in his new career in the hospitality industry to be named one of 21 national winners in Hilton’s Catch Me at My Best competition.
Semiean, who has worked for a number of New Orleans media outlets, changed careers recently to go into the hospitality industry where he saw more opportunity. “After years of working for newspaper, radio and TV stations here in New Orleans, I recognize hospitality is the growth industry in this community, and I wanted to apply my communications skills to help visitors enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer,” he said.
The Hilton’s program is designed to recognize hotel team members from all Hilton brands to reinforce the company’s standards of exceptional service and hospitality. Winners were chosen from Hilton properties in 18 countries.
For winning in New Orleans, Semiean was awarded an Apple iPod Touch®.
“King acts as a one-person concierge to our guests,” said Kristi Taglauer, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn French Quarter/CBD. “He has generated dozens of comment cards from guests who have singled him out for helping them find restaurants and attractions in this area that make their stay in our hotel and our city so special,” Taglauer added.
BEST WESTERN ST. CHRISTOPHER HOTEL RECEIVES HOTEL CHAIN’S HIGHEST AWARD FOR QUALITY
New Orleans, Louisiana-April 26, 2011-The Best Western St. Christopher Hotel in New Orleans has received the Best Western Chairman’s Award, the hotel chain’s highest honor for outstanding quality standards. The Chairman’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels scoring in the top five percent of all 2, 400 North American properties in cleanliness and maintenance. Hotels must also meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer service scores to qualify for the award.
“The Director’s Award is an important symbol of success,” says Maria Figueroa, General Manager. “This award confirms the Best Western Plus St. Christopher Hotel commitment to providing quality accommodations for our guests. Our housekeeping and maintenance departments have worked hard to achieve this level of excellence.” For the full press release -St. Christopher-Chairman Award Letter 2011.
Hilton New Orleans St. Charles Avenue receives the AAA 4 Diamond Award…
We are proud to acknowledge the Hilton New Orleans St. Charles Avenue as one of North America’s select accommodations. Only four percent of over 31,000 properties Approved by AAA achieve this prestigious distinction! Your property listing is accessible on AAA.com and will appear in the 2012 edition of the AAA Louisiana & Mississippi TourBook® guide. For the full acknowledgment Hilton St Charles AAA2011.
FRED SAWYERS PROMOTED TO COMPLEX GENERAL MANAGER
NEW ORLEANS, La., – (MAY 23, 2011) – Hilton Worldwide announced today the promotion of Fred Sawyers, a 26-year hotel veteran, as complex general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton New Orleans in addition to his current responsibilities as general manager of the 1622-room Hilton New Orleans Riverside. “Fred has done an outstanding job operating the Riverside and is an important member of our New Orleans management team. His leadership skills, accomplishments and expertise in operations are valuable assets to our hotels in the area,” states Keith Clampet, senior vice president, operations for Hilton Worldwide. Sawyers will take over the operations and management of the 363-room hotel located one block from the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans, effective immediately. (For full press release Fred Sawyers promoted to Complex Manager 5-23)
Omni Royal Crescent Hotel recipient of AAA 4 Diamond Award
The Omni Royal Crescent Hotel is a recipient of the prestigous AAA 4 Diamond Award. Only 4 percent of all lodging approved by AAA receive this award. Congrats to the Omni Royal Crescent Hotel.
NEW ORLEANS MARRIOTT METAIRIE AT LAKEWAY HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AAA FOUR DIAMOND AWARD
New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway has been awarded the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award by AAA Publishing. This is the first time the hotel has been honored with the distinction.
“We are truly honored to receive this prestigious award,” says Patrick Barrett, general manager at New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway. “Our mission is to provide every guest with exceptional service and the Southern hospitality that the New Orleans area is known for.” Full acknowledgment click Marriott Metairie AAA Four Diamond.
Hilton Riverside New Orleans- 4 Diamond Lodging
The Hilton Riversidel New Orleans has been recognized as an AAA approved, 4 Diamond lodging. Only 4 percent of all lodging approved by AAA are given this distinction. Click Hilton Riverside 4 Diamond for the full acknowledgment.
Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel New Orleans- 4 Diamond Lodging
The Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel New Orleans has been recognized as an AAA approved, 4 Diamond lodging. Only 4 percent of all lodging approved by AAA are given this distinction. Click 2011 Triple A 4 Diamond Letter for the full acknowledgment.
Windsor Court honored
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Windsor Court Hotel has earned a spot on Travel + Leisure’s Top 500 Hotels readers’ survey. In the ninth annual survey, voters gave the Windsor Court the top rating in New Orleans and in all of Louisiana based on rooms, location, service, restaurant food and value. This is the second year in a row the Windsor Court has been included on the list.
Darryl Berger to be honored by CityBusiness
Monday, October 4, 2010
Emilie Bahr, Contributing Writer
Editor’s note: CityBusiness is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, starting with a cocktail reception Tuesday night at the New Orleans Museum of Art honoring the area’s Driving Forces over the past 30 years. These stories will be compiled in our 30th anniversary issue on Oct. 29.
Title: The Berger Co. founder
Age: 62
Family: wife, Louellen; children, Allison Tiller, Darryl Jr., Brandon and Ryan
Education: bachelor’s degree in history and communication, Vanderbilt University; juris doctor, Tulane University Law School
Darryl Berger knew from the time he enrolled at Tulane University Law School what his future would be — and it wasn’t in the courtroom.
Berger studied history and communications before deciding to attend to law school. Inspired in part by his family’s long involvement in real estate-related business, Berger found his passion — and his means of leaving his mark — in bricks and mortar. And he didn’t wait long to pursue his interests, starting his real estate development and investment firm, The Berger Co., in 1972 during his final year in law school.
Berger’s projects are familiar to anyone who has spent significant time in New Orleans. Among the most conspicuous is one he counts among his proudest: an effort begun in the early 1980s to renovate and convert a largely abandoned industrial section of French Quarter riverfront into a mixed-use development that had the former Jackson Brewery at its center.
The development consisted of eight acres and is considered a key catalyst in revitalizing a once-neglected stretch of the Vieux Carre.
“This project was perhaps one of the classic opportunities of that time,” Berger said. “A previously vibrant waterfront, indeed one of the most historic riverfronts in America, that had been neglected.”
As a native New Orleanian, Berger is most excited about the real estate projects his company has led, including the acquisition and expansion of the high-end Shops at Canal Place, the development of the Loews New Orleans and the Wyndham Riverfront hotels. Its more recent deals involved the Omni Royal Orleans and Windsor Court hotels.
But Berger’s influence radiates beyond real estate. He is active in civic organizations with a broad reach, ranging from his role in tourism as co-chairman of the New Orleans Strategic Hospitality Task Force to medicine as Tulane University’s representative on the governing board for the new state teaching hospital.
He’s also chairman and a founding member of the French Quarter/Marigny Historic Area Management District, which is working to create initiatives for the betterment of the area.
Today, Berger finds himself thoroughly upbeat about the future of his native New Orleans. He counts some of the major physical changes under way in New Orleans among his reasons for optimism about the city’s future.
They include another project targeting the city’s riverfront, dubbed Reinventing the Crescent, the new teaching hospital, the renovation of the area around the Superdome and a massive school reconstruction program.
“We’re a community that has really refocused after the storm,” he said. “I feel an enthusiasm that exceeds anything I’ve ever seen. … I think New Orleans, as a community at every level, is about to achieve over the next decade its finest hour.”•
Leroy Hawkins doorman at Omni Royal Orleans Hotel: 34 years on the job and still smilling…..
French Quarter hotel doorman has a window on the world
September 07, 2010
Danny Monteverde, The Times-Picayune
Leroy Hawkins stood outside the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel one recent steaming afternoon and mopped his brow with a towel draped around his neck.
doorman-leroy-hawkins.JPGView full sizeMichael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneDoorman Leroy Hawkins has been a fixture at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in the French Quarter for nearly 40 years.
Then he spotted a familiar face coming toward him. Hawkins flashed a smile and extended his arm to shake the man’s hand.
“All right. Where y’at, baby?” Hawkins said to the passerby. The two exchanged a few pleasantries — How’s the family? Oh, and how about those Saints? Think they’ll repeat? — and the man was back on his way.
Meanwhile, a couple stepped out to the sidewalk, suitcases in their hands and carry-on bags dangling from their shoulders. Hawkins turned and hollered down the street.
“Taxi!”
An engine sputtered to life, the cab rolled up to the hotel door, and Hawkins helped the couple load their luggage into the trunk.
“You all take care, folks. Come and see us again soon,” Hawkins said, and the cab pulled away.
Scenes like that are a common occurrence for Hawkins. For nearly 40 years he has been a doorman at the Royal Orleans, the face of the hotel for generations of visitors and locals alike, a certifiable New Orleans character.
It’s a role he relishes.
As often as there’s down time for Hawkins, there are bursts of activity. At any given moment, people come and go at the same time, often needing to get a move on to catch a flight. Cabs can pull up and pull away, whole tour buses can start unloading a crowd on the sidewalk and traffic can back up down narrow St. Louis Street in the French Quarter.
Hawkins is the conductor of the urban symphony, effortlessly directing cars, shuffling people about, restoring order to the block, winning over guests with his charm.
Kent Wasmuth, the hotel’s sales and marketing director, said he is amazed at Hawkins’ near photographic memory when it comes to guests and their names. Meet Leroy the doorman, as he’s commonly known, one time, and he’ll never forget you.
“Some people were born for their careers, and I think he was born for this,” Wasmuth said. “He is a true Southern gentleman.”
The oldest of 10 children, Hawkins was born in Opelousas on Sept. 1, 1950. By the time he was 7, his family was back in the big city.
He has spent much of his life in the French Quarter. The family house was in the 900 block of St. Peter Street and he found his first job at 8 years old, delivering orders, stocking shelves and butchering meat at the old Dauphine Grocery.
The Quarter, he recalled, was a different place those days. “It was quiet,” he said.
He went to grammar school at the long-since-demolished St. Katherine’s on Tulane Avenue until he transferred to St. Louis Cathedral Academy, where he was one of the first students to integrate the campus.
He said that at the time he was a little “timid,” but that quickly changed.
Hawkins played softball and developed his skills on the hardwood. “When I started playing sports, everything changed,” Hawkins said. “They started to accept me.”
When he went to high school at Francis T. Nicholls, now Douglass, he played forward for the basketball team.
But then he had to grow up quickly.
At 18, Hawkins’ father died and the young man was forced to go to work to support the family. He also helped his mom raise his siblings.
“I was the big brother, the big daddy, policeman — they hated me,” he said with a grin. “But we’re all good now.”
The family he helped nuture as a young man is still an important part of his life. So is his own family. Married in August 1979, he has three daughters — two of whom are twins — with his wife, Joycelyn. The couple have two grandchildren.
Eastern New Orleans is home these days.
Hawkins has a second family. It’s made up of those he works with. The hotel, he says, is a “second home.”
“I love this hotel. I love the people I work with,” he said. “I never thought I’d have this much fun” with a job.
His time at the hotel began in September of 1971 when he got a job as a busboy at the Rib Room. From there he became a waiter, before moving to the door.
It proved a natural fit.
“I’m an outside person,” he said. “I love people.”
Those qualities may explain Hawkins’ longevity in a position that can be stressful.
Hawkins said the key to performing his job well is to remain humble and to begin each day with a prayer.
“I ask the Lord for a good mind. You’ve got to have the right attitude,” he said. “You have to humble yourself and pray up. It goes a long way.”
As much as Hawkins loves his job, he knows life can be short, and there are things he’d like to do. So retirement, he said with a matter-of-fact look, has been on his mind. He has a few years left in him, but he said he’s looking forward to slower days.
“There are things I want to do: travel, visit friends. I have a lot of friends who live away,” he said. “There comes a time when you just got to enjoy life.”
The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans receives the “Bricks and Mortar Award” from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana.
GNOHLA is proud to acknowledge The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, recipient of the “Bricks and Mortar Award” from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana. In 2004, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana created a Bricks and Mortar award to honor individuals or an organization that have completed a successful adaptive restoration of an historic structure. In 2007, the Phoenix Award was created to honor an individual or organization who have rescued an endangered historical landmark.
Marriott Associates Help Rebuild Their Neighborhoods
When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Marriott International and its associates, owners and franchisees around the world rallied to help — contributing nearly $6 million over five years in donations and vacation time to a fund to support fellow associates and rebuild the city of New Orleans and its surrounding communities. To date, more than $5 million has been distributed and the remaining $500,000 will support “Marriott’s Spirit to Serve New Orleans” employee and guest voluntourism projects leading up to the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
More than 350 Marriott associates will work side-by-side with hotel guests on August 27 and 28 to build a New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity home and a KaBOOM! playground in neighborhoods still in need. (Watch time-lapse video) Money from the fund will sponsor the future construction of two homes, which Marriott associates may be eligible to own.
“The Gulf and New Orleans have faced extraordinary hardship and challenges over the past five years. This area is our home and we have a vested interest in rebuilding and reenergizing. More than 1,800 Marriott associates and 17 hotels are a part of the greater community that we serve every day,” said Joe Blanchek, chair of Marriott’s Greater New Orleans’ business council and general manager of the New Orleans Marriott at Convention Center. (Video: Joe Blanchek Shares Details of Spirit To Serve New Orleans Initiative)
“We’re also in lockstep with our partners in the city of New Orleans and the convention and visitors bureau to build new excitement about this great destination — and it’s working. In fact, in Marriott International’s recently reported second quarter, revenue per available room (RevPAR) was up 25 percent for Marriott’s full service hotels in New Orleans, and the third quarter is looking solid as well,” he said.
Earlier in the week, all 1,800 associates of the Greater New Orleans area will be able to redeem $50 philanthropic gift cards via DonorsChoose.org to fund classroom projects, proposed by local public school teachers working in high-need areas. In addition, Marriott is participating in a “Double Your Impact” campaign on the DonorsChoose.org website — once donors have funded 50 percent of a classroom project’s cost, Marriott will provide the remaining funds needed to complete the project. New Orleans public school teachers are asked to submit proposals via www.donorschoose.org/teacher to be considered for the upcoming school year.
Finally, and in response to an associate survey which revealed parents’ concern for the future of their children in the workplace, Marriott associates teamed up with the University of New Orleans School of Hospitality to launch a series of classes this fall geared to address the high drop-out rate and increased unemployment rate among kids ages 16-21. Classes will prepare students with job training including wardrobe selection, resume writing, and mock interviews.
Marriott plays an active role in the communities where our associates live and work. It’s a philosophy that began with our founders, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott, more than 80 years ago called “Spirit To Serve Our Communities.” Since 2007, Marriott associates in New Orleans completed over 6,000 volunteer hours to build six New Orleans Habitat homes, which were presented to Marriott associates. (View Flickr photos of Marriott associates rebuilding homes in New Orleans.) Companywide, Marriott associates donated more than 320,000 volunteer hours last year to local charities and organizations. For more information on Marriott’s community service initiatives, visit www.marriott.com/socialresponsibility
Hotels get report card in new survey
A tip to hotel owners: For happy customers, offer wireless internet and a free breakfast, be sure to have smoke-free rooms and keep the level of service consistently high across your properties.
All those factors are key in helping ensure guest contentment, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study released Tuesday.
It found that guests’ overall satisfaction with hotels has improved over last year, especially when it came to the cost of their stay, the reservations process and the quality of their room.
The survey also discovered that 58 percent of hotel guests now book their room online — a slight increase over last year — and they’re more likely to use the hotel brand’s portal than any other site.
“Guests who make reservations directly through the hotel — whether via phone or website — are notably more satisfied with their overall experience than guests who book through an independent travel website,” said Mark Schwartz, director of the global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates, in a statement.
“Twice as many guests experienced problems with their reservation when booking through independent sites, compared with hotel brand websites.”
Overall satisfaction also drops when guests see a difference in service from one hotel to another within the same brand, so delivering a consistent product is critical, Schwartz said.
Expecting Wi-Fi
When it comes to must-have amenities, hotel guests named wireless internet access, complimentary breakfast, bedding and pillow choices, pillow-top mattresses and free parking as their top five choices, according to the study.
More than three-quarters of respondents said they have used Wi-Fi rather than cable internet connections in their room.
“Guests are starting to expect wireless internet access in their hotel rooms,” Schwartz said. “Being able to use mobile devices or computers without interruption is considered a comfort of home that should extend to the hotel experience.”
But it often comes at a price: Luxury and upscale hotels are less likely to offer complimentary Wi-Fi than mid-scale and extended stay properties.
Meanwhile, any hint of cigarette smoke is a big turnoff to most hotel guests: Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they prefer a smoke-free environment.
Who is tops?
When it came to individual hotel chains, the study included these findings:
• The Ritz-Carlton ranked highest in overall satisfaction in the luxury hotel category, followed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and JW Marriott.
• In the upscale segment, Omni Hotels, Embassy Suites and Renaissance Hotels and Resorts claimed the top three spots.
• Hilton Garden Inn was rated tops in the mid-scale full service category, while Drury Inn & Suites got the thumbs-up in the mid-scale limited service segment.
• Guests staying at economy hotels were most satisfied with Microtel Inns & Suites for the ninth year in a row, followed by Howard Johnson Express/Inns and Red Roof Inn.
• In the extended stay category, Homewood Suites, Staybridge Suites and Residence Inn topped the list.
For the full results, click here.
The study is based on responses from more than 53,000 people who stayed in a hotel between May 2009 and June 2010.
Hospitality Management Corporation Hosts Annual GM/DOS Conferences
Award-winning GMs: L to R: Terri Kullerd, Hilton Garden Inn Tulsa Airport; Peter Ambros, Astor Crowne Plaza; Jutea Ballard, Fredericksburg Inn & Suites; Donna StaTeresa, Holiday Inn Express Austin N.
The Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans was the setting for Hospitality Management Corporation’s (HMC) annual General Managers and DOS Conferences for their managed properties on April 12-14, 2010. The 3-day event included a golf tournament, and two days of conference sessions.
Conference speakers included Randy McCaslan – PKF; Gary Cook – ING Financial Advisors; Jim Stover—AJ Gallagher; Richard Crooks—PrototypeIT; Christine Robbins—5G Studios; and Maryellen Ferring – UpSell Training. Presentation topics included Hotel Security, Mentoring, eMail and Social Media Marketing, and Successful Forecasting.
A session that was especially enjoyed was a food preparation “Iron Chef” competition directed by Executive Chef Gaetan Croisier of the Astor Crowne Plaza. A Town Hall Meeting gave the attendees the opportunity to ask questions of HMC officers and corporate staff, and discuss pertinent issues. The entire conference was highlighted with the “flavor” of authentic New Orleans hospitality, food, and entertainment.
Awards were presented to HMC’s outstanding properties for 2009 at a gala banquet and awards ceremony on the last evening of the conferences:
* The award for HMC’s Full-Service Property of the Year was won by the Astor Crowne Plaza, New Orleans, and was accepted by Peter Ambros, the hotel’s general manager, and Don Zimmer, the director of sales.
* The Select-Service Property of the Year award was presented to the Fredericksburg Inn & Suites in Fredericksburg, TX, and accepted by Jutea Ballard, GM, and Donna Herrera, DOS.
* Additional awards for 2009 were presented to the Hilton Garden Inn Tulsa Airport, the Radisson Penn Harris, and the Holiday Inn Express Austin-N.
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), founded in 1971, is a privately owned independent management company, and is one of the oldest independent hotel management firms in the lodging industry. For over three decades, HMC has provided hotel management services for third party institutional and private owners. The company’s headquarters has been located in Dallas, Texas since its inception. For more information on HMC, please visit our website at www.hospitalitymgt.com.
