THE BRISTOL EMPLOYEE HOLIDAY PARTY!



Greg Rizzi/GM welcomes everyone



Employees at the Bristol Hotel gathered in the Starlight Room on the 9th floor to enjoy a wonderful evening on December 18th at the annual Employee Holiday Party. 

Mark/Chief Eng. performing (above) & Vicky/Exec Housekeeper, Greg Rizzi/GM, Claudia Lira/2012 Employee of the Year (below)

Dinner was delicious and there were great prizes given out to employees.  Mark Avenido, Chief Engineer, set us up with a live band this year and that was a fun change for everyone.  Mark even sang a few songs for us!



All of the 2012 Employee of the Quarter winners were honored at the event (Arnel Santos/Engineering, Ahmad Albahar/Front Desk, Marisol Hernandez/Front Desk and Claudia Lira/Housekeeping.  Then the big announcement of the evening was made:  Claudia Lira was crowned our 2012 Employee of the Year! 

Thank you, Greystone Hotels, from all of us at the Bristol, for providing a wonderful party and a chance for all employees to celebrate a successful 2012 and to look towards an even more exciting and fruitful 2013!

Bend Marriott Hotels - Holiday Party 2012

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays from the Bend Marriott Hotels!

 

 

Click here to see special highlights from the Bend Marriott Hotels Holiday Party!

Letter from a special Bristol Hotel guest

Deb Sanderlin from the Bristol Hotel received this adorbale letter from an

8 year old guest!

Too cute!

LUXE WORLDWIDE HOTELS NAMES NORBERT MEDE 2012 GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR

LUXE WORLDWIDE HOTELS NAMES NORBERT MEDE 2012 GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEARHotel Griffon General Manager Receives Honor

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 12, 2012)—Norbert Mede, of the Hotel Griffon, was named the Luxe Worldwide Hotels 2012 General Manager of the Year at the 2012 Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas.

 The prestigious Manager of the Year title is awarded annually to one General Manager from among 200 Luxe Worldwide Hotels and is based on exemplary leadership, guest feedback, exceptional service, and outstanding community and staff relations.

 "We are delighted that Norbert has been recognized by Luxe Worldwide Hotels through its 2012 General Manager of the Year award," said Eric Horodas, President of Greystone Hotels. "Norbert's commitment to that principle and his leadership in delivering the highest quality guest experience exemplifies our approach." Originally from San Francisco, Mede joined Hotel Griffon as General Manager in 2008, with over 18 years of experience in the industry. Mede graduated from the Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management program at Golden Gate University in San Francisco in 1991. Prior to joining Hotel Griffon, he held management positions at the Cliffside Inn, Red Lion Hotels, Doubletree Hotels, the Jamestown Hotel and the Stanyan Park Hotel.

Mede is committed to the health and welfare of his employees and he is passionate about implementing environmental initiatives at the hotel. He has established "green teams" at the property to promote environmental awareness and policies and has instituted health and fitness programs to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of hotel staff. 

Voted "Best Boutique Hotel" and "Best 24 Hour Getaway" by San Francisco Magazine,  Hotel Griffon is luxury boutique, certified green hotel located in San Francisco's Financial District, situated along the stylish Embarcadero waterfront. Hotel Griffon boasts 62 European-inspired guest rooms and suites and features stunning views of the San Francisco Bay.

Said Mede, "I'm humbled by this honor—it's always nice to be recognized for something you love doing anyway. I have deep appreciation for San Francisco and the hospitality industry and I owe a great deal of gratitude to our wonderful staff, travelers from near and far and Luxe Worldwide Hotels for their continued support.""Norbert is a shining example of the caliber of leadership we have at the Luxe Worldwide Hotels member properties," said Luxe Hotels Founder and Chairman Efrem Harkham. "Norbert's commitment to his staff, his forward thinking environmental initiatives at the hotel and glowing guest feedback make him the perfect choice for this year's award." 

Happy Holidays from the Creekside Inn!

 

Happy Holidays from Toya and Keith at the

Creekside Inn!

 

 

 

New Addition to the Loc Family!

Congrats to Vien Loc from the King George on her baby girl!

 

 

 

Born December 6th at 9am at 7lb 3 oz.!  



BRISTOL HOTEL EMPLOYEE AWARD!

Congratulations to Claudia Lira

The Bristol Hotel's Employee of the Quarter Winner! 

August marked 12 years of outstanding employment by Claudia and we are so glad she is part of our team!  Claudia handles a variety of duties throughout the housekeeping department and you know she will get the job done quickly, correctly, and with a smile.  Claudia is counted on by Vicky and Rosa as well to handle department duties in their absence.  Claudia, thank you for your hard work and congratulations to you on a well-deserved award!

The Pheonix Award from Stash

 

 

Drum roll please…..

 

The Phoenix Award, presented to the most improved partner of Stash Hotel Rewards goes to ……

 

 

 

Greystone Hotels!!!!

 

 

 

Thank you to all the hotels who worked hard to make this happen! The award was presented by Jeff Low, the founder and CEO of Stash, at the General Managers meeting on Wednesday, November 28^th.

Keep up the excellent progress in 2013!

TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT THE BRISTOL!

 

Kristina Alvarez & Ahmad Albahar are ready to welcome you!


The Bristol is ready for the holidays with a beautiful Christmas tree and other holiday decorations throughout the lobby.  Ahmad and Kristina are ready to welcome you at the Front Desk!  Happy Holidays to all GH Employees and their friends and families.

A Touching Note from Our Guests at the BRISTOL

We recently had guests staying with us who experienced a terrible tragedy in their family.  Two of our staff members in particular, Ahmad Albahar and Cherice Hess, took special care of them in their time of urgent need.  Ahmad personally drove the guests as fast as possible, all the way to LA International Airport so they could get on a flight immediately.  While Ahmad was driving, Cherice coordinated with LAX security and Delta Airlines to ensure speedy check-in through security and onto the flight.

Here is what the note says (it's a bit difficult to read in the attached image):

The Bristol Hotel Staff,

Many of you may know that on October 15, while staying at your facility, we learned that our son had been killed at our home in Tennessee.  I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the staff that touched our lives that night. You cared for us, loved us and grieved for us. We live in a small town but on that night, you personally made San Diego a small town where people care for one another. While we were overcome with grief, you took care of us, and got us home.  You are truly amazing.
Thank you again,
Sherry & Tim Middleton

As you can see by the note they sent to us, Ahmad and Cherice's efforts and assistance were greatly appreciated and we are very pleased our staff were able to be so helpful to them during such a difficult time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ARLENE LAUCIS

SENIOR SALES MANAGER AT THE BRISTOL!!!

Have a wonderful birthday!

Greystone Employee's take on the SF Urbanathlon

This past Sunday, November 18, members from Greystone took on the Men's Health SF Urbanathon, a competition that combined traditional road race elements with rigorous obstacles against a backdrop of iconic city landmarks. Our very own Bertrand Newson was featured in this SF Gate article: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Urbanathlon-obstacles-test-SF-racers-4048197.php#photo-3757648!

 

"Participating in Sunday’s SF Urbanathlon event with friends/family was both fun and emotional.  I entered 8 teams (24 people, 3 to a team) with some really cool ties (siblings, husband/wife, mother/daughter and father/son).  The oldest member in our group of 8 teams was 63!  She was awesome and the mother of a close friend of mine who works @ UCSF (one of our PC clients)."

 

-Bertrand Newson, GM of King George Hotel

New member of the Elan Family!

Congratulations to William, from the Elan, on his beautiful baby boy Eddy!

 

 

Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween 2012!

 

 

 

 

-The Staff from the Elan Hotel, Los Angeles

Happy Halloween from the Creekside Inn

Hope you all had a SPOOKatcular Halloween!

-From the Staff at The Creekside Inn

BRISTOL LONG TERM EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

The Bristol would like to recognize

ROSA PERALES and ORFILDA TORRES

as a valued long-term employees! 

Rosa Perales (on right) with Executive Housekeeper Vicky Keeling

ROSA PERALES - 10 YEARS

ORFILDA TORRES - 13 YEARS

We are so lucky to have Rosa and Orfilda working with us!  They both continue to work hard, showing us the importance of always striving for excellence and setting an example for everyone to follow.  Orfilda wasn't available for a picture at this time, but Vicky was proud to grab a chance to get a picture with Rosa as she was working hard in one of our guest rooms!

Thank you to both ROSA and ORFILDA!

Elan Hotel Employee of the 2nd & 3rd Quarter Awards

The Elan Hotel is pleased to announce the Employee of the 2nd Quarter Award was presented to William Rabanalez.  William has been with the company since April of 2002.  During this time he has proven to be a tremendous asset to the hotel.  His customer service skills are second to none and William has a proven track record exceeding guest’s expectations on a daily basis.  Congratulations William.

The Elan Hotel Employee of the 3rd Quarter Award was presented to Alejandro Silva who is our Houseman and is also in charge of maintenance at the Elan.   Alejandro has been with the company since March of 2008.  During this time he has taken on many projects along with Carlos Zuniga, Executive Housekeeper, to keep our guest rooms in tip-top condition.  Alejandro's contributions have helped to enhance our property which in turn makes our guests anxious to return.  Congratulations Alejandro!

Happy Birthday Deb!

On behlaf of Greystone Hotels and The Bristol San Diego we'd like to wish

Deb Sanderlin (Conference/Admin Manager of The Bristol) a very, VERY Happy Birthday!!

 

 

 

Bristol Hotel's Employee of the Quarter Winner!

CONGRATULATIONS to Marisol Hernandez, Front Desk Agent at the Bristol Hotel.  Marisol has been named Employee of the Quarter (3rd Quarter).  An exemplary employee since March 2010, Marisol consistently earns perfect scores on Signature calls and shops, and has a wonderful demeanor that our guests truly appreciate.  Always ready to assist a guest or employee with anything, Marisol has also taken on reservations duties whenever needed.  Congratulations, Marisol!

Employee BBQ with TownPlace Suites and Fairfield Inn

Our friends in Bend celebrated the End of Summer with an Employee BBQ! 

Check out these great photos!

 

Chef Julio (GM of TPS and FFI) grilling away!

 

Jim (Chief Engineer) and Pedro (Maintenance) keeping lookout on the BBQ!

 

 

 

Kim (TPS FOM) getting the kids ready for piñata!

 

End of Summer BBQ was a success!

 

Thanks to all the Employee's at TownePlace Suites and the Fairfield Inn!



 

 

The Bristol and H Events Festivities and Catering teams hit Petco Park!

The Bristol and H Events Festivities and Catering teams got together outside of work

to "catch" a Padres Baseball game!

 

Bristol Team on the way to the game!

 

 

 

H Events on their way to the game!

 

One big happy family!

 

 Petco Park

 

"I would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude  on behalf of H Events Festivities and Catering team. We had an amazing time and it was a great opportunity for all of us to bond outside of the working environment."- Greg Rizzi (The Bristol)

 



Congrats to Amanda Fietz from The Bristol

 

 

Contragulations to Amanda Fietz, Sales Manager from The Bristol Hotel in San Diego on becoming "Event Registration Committee Chair" for the San Diego Chapter.

 

 

 

 

Her responsibilities will entail working closely with the current President & Membership Chair to welcome new and returning members, revolving around corporate travel managers and colleagues.

 

 

"I am thrilled to be a part of this organization at a board level!"- Amanda Fietz

 

 

 www.sdbta.org.

 

Congrats Amanda!!

GM's Meeting in Bend, Oregon.

The GM's took a bike ride yesterday together in beautiful Bend, Oregon! 

 

 

 

Work hard, play hard! 

BRISTOL HOTEL-September Long Term Employee Recognition

The Bristol Hotel would like to recognize one of our Long Term Employees; Mark Avenido (pictured on left, with Arnel Santos).  Mark is the Chief Engineer here at the Bristol and as of September, Mark has been working at the Bristol heading the Engineering Team for 6 years.  Thank you, Mark, for your hard work and contined dedication to the Bristol!  

Another GREAT Review for the Inn

The Inn at Union Square does it again!

 

Check out this letter from a recent guest:

Dear Mr. Mede,

My husband & I stayed at the Inn at Union Square from 8/15-8/21.   We travel quite a bit & we both agreed it was the best hotel we have stayed in.  Your extra little amenities like wine & cheese etc. & fresh baked cookies were such a welcome treat.  Though we have had those things here & there in other cities but your attention to detail & awesome service were way beyond any we have experienced anywhere else.

The night we arrived after a harrowing flight experience, we were exhausted & couldn't get our remote for the TV to work properly.  The people at the desk offered to have someone come up & fix it.  But we were so tired we said "no".  The next day after arriving from a day of sightseeing, there in our room was a bottle of champagne on ice & box of chocolates along with a letter apologizing for our inability to use our remote the night before......and our remote was fixed. 

That is a class act!

Also we want to compliment your choice of help.  Omar especially & Ann couldn't do enough for us.  Also their remembering our names was amazing considering the number of people coming & going they encounter.  Every time we tell people what a horrendous flight experience we had, we make sure to tell them what a wonderful hotel we stayed in.

It is a testimony to your excellent management skills.

Thank you for such an enjoyable experience.

Your happy guests,

Tom & Rose Cody
Penfield, NY

Great Job Inn at Union Square!

Check out this fabulous TripAdvisor review about the

Inn at Union Square! 

 

My favorite hotel in the world.
Yes the location is excellent but other hotels have excellent locations. Yes the rooms are tasteful and clean but so are many other hotels rooms and many are much bigger. So what makes this place great?. There are two reasons this hotel stands out from the others. First, the most awesome friendly professional staff truly go out of their way to make sure your stay is perfect. From the front desk to the cleaning staff to the technical support for our computer- Wow. They treated us like were family visting. We were especially attatched to Omar at the front desk. We just love him. .....  It is simply my favorite hotel in the world.

 

 

 

Another great example of our guests Experiencing Exceptional Service!

 

 

New Monument Sign at the Bristol

WELCOME TO THE BRISTOL!

Check out the Bristol's new monument sign, which was installed on 8/15/12.  Guests will now be able to see the entrance driveway much more clearly because the sign is larger, more visible and well lit at night.

Successful Greystone Facebook Contest Becomes Case Study

As most of you are aware, Greystone Hotels held a Facebook promotion a few months back with the help of our online marketing company, Milestone.  The contest did so well that Milestone used our Facebook promotion as a Case Study!  See link:

http://blog.milestoneinternet.com/web-2/boost-fan-count-with-facebook-promotion-case-study/

We are continuing with individual property promotions and can't wait to see the results for the individual contests!  Stay tuned!

Royal Service Superstars: King George Hotel

Royal Service Superstars

Second Quarter 2012

King George

Rhei Hufana (right), Guest Service Manager won the Manager of the 2nd Quarter on July 20th for his valuable contributions to the hotels performance.  He has been with the company for 4 years.

David Loc (center), Front Desk Associate won the Employee of the 2nd Quarter on July 20th for his teamwork, loyalty and consistent performance especially working the very busy PM shifts!  He has been with the company for 2 years.

Divina Galban (right), Reservations Manager received the 2nd Quarter GM Fitness Award for leading the 2012 weight loss challenge along with participation in several 5K and 10K running events and establishing  PR’s (personal records) along way.  

Cathy Estelle, Area Director of Sales & Marketing was acknowledged as a 2nd Quarter GM Fitness Award recipient for leading by example with healthy eating , consistent exercise an willingness to share and motivate others!