The following letter is by Eric Horodas, President and CEO, Greystone Hotels to/for all Greystone Associates.
Dear Associates:
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication in 2016. Your
commitment and efforts ensure that we deliver on our promise to each and every
guest that they will Experience
Exceptional Service is what distinguishes each Greystone Hotel from its
competitors and is the reason guests provide such positive feedback on
TripAdvisor and other travel blogs. Your dedication to sharpening your skills
through quarterly signature trainings and ongoing coaching calls has enabled us
to achieve exceptional results, both in Signature scores and on TripAdvisor. In particular, the teams at the Elan
Hotel, Empress Hotel and TownePlace Suites led the company with the top three
year-end Signature scores of 91.4%, 88.6% and 85.8% respectively. On
TripAdvisor, Hotel Los Gatos finished the year ranked #2, the Empress finished
at #3, and the Inn at Union Square and Elan Hotel each finished the year at #5
in their respective markets. Congratulations to the associates at each of these
Hotels for your exceptional results this year.
We started the past year off with a great deal of excitement
surrounding Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. With the game being played at
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and Super Bowl City being located right outside
of the Ferry Building, just down the block from the Hotel Griffon, we were
right in the middle of all the excitement. Some lucky associates at Hotel
Griffon even got the chance to see the famous Budweiser Clydesdales up close.
Immediately following the Super Bowl, the Inn at Union Square
commenced a major renovation program, with a design based on the famous,
traditional mansions of San Francisco. One of the city’s great patrons of the
arts, Alma Spreckels has provided the inspiration for the design, and in honor
of Alma, the penthouse suite has been named the Alma Spreckels Suite. The hotel
was closed from February through May during which time the elevator was
modernized, a model guest room was completed and all the guest bathrooms were
renovated. As 2016 ended, the renovation project was completed. All the
guestrooms and suites, as well as the lobby and other public spaces were completely
renovated. With the Inn’s renovated guest rooms, bathrooms, lobby and public
spaces, when combined with our exceptional service levels, I can confidently
state the Inn at Union Square is the finest small hotel in San Francisco
In 2016, we commenced a multi-year major renovation program
at The Bristol Hotel in San Diego. The design theme for the Bristol renovation
is modeled on the fabulous 1960s, emphasizing San Diego’s beach and music
culture. The ninth-floor ballroom is being converted into 12 additional rooms
and suites and a fitness center. The remaining 102 guest rooms and bathrooms
are being fully renovated, the meeting space on the second floor is being
expanded and the lobby is being converted into a lively place to meet, relax or
work with the addition of bar. When the Bristol renovation is completed later
in 2017 it will be a wonderful modern day interpretation of the 1960s.
Finally, the Best Western Seven Seas is also undergoing a
multi-year renovation project. This past year saw the renovation of the lobby,
café and lounge, guest laundry area and employee break area. In the current
year, upgrades are being made to bring new artwork, lighting, headboards and
seating to guest rooms. The exterior of the buildings are being upgraded with
standing seam metal panels for a more modern look, new paint, new railings on
all second floor levels and staircases and new sidewalks throughout the entire
property.
In 2017, we will commence renovation projects at the
Fairfield Inn and Suites and Elan Hotel. We are also planning a renovation of
the lobby of the King George Hotel to complement and enhance the rooms,
bathrooms and corridor renovations that were completed in 2015. Like the lobby
renovation at the Bristol Hotel mentioned above, the King George lobby will
become a lively place to meet, relax or work.
As hotel owners and operators, we are committed to
reinvesting in renovations and upgrades to keep our properties in excellent
condition. However, renovations and improvement projects only go so far. Daily dedication to cleanliness and
preventative maintenance programs combined with our exceptional service levels are
essential to ensure our guests have exceptional experiences at our hotels.
Dave Rubin and his social media and e-commerce team spent
2016 focused on increasing our social media footprint on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram, while at the same time revamping all our hotel websites including
the Greystone Hotels corporate website. Look at all our websites to familiarize
yourselves with your sister hotels, and especially to get a look at the changes
to the Inn at Union Square and Bristol Hotel. Also, don’t forget to share
photos you have of your hotels and our wonderful cities we all call home with
the social media team. They are always looking for great content to post.
Search for #GSH and #greystonehotels to see some of the great content posted by
all the properties.
As we look ahead to 2017, we are expecting another good year
with increased revenues in all our hotels.
We continue to invest in new technology to meet guest needs.
Additions such as new TVs with media hubs, upgraded internet and KeyPR digital
tablets were made in 2016. In 2017, KeyPR will be adding mobile check-in and
check-out capabilities, as well as smartphone based keyless entry capabilities.
We have also invested in software to assist us in creating customized marketing
campaigns, and maximize the efficiency of our revenue and financial management.
As many of you are likely already aware, we are working on
an exciting new project in the wine country town of Santa Rosa. Over the course
of 2017, we will be converting an historical building which has been home to
several banks and law firms over the years to a 60+ room, high end boutique
hotel with two restaurants, a coffee shop, rooftop lounge and an expansive
lobby with a wine tasting bar.
Thank you all for your hard work in 2016, and I look forward
to another successful year in 2017.
