Greystone Fellows Conquer Yosemite's Half Dome

On July 9th three determined Greystone team members (Norbert Mede, Marc Horodas & Bertrand Newson) were part of a hiking expedition team. The group attacked the trail leading up to Half Dome at the crack of dawn. Fortunately everyone made it to the peak of Half Dome & back safely! In all, nearly 7,000 ft @ the peak, 12 hours & 14 miles filled with breath taking water falls & the hike of a lifetime!

Check out the great photos!

SF Cluster Team Fitness 5K Walk/Run

On Sunday August 28th, team members along with family & friends participated in the SF Golden Gate Park Cross Country 5K Walk/Run! As part of the wellness/fitness movement led by GM's Norbert Mede & Bertrand Newson, it was great to see so many people make the time, effort & commitment by participating in this fun team building event.

The true meaning of teamwork was displayed following the 5K Run/Walk as each participant helped set up for the SF Cluster BBQ Picnic later morning (blog story/pictures to come)!

Congratulations to Norbert Mede for posting the fastest race time within the Greystone group!

Go Green Team!

On July 23^rd, members of the Hotel Griffon “Green Team” volunteered a Saturday to replant seedlings at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area greenhouses at Fort Funston in San Francisco. Team members Matt Swenson, Front Office Manager; John Judan, guest Services Agent; and Norbert Mede, General Manager transplanted native bushes, grasses and flowers which will be used for flora and habitat restoration projects this fall at Muir Beach in Marin County. This is a part of the on-going environmental policies and mantra at the Hotel Griffon as we try to mitigate the environmental impact of our business in pursuit of neutral impact on our world.  

Congratulations to Eloisa!

Congratulations to Eloisa Medina for achieving a Perfect Score during a recent room inspection. Eloisa’s room was spotless and everything was in its place. Her dedication and attention to detail keeps the guests coming back for the impeccable clean rooms and friendly smiles. Eloisa has been working at the Hotel Griffon since 1994. Well done Eloisa!

KGH Royal Fitness Challenge Spinoff Mini-series

On June 13^th, the San Francisco cluster sales office was about to experience an epic challenge so large that it will be remembered throughout the annals of the hotel’s history.  The King George has offered the Royal Fitness Challenge for all its employees to provide fitness, nutrition, and weight loss tips, which has been a success from the housekeeping team to the front office staff.  This time, two members of the Sales Team decided to step up their game and put their money where their mouth is.   Sanjay Stokes and Janel Barnes stepped into their General Managers office and settled on a bet to see who could lose the most weight.  The bet was to last 6 weeks until August 5 and the prize for the winner was a $150 for a massage.  As soon as Bertrand approved the terms of the wager, sides were drawn within the hotel and the battle begun.  

Much like Team Jacob vs. Team Edward, people divided their allegiances between Team Sanjay and Team Janel.  Supporters of Team Janel would call Sanjay up and ask him if he wanted to eat Lasagna or eat any candy bars.  He stood strong in the face of adversity and emphatically said no! Emily and Vien would not break his spirits.  People who were with Team Sanjay would buy cupcakes and donuts for Janel but she would refuse to eat them, no matter how delicious they looked.  The two were going strong, the competitiveness blazing from across the sales office. 

As the weeks flew off the calendar, so did their weight as they continued to drop pounds.  The two of them each had long weekends of fun for the 4^th of July.  They kept their composure; they didn’t stuff themselves with food, the libations did now flow as freely as they once did.  Even their exercise regimen increased.  Sanjay conquered a boot camp session with Bertrand that involved running stairs and insane amounts of pushups.  Janel would go on 3 mile walk/run/window shopping adventures through San Francisco for exercise. She also went to Crunch Fitness, counted her calories every single day, and went to a Giants game, and didn’t even touch a beer, hot dog, or more beer.   After their exercise session and controlled eating, each weigh in session they were constantly in the top 10 for losing weight. 

Finally August 5^th arrived, the big day. The 6 weeks were completed as the King George managers watched a noticeably thinner Sanjay and Janel step on the scale for their final weigh in.  You could cut the tension with a knife.  Bertrand watched on as each of them stepped on the scale and jotted down the final numbers.  While they are both winners for losing many pounds, there can be only one winner for this challenge.  Only one person can win that $150 massage and the bragging rights forever.  The winner of this competition, lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks in the final homestretch to take home the money is Sanjay Stokes!!!! Janel, sulked for a day but afterwards she was up for another challenge, already scheming of a way to pay him back.  Expect another blog to appear soon!

Congratulations Bertrand!

WE have another winner of the Greystone Customer Service Award! Bertrand Newson, General Manager of the King George Hotel has received a perfect score on his 360 reviews from his staff. This is really something the King George Hotel can be proud of!

Bertrand came to the hotel in 2010, at a period when the King George Hotel was on the lookout for their next great leader, and here was where we met Mr. Newson! The staff was so excited to have a Professional Competitive BBQer leading the helm, but there was much more to learn about Bertrand Newson. Bertrand is a pro-active leader, who listens and has created a lot of camaraderie between the staff. Bertrand does a lot for the community; he has started disaster relief drives for Japanese earthquake victims, participates in walks to cure brain tumors, and encourages his staff to consider their health through their own “Royal Fitness Challenge.” Bertrand gives back to his local Boys and Girls Club in Seaside and he is a great leader for his team at the hotel to look up to.

Thank you, Bertrand, for your service to the King George Hotel. Keep up the good work!

Eric: Great work and congratulations to you, Bertrand. This Greystone Customer Service Award represents your commitment to always providing Exceptional Service, as well as your dedication to The King George and Greystone Team. Your leadership is greatly appreciated by the employees and the guests of the King George Hotel.

Jennifer: Bertrand has brought a great team environment to the King George Hotel by building team spirit! The guests are ultimately the recipients of this spirit as unity, high, morale, and happy employees lead to happy guests!

Drew: I think Bertrand’s lead by example approach is one of the many reasons he has earned the great honor. I know that in the time that I have known him I have become a better employee and I hope a better person. This is impart because of Bertrand’s daily strive to do good and be better. Thanks for the inspiration and congratulations.

Cathy: Bertrand is always there to support and encourage his team.  He is the first one to volunteer to help fundraise or participate in events.  Not only is he a great GM, he is truly an inspiring wonderful person.

Sanjay: Everything Bertrand does is with enthusiasm and zest! His positive energy is infectious, which helps foster the continued success of the King George Hotel and its employees.  Bertrand is a true leader and it has been an amazing experience working with him.

Emily: Bertrand is a great leader with a kind heart; he is committed to worthwhile causes and I believe he inspires his team to do better in many aspects of their lives: to better themselves professionally, to better the world around them, and to take care of their health through the "Royal Fitness Challenge.” Kudos Bertrand!

Fun at the Creekside Inn! Great Job Maria!

The associates of the Creekside Inn celebrated their 2^nd quarter party with a BBQ a Pinata and the announcement of the Associate of the quarter Mrs. Maria Elena Valencia.  Mrs. Valencia has worked at the Creekside Inn for over 15 years with an attendance record that is almost perfect.  To quote her supervisors she arrives earlier than they do to work every day that she is on the schedule.  The piñata had candy, lottery tickets,  cash and an extra day off for a lucky associate.