Sunshine and Smiles at Vinoy Dinner

This dinner group reflects sunburns but smiles at the gala dinner held at the Vinoy Wednesday evening. Each one also reflects the best of HHA and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

For instance, Jack Bussert, top left, is general manager, Riverstreet Inn, Savannah, Ga. with his wife, Pam. Jack is on the HHA board and a past chair of the technology committee as well as a brand assurance task force participant.

In the red tie is Jack Moyer, general manager, 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa, Eureka Springs, Ark. He is also a long-time HHA board member, serving on membership, marketing and finance committees.

Below him is Jodie English. She is a long lost friend of HHA now back in the fold. Just 30 days before the conference, she began her job as director of sales at the Crescent. Already, she is on a committee with HHA. In the past, Jodie and late husband, Randy, worked as a team at two other member hotels over the years, the Hotel Utica, NY and the Eldridge in Lawrence, Ky. Great to have you back Jodie (especially on the salsa dance floor) and we all miss Randy. Your return to Eureka Springs and HHA was meant to be.

Also at the Crescent is Bill Ott in the blue tie. Bill is the designated HHA actor we all have come to know and love! He was the session leader, a.k.a. toga man, for this year's Branding History Forum, complete with singing and other funny things happened....on the way. While not Nathan Lane in voice, he was as good on stage. You may remember that last year Bill was the contestant in the coon skin cap for the coffee break spoof "Deal or No Deal." We love you Bill. Thanks for injecting the humor every year. Let us know where and when you are appearing in a real play.

Special guest Valecia Crisafulli rounds out the table. She was a guest speaker at Thierry Roch's panel, Sizing Up the Heritage Travel Marketing about cross-promotional heritage travel ideas. She is from the National Trust where she serves in the important national post of director, statewide and local partnerships. She is a constant source of ideas and energy around the Trust. And yes, most of these folks did spend some time in the sun --- perhaps too much of it!

Retro Cocktail Tunes a Favorite

I am hearing that many of you loved the music at the new members luncheon.

It was from the CD, "Cocktail Capers."

Specifcially, tracks 9 & 10 were used to accompany the visual presentation.

The songs were "Mountain Greenery" performed by The Ernie Freeman Combo - Richard Rogers/Larry Hart, songwriters (1963- Comin' Home); and "Charade" performed by Si Zentner - Jerry Mercer/Henry Mancini, songwriters (1964 - From Russia with Love).

I found a phone number to order it and a website: 1-800-806-1115 or go to
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=3830240&JRSource=googlebase.datafeed.224766_CD

Tracey Simmons (HHA)

Swingin' Lunch for New HHA Members

Top, a beauty queen, being welcomed at the Pickwick Hotel, San Diego, now the boutique Hotel Sofia. Charming service has been a hallmark of Historic Hotel of America properties.

A swingin' presentation with many period photographs and '60s cocktail music* kept toes tapping at the new member lunch held at the Don Ce Sar ballroom, November 27th, 2007.

Everyone was kept laughing afterwards as well by the funny stories told by new members.

Brazilian Court, West Palm Beach (Cindy Economou)
Tubac Resort, Arizona (Linda Cormier)
The Sofia, San Diego (John Maclean & Harki Parekh)

The Jefferson-Clinton, Syracuse
(Wally Deskiewicz, Steve Busch, Jamie Dennis)
The Warwick Melrose, Dallas (Steve Sherman)
The Newagen Inn, Booth Bay, Maine (Jason Schlosser & Spouse)

The Holbrooke, Grass Valley, California (Sean Gilleran)
The Colcord, Oklahoma City (Michael Frimmel)
Independence Park, Philadelphia (Randy Howatt)
The Colcord, Oklahoma City (Michael Frimmel)
Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Virginia

Hotel Fauchere, Milford, Pennsylvania

Bedford Springs Resort & Spa, Bedford, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Arts Hotel, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

The Tazewell Hotel & Suites, Norfolk, Virginia

Governor Dinwiddie Hotel, Portsmouth, Virginia

Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs, Colorado

The Jumeirah Essex House, New York City, New York

Special thanks to sponsors, Kahler Slater Architects, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Specialists in the design of experiences and environments with expertise in historic hotels.

Doug Nysse - Principal & David Plank, AIA -Associate Principal
http://www.kahlerslater.com/

Contact Dplank@kahlerslater.com

Bird, bird, bird. Bird is the word.

Stunning Weather for Golf Outing:

Some folks went fishing on Friday and a few went golfing at the Renaissance Vinoy course. The skies cleared and it was a stunning day. The outing winners were:

Low gross 2-some - John Marks & Guest, Don Ce Sar Resort (Score: 81) 5,609 yd. par 72
Closest to the Pin - George Banta, Beekman Arms & Delamater House, Rhinebeck, NY (40'/Par 3)
Low Putts - Juli Lederhaus, Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, Mass. (33)
____________________
The day prior, a few of us got in 9 holes as well. Here you see Jared Plott, resident manager, Castle Hill Resort & Spa, Ludlow-Cavendish, Vermont, one of my golf partners on the day we got to go out late in the afternoon for a quick nine. Why did I take these photos at this weird angle, you might want to know? Well, it was because the world was spinning around for Jared, who had just scored his first ever chip-in birdie.

Which is also why 'bird is the word' according to Norma from the Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club, Lenox, Mass.

Congratulations, Jared, it was fun to be part of your extra-special round of golf at the Vinoy Golf Course.

Save the Date! 2008 HHA Conference: Tuesday - Thursday, November 11, 12, 13 - Mission Inn, Riverside, Calif.

(Click headline above for hotel web link)

HHA Rate - $189 single or double

HHA's national conference will be on the west coast next year at the remarkable 239-room Mission Inn. We rotate the meeting each year (east, west, central) in order to experience diverse HHA hotels and locations.* We hope to see you there. More news will be sent to all members early next summer.

This property is extremely historic, so much so that there is a Mission Inn Foundation Museum was established in the hotel complete with docent-led tours daily. The tours describe the fascinating evolution of the Mission Inn and its 6,000 pieces of art on display. It is one of only two dozen or so National Historic Register Landmark properties in HHA.

The hotel began as Glenwood Cottage by owner Frank Miller, a voracious collector who has forever defied accurate description. Following family tours abroad, Miller incorporate his extensive acquisitions into both the inn’s decor and its structure. From the home’s first addition, the Mission Wing, grew the Cloister Wing and Music Room, the Spanish Wing and Gallery and the dramatic International Rotunda with its flying buttresses. Other areas of interest are the outdoor Court of the Orient, the St Francis Chapel with its ornately gilded altar and the Atrio.

While there is no golf on site, the facility offers a lovely outdoor pool and Jacuzzi® and the fitness center is equipped with treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines and weight training equipment. It is truly a remarkable place not to be missed!

LOCATION/AIRPORT -
The inn is located in downtown Riverside, California, near the 60 and 91 freeway interchange and is an hour drive north from LA, the beaches, Disneyland, Knottsberry Farm and Big Bear Mountain.
Driving Directions:
From Ontario/Pasadena/Los Angeles: Take 10E to 15 S (San Diego) to 60 E (Riverside) to 91 W. Exit Mission Inn Avenue and proceed three blocks to the inn.
Nearest Airport:
The Ontario International Airport, Calif. (ONT) is approximately 30 minutes by car. A complimentary shuttle service from this airport is offered by the hotel.


* You might also want to mark the date for the 2009 conference: Nov. 17 - 19, 2009 at the Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN.

HHA REGIONAL MEETING RECAPS:

Please note that regional projects are subject to the approval of HHA-PHG.
Please contact Tracey Simmons at HHA (202) 588-6267
Tracey_Simmons@nthp.org


West Region meeting minutes (photo above)
Team Coordinators
lkoester@napariverinn.com; karolina@ashlandhotel.com
States: WA, OR, CA, WY, CO, AZ

Discussion points:
- Trade shows & client events:
- March 13th event in SF w/ the Cramer Collection ($800/table) – 200 meeting planners
- February 26th - MPI tradeshow
- Get a list of participating HHA hotels before each trade show (to cross promote)

Preferred Hotel Group WISH LIST:
- Coordination of sales calls with PHG.
- PHG to refer sales leads to HHA members (Online Referral System - when will HHA be part of it?)
- PHG signature events – HHA members want these in Dallas, Chicago & Seattle – can we match Cramer Collection event participation fee?
- Want to know the designated PHG person in charge of HHA sales.
- Getting electronic RFPs from the PHG & HHA sales teams
- Web links on the PHG site
Questions: - Conflict of interests? HHA members with vs. without PHG membership. - Will Michael Di Rienzo get more help to sell HHA better?

Cross promotional ideas between HHA regional hotels:
- Print regional promotional collateral i.e. a rack card with a listing of all HHA west region hotels
- Link west region hotels via their websites
- Create an award program between HHA hotels
- Schedule quarterly or semi-annual regional meetings.
- Fam trips for meeting planners who prefer historic hotels. (Cross referrals between HHA and PHG hotels)
Other:
- Send out & give away more HHA directories.
- Idea: “Keep it downtown” hotels referral program (created in San Diego)

___________________________________________

Southeast and the Islands – Recap
Regional Workshops - 2008 Ideas

TEAM CO-LEADERS
Patty Henning, DOS, Jekyll Island & Melanie Fly, DOS, Union Station
phenning@jekyllclub.com; mfly@turnberry.com
States - FL, GA, SC, AL, TN, PR, USVI

Top Ideas Discussed:

(Note - ideas must still have HHA-Preferred approval, which is pending so as to maintain brand consistency).

- Creating Webpage/Landing Site promoting Historic Hotels and Sites in the SE Region
- Designing a brochure listing each hotel in the SE
- Regional Dinners with the Cramer Group
- Buying/obtaining lists for email marketing

- It was decided to move forward on exploring the expense to create a webpage/landing site:
- Keep it simple and inexpensive.
- Explore the possibility of a Map on the webpage which would highlight the location of each participating hotel and site
- Properties will link their own individual websites and the new webpage will in turn link to each hotel’s individual website.
- Explore separate page for National Trust sites or incorporating National Trust sites on the map
- Obtain quotes on a pay-per-click optimization option
- Obtain pricing on an email list from the National Trust

Gayle Karolczyk will follow up on the webpage and estimate. Melanie Fly will work on the database.

Possible Future Plans:

- Partner with American Express with a special offer for card members and receive coverage of our new website in their insertions.
- Complete a press release announcing our cooperative effort

__________________________________________________
Posted 12-20-07

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast – RecapRegional Workshops
2008 IdeasTeam Co-Leaders
Tonia Noonan, Dir. of Sales & Marketing, Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, MD mailto:PAtonia.noonan@radisson.com
Dennis Costello, General Manager, Hotel Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA dcostello@hotelbethlehem.com

States - NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV, VA, DC, NC

Top Ideas Discussed:

(Note - ideas must still have HHA-Preferred approval, which is pending so as to maintain brand consistency).

- Group decided to focus the workshop discussions on vetting sales & marketing ideas.

- Sagamore & Hershey have successfully hosted MPI client dinners in Washington, DC.

- Philadelphia should be considered as the location for a future regional co-op client event- Utilize Preferred Hotel Group (PHG) client lists—especially for the pharmaceutical market.

- Each hotel participating in the regional client event would have to provide client lists- 90 -180 day lead time will be required for planning/executing the regional client event.

- Consider the possibility of a NJ/NYC sales road show featuring a series of client events- Invite The Hyland Group’s sales staff on regional hotel familiarization visits.

- Utilize The Hyland Group’s web site to promote hotels in the Mid-Atlantic & Northeast.

- Host a Mid-Atlantic regional meeting in DC in April 2008 during the Springtime trade show.

- Host a Northeast regional meeting in NYC in May/June 2008 during HHA’s media/client events.

- Plan separate workshops for the Mid-Atlantic & Northeast regions at future annual meetings:
Send a list to each regional workshop participant with complete contact info for every participant.


____________________________________________

Posted 12-20-07

New England Regional Meeting
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Don CeSar, Fla.

Co-Chairs:
Norma Probst, Director of Marketing, Cranwell Resort, norma@cranwell.com
Jim Boucher, Director of Sales, The Spa at Norwich Inn, jboucher@thespaatnorwichinn.com
States: ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI

The group decided that the following were our TOP 3 ideas:

1. Regional Landing page for New England on the HHA website
2. Regional Co-op collateral piece with a listing and map of all participating member properties
3. Investigate Agenda Expo, Biz Bash, NEMICE, and Meeting Market as HHA – NE regional co-op opportunities

1. INTERNET MARKETING

a. Build a Regional web presence – Greg Clark/HHA to research (page similar to Starwood Hotels of Boston)

Discuss with HHA to build a regional landing page for New England listing all member properties in or region.

Page will be accessible from the main members page with a hyperlink to new page

b. NY Times/Boston Globe Email campaign

Link to the HHA regional landing page for New England

Advertising costs to be split among participating member properties

No funding is available form HHA for associated costs

c. Potential email Marketing campaigns for the following:

Historic Hotels of New England
Historic Inns of New England
Historic Spas of New England
Historic Weddings of New England

2. PUBLIC RELATIONS
Regional Press Releases
Historic Vignettes about each property
Link to the HHA regional landing page for New England
“Perfect New England Moment” as a potential PR campaign

3. PRINT ADVERTISING
Advertising Co-op Template
Create by HHA for individual properties or a group or properties to use
Template ensure ad consistency for properties to use and maintains brand consistency for HHA
Save ad design $$$ for individual properties - only have to add in the property specific text and photos

4. TRADE SHOWS
With the elimination of NEMICE from the HHA Trade Show calendar, there is virtually NO HHA presence at any New England or New York Trade Shows for member properties to co-op and participate in

New England Region has determine the following trade shows to research and see if we can participate as a co-op for the New England Region specifically: Historic Hotels of America – New England

Agenda Expo – NY – Brian Butterworth to research
Biz Bash – NY – OPEN
NEMICE – Boston - Norma Probst to research
Meetings Academy – Boston – Jim Boucher to research
Costs associated with participation would be split amongst member properties who choose to participate
No funding is available from HHA for participation on a regional basis

5. COLLATERAL
Create Regional Co-Op Collateral Piece – Scott Alemany to spearhead
Lists all participating Member properties - Property Name, Address, Phone Number, Web Address
Regional Map indicating location of all participating properties – show the proximity to plan multi-day trips to member hotels
Collateral piece given out at check in or check out at all participating member properties

In attendance: (those we have business cards/contact information from)
Scott Alemany, Director of Operations, Newport Hotel Group, slaemany@newporthotelgroup.com
Rick McCarten, Director of Sales, Mount Washington Resort, rmccaretn@mountwashington.com Jill Hugger, General Manager, Portland Regency, jhugger@theregency.com
Suzanne Wenz, Regional Director of Public Relations, The Fairmont Copley Plaza, Suzanne.wenz@fairmont.com
Greg Clark, Director of Sales & Marketing, Boston Park Plaza and Towers
Juli Lederhaus, General Manager, Hawthorne Hotel, juli@hawthornehotel.com
Jared Platt, Assistant General Manager, Castle Hill Resort & Spa, jplatt@castlehillresort.com
Jason Schlosser, Newagen Seaside Inn, jschlosser@newageninn.com
Carol Bosco-Baumann, Director of Marketing, The Porches Inn & Red Lion Inn
Brian Butterworth, Director of Sales, The Porches Inn & Red Lion Inn, bbutterworth@redlioninn.com
Alexander Eberle, Innkeeper, The Porches Inn, alexander@porches.com
Bruce Finn, General Manager, The Red Lion Inn
Mary Billingsley, Director of Public Relations, Historic Hotels of America
Note- Elizabeth Milburn, HHA Web Content Manager, as resigned and is no longer with HHA.
Preferred Hotel Group web content managers are cooridnating web content. Please contact Thierry_Roch@nthp.org for follow up (202) 588-6307 or Tracey_Simmons@nthp.org (202) 588-6267.

HHA - Midwest (South) Region
States: TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, NM

Co-team leaders:
Craig Smith, DOS, Peabody Memphis & Alissa Burgess, GM, LaSalle Hotel, Bryant, TX
craig.smith@peabodymemphis.com
aburgess@lanehospitality.com

Discussions centered on improving group business to the region:

Group database sharing
Considering the wide range of offerings within the selected group of hotels within the region, a focused database sharing was suggested

i. Each hotel would compile a list of their top 25 key accounts with contact, address, phone, e-mail information. This master list would be shared with the region

ii. Craig Smith would format list and request data – need regional hotel’s e-information

iii. Account with history of 25-50 rooms peak


Motorcoach
Idea of offering a fill-up (complimentary transportation) with 15-25 room tour. Idea where they could travel all through the region-complimentary gas

Regional Press release
Discussed a regional release outlining uniqness and wow factor of each hotel. Also the possibility of including something unique as “Stay 2nd quarter in 2 of the regional hotels and receive a spa treatment or 1 nt stay etc.

Regional Web-site
Discussed the possibility of a web-page within HHA site which focuses on and outlines the region of hotels

Client events
Discussed client event in Dallas – decided to wait until the preferred deal becomes more clear – Preferred has an entire schedule of events we may be able to take advantage of through 2008

Best Practices
Share our operating, selling and service “Best Practices”

Member Feedback

Dear HHA Staff:
I wanted to send you a thank you for the spectacular job you and Historic Hotels did in St. Petersburg – my hat off to you all! I had a wonderful time and it was great to put faces with names. Thank you again and I look forward to future Historic Hotel events.

Happy Holidays!

Linda Cormier, CHSP - Director of Sales & Marketing
Tubac Golf Resort & Spa
Tubac, AZ

More Photos!

More Photos!

Top right, Jon Enten, President, Enten & Assoc., Bethesda, MD is the advertising agency for HHA. Jon has been helping HHA for approximately eight years on many great campaigns! For help with your local creative effots, e-mail Jon at jon@enten.com.

Top left, Don CeSar General Manager, John Marks, our terrific host for the conference is a very supportive and active member. He personally attended all the sessions and activities. He is pictured with Mary Billingsley, HHA PR director, at the trade show breakfast.

18th Annual HHA Meeting Wrap Up

I'd like to thank all of you who attended our 18th annual meeting at the Don CeSar Beach Resort last week in St. Pete Beach, FL. As previously mentioned, this was our largest conference ever and certainly amongst the most fun. In fact, if you returned home without "goose bumps" (as so perfectly described by HHE Chairman Max Eidlhuber), you must have been sleeping in!

Special thanks go to the Don's General Manager and long-time HHA friend, John Marks, and Tim Reuther, Director of Catering & Conference Management, for their exemplary hospitality even during the most hectic of times (remember the presidential candidates in our midst?)!

Whether or not you were able to make it down to St. Pete Beach, please take a few moments to review the wonderful conference blog as described by HHA Board member Juli Lederhaus (GM, Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, Mass.) during the course of our meeting, and feel free to post your comments! And while I have you, please make sure to reserve November 11-13, 2008 for HHA's 19th Annual Meeting at the beautiful Mission Inn in Riverside, California. I'm already looking forward to it and to reviewing the status of all the wonderful benefits we'll be able to offer HHA members between now and then through our relationship with the Preferred Hotel Group! Enjoy the holidays!

Thierry Roch
Executive Director
Historic Hotels of America

Value, Bargain, ROI -- They Are All Terrific in My Book

I just had a minute to REALLY review the brochure that I picked up at the trade show this week at the HHA conference. This was a brochure that outlines the kind of purchasing savings we can get just because HHA is now under the Preferred Hotels umbrella.

I was really impressed with how much money we will be able to save on things we already purchase. Picking up that brochure and reading it, I can assure you, has already saved my property at least $1,000, and will likely save us another $1,000 to $2,000 in the coming year.

That knowledge alone certainly makes me feel terrific about filling out my expense report for the trip.

If you have heard the saying, "you get out of an organization what you put into it," you know what I mean. Coming to the conference was certainly worth my time and effort.

I hope to see you in Riverside next year.

Juli

A Farewell Beach Party

Last night we were treated to a beach party, complete with tropical drinks, a talking pineapple, leis, a conga line, hula dancers and lessons for some of us, and great food. Here are some photos.

Some of the people you see here, definitely enjoying themselves are:
Devie Hagen and Kathy Reichenbach of Madden's on Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN (I'm guessing they aren't experts at this kind of thing but they were great sports and made a terrific effort), Alissa Burgess of the LaSalle Hotel in Bryan, Texas.

In the conga line I can make out Thierry Roch, and Norma Probst, while sitting and enjoying conversation were Nina Smiley and Rick Widman, among many.

In the photo of the couple you will see Mr and Mrs John Marks. John is the General Manager of the Don CeSar, and he was a most genial and hospitable host for our conference.







I still have more to post, but I'm not sure how soon I will get to it, so I'll sign off for now.

Juli

Juli Lederhaus
General Manager
Hawthorne Hotel
Salem, Massachusetts
(with a Hotelier's perspective of our HHA annual conference)

Wow, They Saved the Best for Last ~~ A Panel on Public Relations and the Media

Today's final business meeting was a panel on public relations and the media. We had Chris Elliott who calls himself a consumer advocate and has so many irons in the various media pools and puddles and pies that even he can't keep up with all of them; we had Kitty Yancey, Travel Reporter for USA Today; and Susan O'Keefe, Associate Editor of National Geographic Traveler.

You can see them all seated left to right, with the exception that the person who is second from the right was the panel moderator, Mindy Bianca who is the Director of PR for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts (one of us!)

Their panel was an excellent one that answered many questions about how to deal with the media and wannabe media people, and people who are looking for free stays under the guise of writing a 'freelance' article about our hotels.

They talked about pet peeves regarding press releases, photo availability and delivery (sizing, format, and so on). There was far too much material for me to cover here, but suffice to say -- you should have been here! It was a very worthwhile session.

Oh, and on a somewhat personal note, (yes, I am blushing a bit, here) Chris has recognized our Hawthorne Hotel blog as one of the Top Eight Hotel Blog Sites worth bookmarking. He said "How does a historic hotel connect with guests? These guys wrote the book. I mean, the blog." -- since I am "these guys" I do take that as a compliment, despite the fact that I am only one gal.

Thanks for the great mention, Chris.

Juli

Juli Lederhaus
General Manager
Hawthorne Hotel
Salem, MA

A Last Look at the Beach and a Connection to the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle

As I contemplate getting on the airplane to go back up to Salem, Massachusetts, and I look at these photos that I took on my walk on the beach on Thursday morning, I thought, dear reader, that you too might like one last look at the nice beach here in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. While it may be hard to tell, the guy in the red jacket is General Manager Paul Ishii of the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle, Washington.

I was able to stay in Paul's hotel this summer, and Paul is the ultimate hotel manager and great host, and his property is in such a terrific location. I cannot recommend it more highly.

Obviously the kind of networking we do at these HHA conferences is one of the reasons for continuing to come, and for those of you sitting at your desks, diligently working, consider the MANY benefits of attending the HHA annual conferences in years to come. You do miss a lot when you don't participate.

Juli

Some Notes from the Forum on Branding

It wasn't Comedy Tonight! but Branding this Afternoon! and it was still a great deal of fun due to Bill Ott and his team of Senator Singers from the group.

Here are my notes:


Forum on Brand Insurance Program

Bill Ott, Crescent Hotel aka Caesar of the Forum

Scott Greenwood, F & G Hospitality
Jim Bradbury, La Fonda
Andrea Thornton, Monteleone

Tracey Simmons of HHA

December is roll out of program

Assist hotels to understand the Brand Standards program

Conduct Site visits
About 3 hours
Tour property, work on checklist
We’ll receive a copy of the survey
2-3 guest rooms, lobby, meeting rooms
Dine in restaurant (complimentary by hotel)
Not a back-of-the-house tour
Pre-scheduled at a mutually appropriate time
Speak informally with a few staff about broad hotel history
Overnight stay (most visits)

Why a Brand Assurance Program with Site Visitations?

To ensure brand integrity.

Program does not mandate overly intrusive and costly improvements.

Nina Smiley, Mohonk Mountain House
Jacques Ambelard, Inn at Montchanin Village
Ron Morin, The Grove Park Inn
Jack Bussert, River Street Inn
Juli Lederhaus, Hawthorne Hotel
Lisa Koester and Sarah Brooks, Napa River Inn
Thierry, Tracy and Mary of HHA

More details on the HHA Members Only Website including the TOOLKIT

Hotels must score a minimum of 70% positive
Historic Elements
Guest Experience

A consultative program is the main crux of the VISIT.

“Helpful, informative and friendly” is the way Jim Bradbury described the visit he experienced about 10 days ago.

Andrea Thornton had her inspection last week. Jerry Fragnito did the inspection. She also took him to her HR department where they start an employee on their “Legacy” program so they learn about the property’s history and their ghost.

To help the guests who want a history tour, they made an iPod tour of their hotel, and it is free unless they don’t return the iPod, in which case they charge the guest $100.

Andrea likened it to taking a guest on a tour of the hotel.

Tracey reminded us all about:

• The Historic Toolkit – that is the orange book, which she hopes is not gathering dust on a shelf in someone’s office.

• $150 to rent the use of 5000 names from the Trust’s database.

More of Your Friends in HHA Here at the Conference

Bill and Ginger Baxter, Wort Hotel, Jackson, Wyoming



Marcia Scheingold and Hector Venegas of the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas



Marylou Race of Mohonk Mountain House and Jennifer Broadwater, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill

If you aren't here, know that we miss YOU!

Juli

Thanks to Our Exhibitors

Charles Dolige', President of L.R. Paris had the most beautiful custom pieces to order for your hotel gift shop or as a gift for that special client.

The people from IDEAS had the BEST buttons to take home. They are in the shape of stars, with flashing lights that go all around them. The two teen aged girls in my house are going to love them. Unfortunately their system doesn't work with our PMS, but it sounds quite interesting. You should call them.


The American Hotel and Lodging Association has the best training tools. We use their program called CourseLine and CyberCinema. I don't know how any hotelier can get along without it. We get ours through the Massachusetts Lodging Association. It is an excellent set of training videos, and courses for you to offer to your team members.


Who can get along without American Hotel Register -- I call them "hotel in a book" because they have everything. I loved that these guys would go along with my dare to put a rubber ducky on as head gear. Nothing like having fun at work to make things more enjoyable in life.


Jack Bussert of the River Street Inn had a stunning chapeau for us all to admire. He was visiting with the rep from Perot Systems.


Douglas P. Nysse, Principal of Kahler Slater is the man in the middle.


Some of the people in the exhibition hall thought I was brave (or silly or stupid) offering to take a photo of a professional photographer. Lisa just said she didn't look good in photo, thereby getting me off the hook a bit.

Karen and Gene from Cypress are such terrific sponsors of our conference. They always give away all their samples in a drawing at the end of the last day's luncheon (yes, you need to be present to win) and this year I WON ONE!!!
Allan Walker, President of Tel-Phone Resources

George Toulantis, Senior Account Manager

Kerry Galloway of Durkan Hospitality and Mark Thomann, Director of Historic Preservation at The Mohawk Group

I managed to get photos of many but not all of our exhibitors. Every time I stopped to get a photo I got involved in finding out what the products were, so I ran out of time to get them all. I apologize in advance if I left you out.

And special thanks to all of the companies that sponsored an exhibit at our trade show. I know I learned a lot, and found at least three new vendors for us to consider.

Coming to the conference has so many benefits. You really need to be here to BENEFIT both your own professional development, as well as the excellence you are trying to develop withing your property. So, if you didn't get to come this year, MAKE SURE you are here next year, in Riverside, California.

I hope I'll see you there.

Juli

Are You Missing Your HHA Friends?

Thierry Roch of HHA with Ken Hayward of The Grand Hotel (our host for last year's annual conference -- doesn't he look relaxed compared to last year??)

Lynn Mucciano of Union Station Hotel in Nashville brought her mother.

Jim Waldrop of the Wort Hotel; Norma Probst of the Cranwell Resort; Stephen Galvan of The Heathman Hotel.

An Up-to-the-minute Campaign

 

As part of his update to us about the current work of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Greg Coble showed this slide. When I first saw it, I thought to myself that the Trust was jumping on the 'green' bandwagon too. However, Greg quickly pointed out that this campaign was actually one that the Trust used twenty-some years ago during a prior energy crisis. Seems that the Trust has been ahead of its time for some time now.

How's that for 'falling back in time'?

Juli

The "Pink" Break ~~ Very Apropos of the Big Pink Hotel Known as the Don CeSar

Here are some photos of the "pink break" that we had yesterday afternoon. I thought you might get some ideas for a custom break at your property by seeing this. However, I can't really communicate how good things tasted. Perhaps this blog will encourage you to come to the next annual conference in person next year.

I hope to see you then.

Juli