Jumping Right In

By Margaret Vito, HVMG Regional Vice President of Operations

Recognizing excellence is always a priority at HVMG, but never quite like it has been in the past year. As our hotels continue to recover, we wanted to celebrate, thank and recognize each of our associates who live out our core value of EXCELLENCE unconditionally. In combination with an appreciation celebration at each hotel, we asked for nominations for the Hidden Hero Award. When reviewing all the incredible nominations, the other RVPs and I had to select one finalist per region, an impossible task!

At HVMG, Hidden Heroes:

·Show HVMG's core value of excellence and demonstrate it through specific acts within the hotel, community, or personal life.

·Go beyond their everyday responsibilities to impact a specific guest experience or hotel event.

·Play an active role in leading their co-workers through difficult times and situations by demonstrating acts of informal leadership, kindness, and HVMG love.

Tina Lewis, a Housekeeper at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Indianapolis Airport, is the finalist for our region! She has played an integral part in her team, as her willingness to jump in wherever she is needed has allowed her property to continue operations. With only two years at her hotel (and five in the industry), she has already made a long-lasting impact.

Hotel Manager Rachel Inman, saw how Tina "lives the excellence culture" and has "learned every position in the hotel."

Rachel said, "Every day, Tina looks for ways to be excellent. I can always count on her to make guests feel at home.Since Covid began, everyone is covering areas out of their typical job description"

Tina is no exception. On any given day, you'll see her answering phone calls, assisting guests at the Front Desk, driving the airport shuttle, inspecting rooms, walking guests to their rooms, and more. Rachel said, "It's not one specific event or situation; it's every day she works."

It's easy to see how many ways Tina has already made a lasting impact on her team:

"When other housekeepers roll rooms, Tina always finishes her board."

"Helps relieve stress off the front office."

"Gives guest the proper, excellent experience despite being trained as a low-contact employee."

"Having a dependable, multifaceted employee like Tina helps every aspect of the business."

Tina goes above and beyond in every situation by adapting with the best attitude. She excels in every new position she takes on. It's because of her tenacity and thoroughness that her fellow associates can rest assured that the hotel operation will keep going. From jumping in with service recoveries to handling late checkouts for airline crew members, Tina will do whatever it takes to deliver excellent service.

Tina inspires her colleagues, leaders, and guests with her ability to BE EXCELLENT even in unprecedented times. Rachel knows that "It saves us money, and our guests arealways taken care of when Tina is assisting them." Congratulations to Tina Lewis, Hidden Hero & Finalist for the region!

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