M&R Team News

M&R Hotels Give Back This Holiday Season

With the holiday season in full swing, M&R hotels are embracing the spirit of giving by participating in several charitable initiatives to bring joy and much-needed support to those in need.

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Johnnie Bovain: Spotlight on Guest Service

In the hospitality industry, guest service is the heart of a hotel’s success. Johnnie Bovain, front office supervisor at the Fairfield New York Manhattan/Central Park Hotel, strives to set the standard for exceptional customer service every day when he comes to work.

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Share Your 2025 Resolutions and Goals!

Every so often, M&R Team News will ask you, our readers, to share your opinion in a quick survey then share the results the following month.

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December Photo Gallery

Team members at M&R’s dual-brand property, the Residence Inn New York Queens and SpringHill Suites New York Queens, show their appreciation for $25 grocery vouchers presented by the company for Thanksgiving. From left are Byron Arango, bellman; Kathea Roberts, guest service agent; and Fardeen Hossain, guest service agent.

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Operations Leader Empowers Hotel Teams to Succeed

Since joining the company in January 2022 as vice president of operations, Erik Anderouard has applied his over 30 years of experience and a global perspective to M&R’s hotel operations in New York City. His insights and leadership style reflect the company’s employee-focused and hands-on hospitality approach.

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Introducing Hotel Alameda, An Oasis at the High Line

The Hotel Alameda at the Highline, the newest hotel in M&R’s portfolio, has new branding, including a fresh logo and marketing designs that reflect the hotel’s connection to Latin American culture and hospitality.

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November is the Time to Focus on Your Benefits

Open enrollment for 2025 health benefits is here through Nov. 22, and M&R associates who are eligible can select the medical, dental and drug coverage that best meets their families’ needs. This year’s open enrollment period offers various resources to help associates make informed choices.

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Guest Service Agent Delivers ‘Rock Star’ Hospitality

In the world of hospitality, it’s the small, thoughtful gestures that often make the biggest impact. This was evident recently at the Fairfield New York Manhattan/Central Park, where Guest Service Agent Lazelle Davis turned a stay into a memorable experience for a weary traveler.

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November Photo Gallery

Several M&R associates participated in the American Cancer Society’s 2024 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Central Park on Oct. 20. The event was billed as “a celebration of courage and hope, a movement uniting communities to end breast cancer.”

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M&R Welcomes David Chu as Vice President of Sales and Marketing

David Chu, M&R’s new vice president of sales and marketing, is a sales, marketing and operations veteran with over three decades of global hospitality industry experience and a proven track record in branding, digital e-commerce and social media strategies for independent and branded hotels.

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Tarrytown House Estate Featured in Design + Décor Magazine

Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson is featured on the cover of this month’s Design + Décor magazine. This special edition showcases the hotel and the historic drawing room of the property’s Biddle Mansion.

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An Inspiring Journey from Nepal to Times Square

Chhimi Sherpa, an international student from Nepal, is living her dream in New York, working at the SpringHill Suites New York Manhattan Times Square to complete her Curricular Practical Training, a work-study program for full-time international students with F-1 visas.

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October Photo Gallery

Celebrating Housekeeping Appreciation Week at the Hilton Garden Inn New York Times Square South are, from left, David Cunahey, houseman; Carina Cuyo, room attendant; Maria Teresa, room attendant; Maggie Ochoa, housekeeping supervisor; Suleika Alegria, director of housekeeping; Betty Marques, room attendant; Marisol Guaracha, room attendant; Olga Leon, room attendant; Mirtha Alvarez, room attendant; Jessica Rivera, room attendant; Bianca Manobanda, room attendant; and Rolando Sanchez, houseman.

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How M&R’s Hotels Are Strategizing for the Near and Long Term

As autumn approaches, the hospitality industry already is looking ahead to 2025, with hotels across the M&R portfolio refining their sales strategies to capitalize on future opportunities.

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Peter Nichols Leads the Charge in Expanding M&R's Hotel Portfolio

As M&R’s vice president of development, Peter Nichols is spearheading the company’s efforts to significantly expand and diversify M&R’s portfolio of managed hotels.

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M&R Expands with Boutique Hotel in New York’s Chelsea Neighborhood

M&R recently signed an agreement to manage the 56-room Selina Chelsea NYC in the heart of Chelsea’s art and cultural scene and rebrand it as the Hotel Alameda at the High Line.

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M&R’s Internship Program Grooms Future Hoteliers

Internships provide hospitality students a way to gain hands-on experience in the real-world setting of a working hotel. Internships also help them build on their classroom studies and skills. For hotels, internships are a cost-effective way to evaluate and develop potential future employees.

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Christopher Beyer: Making a Mark in Hospitality

As vice president of operations for the Midwest portfolio, Christopher Beyer helps M&R’s managed hotels in Indiana, Missouri, Illinois and West Virginia achieve profitability.

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Tarrytown Team Member Celebrates 40 Years of Service

In an industry where dedication and hard work are essential to achieving guest satisfaction, Hilma Taveras of the Tarrytown House Estate Hotel on the Hudson has shone brightly for four decades.

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Meet the Team Dedicated to Maximizing Revenue

As M&R’s vice president of revenue management, Brian Athas and his dedicated team of six revenue managers have a daily mission: to help hotels make as much money as possible by maximizing revenue.

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Hilton Garden Inn Joplin Employees Rescue Newborn Kittens

A group of employees at the Hilton Garden Inn Joplin in Missouri showed their kindness and compassion when they recently came to the rescue of a mama cat and her newborn kittens.

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Culinary Team Members Promoted at the Tarrytown House Estate Hotel

In a display of hard work and dedication, two employees from the culinary team at the Tarrytown House Estate Hotel on the Hudson have been promoted, marking exciting milestones in their M&R careers.

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M&R Employee Survey Shows a High Level of Staff Engagement

M&R’s annual employee survey, conducted in May, showed that a significant majority of employees feel engaged in their work. More than 80% of respondents reported being either fully or somewhat engaged, slightly higher than last year, while 14% reported being somewhat disengaged and only 4% said they felt totally disengaged.

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The Many Hats of M&R’s Jigs Gandhi

As vice president of procurement, IT & corporate services, Jigs Gandhi wears many hats. While his department is usually known for sourcing everything from guest room soaps to mattresses and furniture, fixtures and equipment, his job goes way beyond purchasing M&R’s goods and services.

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The 24-Hour Pace at JFK Comfort Inn

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports. With more than 38,0000 flights in April 2024 alone and more than 2.7 million passengers using the airport each month, it’s no wonder airport hotels require a unique operation.

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M&R Opens SpringHill Suites Hotel in Times Square and Names GM

M&R has opened the 170-room SpringHill Suites New York Manhattan Times Square at 223 West 46th St. – its third SpringHill Suites hotel in New York – and named 12-year hospitality veteran Tanya Jamal as general manager.

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M&R Team News Survey Reveals Overall Satisfaction

A significant majority of employees who took last month’s M&R Team News survey said they like the newsletter’s stories and photography and consider them to be relevant to their own work experience with the company.

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Cleo Clarke Speaks on Employee Mental Health and Well-Being

When it comes to mental health, M&R wants employees to know they are supported on their wellness journey.

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Tell Us What You Think About M&R Team News, Get a Chance to Win a $100 Gift Card

Your opinions are important to us! In our continuing effort to stay in touch and keep you informed, we would appreciate your thoughts on M&R Team News. Please complete a brief survey about our newsletter by Friday, April 12 for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

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People & Culture Department Celebrates One-Year Mark

It was just one year ago that M&R’s Human Resources department was renamed People & Culture as part of the company’s commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace that values employees as people, not just resources.

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Looking Back on a Year of ‘Significant Change’

Cleo Clarke, vice president of M&R’s People & Culture department, oversees the global human resources function and its strategic direction. When he joined the company in 2021, he brought with him a people-first, customer-first philosophy. His vision was to create an environment where employees feel supported, engaged and empowered to achieve their full potential. That vision led to changing the Human Resources department name to People & Culture.

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M&R Celebrates its GMs for Women’s History Month

In celebration of Women's History Month – a national observance each March that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society – M&R Team News asked the company’s 10 female general managers to comment on their experience at the company and opportunities for growth.

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Peter Nichols Welcomed as Vice President of Development

Cleo Clarke, M&R vice president of people & culture, recently convened a meeting of general managers to welcome Peter Nichols, a hospitality industry veteran, as the company’s newly appointed vice president of development.

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New York Hotels Getting Ready for Spring

With spring approaching, general managers are very conscious of “curb appeal,” making sure the exterior of their hotels is as attractive as possible. They are aware that guests’ first impression of the hotel will be important and want it to be as positive as possible.

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M&R Honors Its Top Performers for 2023

M&R honored the company’s “best of the best” — its top performers for 2023 — at an awards ceremony last month hosted by Amit Gandhi, president & CEO; Manish Patni, executive vice president; and Brian McSherry, chief operating officer.

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Wanted: Corporate Travelers

The Fairfield New York Manhattan/Central Park held a reception for local corporate travel managers in December to familiarize them with the hotel, its convenient location for business, comfortable guest rooms and numerous amenities. Hosting the event was Dayle Nuzzolese, business travel sales manager, who joined the hotel’s sales team last year.

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Brooklyn’s Comfort Inn is a Good Neighbor

Among the M&R hotels that are reaching out to support nonprofit organizations in their communities is the Comfort Inn Prospect Park – Brooklyn, which established a relationship with the local chapter of Lifespire, a nearby day treatment facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Welcome to 2024!

Each January gives us, your senior management team, the opportunity to say in writing how much we value the contribution our associates make—every day—to the continued success of M&R. Whether you are just beginning your career in hospitality or are a seasoned veteran, please know that we very much appreciate your hard work and dedication.

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Michele Licurse Marks a Milestone

Michele Licurse, area director of sales and marketing at the Fairfield by Marriott New York Manhattan/Central Park, celebrated a career milestone in November: her 10th anniversary with M&R Hotel Management.

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Ben Ortiz Named Holiday Inn Express GM

Ben Ortiz, an 18-year hospitality industry veteran with extensive Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brand experience, has been appointed general manager of the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West on West 48th Street.

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General Manager Margarita Garcia Honored

Margarita Garcia, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York Times Square West, has been honored in the November-December issue of Hotel Management magazine as one of its 2023 “General Managers to Watch.”

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Open Enrollment Meetings Through Dec. 8

Virtual and in-person meetings have been scheduled through Dec. 8 to assist M&R associates select benefits for 2024.

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Anil and Andy Persaud: Like Father, Like Son

Andy Persaud joined M&R in March 2018 and today is chief engineer at the Fairfield New York Manhattan/Central Park. A year later his father, Anil Persaud, joined the company and today is engineering supervisor at the Holiday Inn New York City – Times Square. The two hotels are roughly a mile apart on Manhattan’s West Side. They are likely the only parent and child working at different hotels within M&R.

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Open Enrollment for 2024 Benefits Coming Soon

During the upcoming open enrollment, M&R team members who are eligible to receive 2024 benefits can choose the levels of medical, dental and drug coverage that best suit their families’ needs.

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General Manager Appointed at Holiday Inn New York – JFK Airport Area

Andrew Hickey, an 18-year hospitality industry veteran, has been appointed new general manager of the Holiday Inn New York – JFK Airport Area in Jamaica. He previously was general manager of the Best Western Plus Hospitality House in Manhattan.

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Off-Duty M&R Engineer Comes to the Aid of an Accident Victim

One weekend afternoon in late-September, Robert Kranik, regional chief engineer for New York, was off duty, running errands in his New Jersey suburb when he saw a car strike and seriously injure a motorcyclist. With knowledge gained during his earlier career as a nurse, he reacted quickly and stopped to aid the injured rider.

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‘Think Fast’ Are the Comfort Inn JFK’s Bywords

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is one of the world’s busiest, drawing nearly 27 million passengers in 2022. In July this year alone, 42,200 flights took off or landed. Many travelers who arrive before or after their flights stay overnight in one of M&R’s hotels.

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Breakfast Teams Help Guests Begin Each Day

Their workdays start as early as 5 a.m. during the week, later on weekends. They’re typically the first to interact with guests each morning, greeting everyone with a smile. Guests are happy to see them, if only because they are hungry. They are M&R’s intrepid breakfast attendants.

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Going the Extra Mile

The heart of a breakfast attendant’s job is meeting guest expectations: greeting everyone with a welcoming smile, replenishing buffet items and clearing tables quickly to make room for more guests.

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M&R Debuts Its First Dual-Brand Project

M&R last month opened its first dual-brand project, the Residence Inn New York Queens and SpringHill Suites New York Queens, in the rapidly developing neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens.

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The Indispensable Role of Assistant General Managers

As their title implies, the primary role of an assistant general manager is to assist the general manager and to cover when the GM is on vacation or otherwise off property. Not all hotels have an AGM; much depends on the brand and the size and location of the hotel. Frequently, AGMs have worked their way up through the ranks, having served in different departments.

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Sonia Torres: A Decade of Service

When Sonia Torres joined M&R in 2013 as director of housekeeping at the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West on West 48th Street, she thought of it as a job. Little did she know it would turn into a career. This summer, Sonia marked a decade of service: 10 years at M&R and counting.

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