SpringHill Suites Manhattan Times Square Celebrates Anniversary
SpringHill Suites New York Manhattan Times Square is proudly celebrating its one-year anniversary as part of the M&R portfolio. Under the leadership of General Manager Tanya Jamal, who also marked her one-year anniversary with the company, the hotel has had an exceptional first year, surpassing expectations and setting a new standard of excellence.
Tanya, who oversees the daily operations of the hotel, attributes its success to the cohesive teamwork and strong camaraderie of the hotel’s staff. One of the hotel's proudest accomplishments is surpassing its budget goals, which she credits to the hard work and dedication of the entire team.
"We didn’t expect our budget to exceed as much as we did," said Tanya. “I attribute that to my team. Our front office, regional director of revenue and director of sales all work in sync with each other. Everyone feels responsible for the hotel, and it’s this performance that makes everything work.”
Tanya’s focus on fostering a competitive yet collaborative environment has been key to this achievement. "We incentivize the team with monetary rewards for high performance," she said. "We’ve created incentives for the staff with the highest number of Marriott Bonvoy enrollments per month as well as for the best check-in scores. This helps to keep our team motivated and creates a team competition."
Although Tanya expected high occupancy levels given the SpringHill Suites’ location in the heart of Times Square, she said it has exceeded expectations in both group bookings and leisure and corporate travel, thanks to her team’s efforts. This success has allowed the team to stay ahead of competitors in a competitive market.
Tanya said she is most proud of her team, which includes Assistant General Manager Sana Arshad; Guest Services Manager Brianna Gutierrez; Director of Sales and Marketing Lenna Shaheen; Housekeeping Manager Shireen Nelson; Regional Director of Revenue Zohal Diaz; and Chief Engineer Michael Pisacreta. "They’ve embraced everything with enthusiasm and dedication,” Tanya said. “I make it a point to celebrate successes and ensure they feel valued. I want them to feel like they own something and to build pride, confidence and consistency in their work.”
Tanya’s leadership goes beyond just day-to-day management; she is focused on developing her team for the future. "I have some team members that are on our M&R succession plan,” she said. “They are ready to take the next step in their careers, and I am glad to be here to help them grow."
Tanya also follows a guiding Marriott principle: "If your employees are happy, they are going to make your guests happy." This philosophy is at the core of Tanya’s leadership style, and it’s clear that it has had a positive impact on the team’s performance. "I live and breathe by this," she said. "I’ve seen the effort the team makes in order to ensure things are done right and exceed expectations. They take feedback and aim to do better."
This focus has not gone unnoticed by others in the industry. Marriott Regional Vice President Russell Friedman recently conducted a walk-through of the property and was impressed by the hotel and the team's outstanding performance, saying the scores and property’s appearance “exceeded expectations.”
Tanya's passion for the hotel shines through in everything she does. "I am passionate about the hotel I represent because, in return, it also represents me,” she said. "I love my job and my career, and I always tell my team, when it comes to our guests, always act with urgency. When you do something, see it through to fruition. Everything you do reflects you, and everything your team does is a reflection of your work. As a team, every thing we do reflects in the hotel’s performance. Aiming for higher standards is what we strive for every day. We even aim to exceed our own expectations."
