ltd hospitality group's newsletter january 2012

LTD HONORS TOP PERFORMERS

NEWS VIEWSJANUARY 2012

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FEATURES [ TOP HONORS

[ FROM THE CORNER OFFICE

[ 2011 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER

[ ASSOCIATE FOCUS

[ HOTEL ACCOLADES

[ COMMUNITY SERVICE

[ SALES HIGHLIGHTS

[ HUMAN RESOURCES

FOUNDERS’ AWARD WINNER MIRIAM GUIEBHOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR, RESIDENCE INN NORFOLK AIRPORTMiriam Guieb is LTD’s 2011 Founders’ Award Winner. “Miriam embodies the core values on which we founded this company,” explains Dilip Desai and Hari Thakkar, the founders of LTD Hospitality Group.

GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEARLINDA MARKERT GM, RESIDENCE INN DOWNTOWN NORFOLKThis award is given to the General Manager who excels in key metrics of hotel operations: performance to budget, RevPAR penetration, Guest Satis-faction Scores, NOI/profitability, and overall contributions to the company.

HOTEL OF THE YEARRESIDENCE INN CHESAPEAKE GREENBRIERThis award is given to the hotel that excels at the following criteria: GOP, RevPAR penetration, GSS, NOI/profitability, employee turnover, recognition from the parent brand, and social responsibility.

MOST IMPROVED HOTEL OF THE YEAR

COURTYARD DOWNTOWN NORFOLKThis award is given to the hotel that improved its year over year perfor-mance in the following areas: GOP, RevPAR penetration, GSS, NOI/profit-ability, and other key operating statistics.

TRIPADVISOR HOTEL OF THE YEARCOURTYARD DOWNTOWN NORFOLKThis award is given to the hotel that demonstrated superior performance on the TripAdvisor Popularity Index and traveler ratings of the specific property attributes.

SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR DAWN ANDERSON RESIDENCE INN & COURTYARD DOWNTOWN NORFOLKThis award is given to the salesperson who exceeds sales goals for the year, generates new sales, business leads, and manages the “cost hurdle” as a partner.

LTD HOSPITALITY GROUP’S NEWSLETTER FOR OUR ASSOCIATES WHO CONTINUALLY STRIVE TO “BE BETTER’. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS & COMMITMENT

2 NEWS & VIEWS . LTD HOSPITALITY GROUP’S NEWSLETTER . JANUARY 2012

•Relationships are our foundation

•“Family values” guide what we do – no matter how large the company grows, LTD’s “family values” are a cornerstone

•Success is sought via relationships that each of our people forges with our “partners”

•Success is achieved based on whether or not the “partner” feels valued, appreciated, and respected

•Our people are our strength

•Our people create value to the company by working smart and maximizing profit

•Our people create the experience that keeps our customers coming back

•Our people find solutions

RRELATIONSHIPS

PPEOPLE

OOPPORTUNITIES

•We look for opportunities

•There are no challenges – just opportunities

•Identifying and creating opportunities for improvement is our passion

•Opportunities are maximized with careful planning, teamwork, and hard work

O U R V I S I O N

The constant pursuit to be better.

O U R M I S S I O N

To drive value by delivering first class service for each and

every one of our “partners” – our customers, investors,

team members, and brands.

O U R C O R E V A L U E S

NEWS & VIEWS . LTD HOSPITALITY GROUP’S NEWSLETTER . JANUARY 2012 3

BY NEEL DESAI, MANAGING PRINCIPAL

Dear Associates:

Happy New Year!

This year promises to be an exciting one for the Company. Our 2012 plans include recommitting to the basics of Hospitality 101, unveiling some exciting Human Resources tools and initiatives designed to make your lives easier, and introducing some exciting personnel additions to the IT department, which should hopefully make the Company more productive.

As we leave 2011 and start fresh in 2012, I would like to share with you a concept articulated in a book I read recently called “How to Manage Through Chaos,” by Jim Collins. The concept is known as “20 Miles.”

Imagine you’re standing with your feet in the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, looking inland. You’re about to embark on a 3,000-mile walk, from San Diego to the tip of Maine. On the first day you march 20 miles, making it out of town. On the second day you march 20 miles. And again, on the third day you march 20 miles, heading into the heat of the desert. It’s hot, more than 100˚F, and you want to rest in the cool of your tent. But you don’t. You get up and you march 20 miles. You keep the pace, 20 miles a day.

Then the weather cools, and you’re in comfortable conditions with the wind at your back, and you could go much farther. But you hold back, modulating your effort. You stick with your 20 miles. Then you reach the Colorado high mountains and get hit by snow, wind, and temperatures below zero -- and all you want to do is stay in your tent. But you get up. You get dressed. You march your 20 miles.

You keep up the effort -- 20 miles, 20 miles, 20 miles -- then you cross into the plains, and it’s glorious springtime, and you can go 40 or 50 miles in a day. But you don’t. You sustain your pace, marching 20 miles. And eventually, you get to Maine.

Now, imagine another person who starts out with you on the same day in San Diego. He gets all excited by the journey and logs 40 miles the first day. Exhausted from his first gigantic day, he wakes up to 100˚ temperatures. He decides to hang out until the weather cools, thinking, “I’ll make it up when conditions improve.” He maintains this pattern -- big days with good conditions, whining and waiting in his tent on bad days -- as he moves across the western United States.

Just before the Colorado high mountains, he gets a spate of great weather and he goes all out, logging 40- to 50-mile days to make up lost ground. But then he hits a huge winter storm when utterly exhausted. It nearly kills him and he hunkers down in his tent, waiting for spring.

When spring finally comes, he emerges, weakened, and stumbles off toward Maine. By the time he enters Kansas City, you, with your relentless 20-mile march, have already reached the tip of Maine. You win, by a huge margin.

The point of the concept is to identify your personal and professional “20 mile markers” and make progress against those markers every single day, regardless of circumstances beyond your control. At LTD, we want to ensure that you walk your 20 miles each and every day. As all of you may know, one of our core values is “people are our strength.” Know that you are never alone in your journey. It is you, our associates, who create value to the Company by working smart and hard, keeping our customers happy. If you need help to accom-plish your goals, reach out to your managers, our Human Resource department, or any of your fellow associates. We are all here to help you reach your personal and professional goals.

Remember that at LTD each of you is part of something larger than yourself. So, as you begin 2012, remember to focus on your “20 miles,” one mile at a time. I guarantee that by this time next year, you will be amazed with just how far you have traveled.

Thank you so much for all that you do for LTD, and I look forward to a great year.

Be Better,

FROM THE CORNER OFFICE

Neel DesaiManaging Principal


2011 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNERPHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

INTERNAL PROMOTIONS & TRANSFERS

TRACY HAHN Tracy has been promoted to Convention Services Manager for the Westin and Sheraton BWI, Aloft and Element Arundel Mills. Tracy began working as a Front Desk Agent for Sheraton. “I’m excited to finally have a job that actually fits what I went to college for.”

JACLYN LESTER Jaclyn has been promoted to Sales Manager for Courtyard and Residence Inn Newport News. She worked as a Courtyard Marriott Bistro staff upon graduation from Radford University in May 2011. My goals are to learn from the best and gain first-hand knowledge experience in the hospitality industry.

TARYN BOONE Taryn has been promoted to Director of Group Sales for the Peninsula Region. Taryn has been a senior sales manager on the Peninsula sales team since 2007. She has a passion for volunteering and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Liberty University.

ESTHER ZAMORA Esther has been promoted to Corporate Office Manager working directly with Neel Desai, Managing Partner and Kimberly Schlick, VP of Sales & Marketing. Esther brings with her 14 years experience in the hotel industry and has been with LTD since June 2010. Her passions include spending time with her family, sea kayaking and martial arts.

JOPA WERNER Jopa has been promoted from HR Executive assistant to HR Generalist for the corporate Human Resources department. Jopa joined LTD in 2009 serving as the assistant to the Director of Construction. In previous roles of employment, she held positions in accounting, payroll and engineering. Jopa enjoys helping others and being a team player.

NEW HIRES

CHRISTOPHER DABI Christopher is the new General Manager for aloft & element Arundel Mills. Christopher has over 8 years hotel operations experience working with Radisson, Marriott and Hilton brands. Other experiences include working as an economist with the World Bank and Finance Ministry in Ghana. His passions include flying remote control airplanes and spending time his family.

COLLEEN KAMPNEY Hampton Inn Western Branch welcomes Colleen as their new Guest Service Manager. She has been working in the

hospitality industry for 4 years. Colleen has a deep passion to please every guest who stays at the hotel and will do everything in her power to do so.

CINDY GEORGE LTD welcomes Cindy as the new Accounting Manager for the Sheraton & Westin BWI Airport. Cindy has worked in the hotel industry for 26 years. She loves to cook and travel.

CINDY RAWLS Cindy is the new Executive Housekeeper for SpringHill Suites Norfolk. She has 20 years experience in both full service and select service hotels. Her goal is to focus on increasing Guest Satisfaction Scores and bringing a full service attitude and standards to the housekeeping department.

DAN COUNCIL Residence Inn Norfolk Airport welcomes Dan as their new Banquet Manager. Dan has been in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. “This is my life and I love what I do.”

THOMAS METZ Thomas is the new Chief Engineer for the Hilton Garden Inn Frederick. Thomas has 26 years of experience with the commercial construction, electrical and plumbing industry.

TANIA GHANEM Tania is the new Catering Sales Manager for Sheraton and Westin BWI. She has worked as a Catering and Sales Manager with the Sheraton and Holiday Inn brands. Tania’s passions include planning parties, creating recipes and her children.

JEFFREY FUSSMAN Courtyard Chesapeake welcomes Jeffrey as their new Chief Engineer. Jeffrey worked for LTD prior at the Courtyard Yorktown. His goal is to provide an environment that achieves full guest satisfaction and promotes teamwork.

TRUDY JONES Trudy is the new Group Sales Manager for the Richmond Region. Trudy’s experience includes hospitality sales and has been involved with several hotel openings. Her dedication to building and maintaining client relationships is an important part of the person she has become.

STEPHANIE ECKES LTD welcomes Stephanie Eckes as Senior Sales Manager for the SpringHill Suites and Courtyard Chesapeake/Greenbrier. Stephanie has experience working with Marriott brand hotels. Her passion is selling and her goal is to grow business in our hotels.

LACHELLE MOORE SpringHill Suites Norfolk welcomes Lachelle as Senior Sales Manager. Lachelle has 13 years experience in the hotel industry and has recently relocated from San Deigo. She is also an active Navy Reservist. “I look forward to bringing my experience to the company.”

NEWS & VIEWS . LTD HOSPITALITY GROUP’S NEWSLETTER , JANUARY 2012 5

ASSOCIATE FOCUS


ASSOCIATE FOCUS

Rob Sanders serves that the Regional Director of Sales for Chesapeake and Norfolk Airport. Prior to joining LTD in January of 2010, Rob was the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Renaissance Hotel in Portsmouth for 5 years. He also served for over 10 years in Regional Director of Sales and Marketing roles with Concord Hospitality and Tharaldson Lodging. He’s active in the community and has served on the board of directors for the Todi Music Fest, Portsmouth Community Foundation, Virginia Ballet, Lead Hampton Roads Alumni Steering Committee and the Chesapeake Tourism and Advisory Board.

6 QUESTIONS IN 60 SECONDS:

WHAT IS YOUR PASSION IN LIFE?Being a great DAD puts a smile on my face; waking up with a purpose defines my day; Providing unique solutions to complex problems sparks my creativity.

WHAT IS THE LAST DEAL YOU CLOSED?December was a great month! I assisted Lori Lowry in securing 17 rooms daily for Bon Secours Connectcare patient records training in Greenbrier for the entire year resulting in $500,000+ in REVENUE. 650 room nights for January and February Academi (XE Services) training programs worth $38,000.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 SALES TIPS? 1st~ A great daily routine leads to a great and successful sales person. 2nd~ You must be able to show value that’s relevant and meaningful to the client.3rd~ Know how to best communicate with your clients regularly between your personal and direct sales calls. Trust can be built by providing frequent and timely communications.

FOR THE “PITCH” OF YOUR CAREER, WHOM WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO CLOSE THE DEAL? The owner of the company that will provide that personal guarantee that what I’ve promised will be followed up on and delivered.

WHAT BEST KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED TO KEEP DRIVING TOP LINE REVENUE? The thrill of identifying the next big deal; being recognized among my peers, knowing that my company has invested in my success; being able to take risks.

FINALLY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO OR ABOUT THE COMPANY?Our Company, and the properties that we represent, offer competitive advantages that provide game-changing sales opportunities. Each day, we put our employees in positions to succeed and provide the resources for outstanding performance.

SERVING UP SALES WITH ROB SANDERS

Amy Dryden serves as an Accounting Manager at LTD’s Corporate Office and has worked with LTD for the past 6 years. Prior to working with LTD, Amy worked for Dance Sport and worked in Real Estate Property Manager while teaching dance part-time. Her passion has always been dance. She gave up teaching to regain her amateur status in order to compete. Recently, Amy won the intermediate division at the PROAM Country Dance World Championships held in Orlando, FL bringing back 2 trophies.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DANCING?I have been an amateur dancer for 21 years.

WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER AN INTEREST IN BALLROOM DANCING?When I was 19. I was in between jobs coaching gymnastics for the city of Newport News and a friend told me about a company who was hiring ballroom dance instructors. They trained me for 30 days and I have never given it up.

WHO IS YOUR DANCE ICON?Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars and Karina Smirnoff. I use a lot of her choreography.

IF YOU WERE TO DANCE ON THE SHOW DANCING WITH THE STARS, WHO WOULD YOU WANT AS YOUR PARTNER?Derek Hough

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE STYLE OF BALLROOM DANCE? International Ballroom and Latin

PERFORMERS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE A RITUAL BEFORE PERFORMING; DO YOU HAVE A RITUAL BEFORE A COMPETITION? IF SO, WHAT IS IT?Yes. I go off by myself and I mentally go through every routine. I don’t allow myself to get caught up in the all of the chaos and drama that goes on behind the scenes.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE WINNING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS?It was a dream come true. I remained very professional until I got out of the room.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMY? The next competition is the Mid-Atlantic Dance Festival to be held in March 2012 at our very own Westin BWI.

DANCING WITH OUR OWN STAR, AMY DRYDEN

20+ YEARSYears Name Hire Date25 Marion Sawyer 06/28/1986 23 Richard Wanersten 01/14/1989 21 Shirley Grant 07/13/1990

15+ YEARSYears Name Hire Date19 Veronica Sawyer 07/23/1992 17 Felix Irizarry 07/14/1994 15 Addie Felton 10/17/1996 15 Nancy Stone 03/19/1997

10+ YEARSYears Name Hire Date14 Kimberly Schlick 02/16/1998 14 Tracey Henderson 03/31/1998 13 Alison Alexander 12/22/1998 12 Christine Biggs 07/12/1999 12 Joyce Hinton 08/07/1999 12 Elaine Moore 08/19/1999 12 Louie Marcelo-Glenn 03/27/2000 11 Rebecca Holmes 05/10/2000 11 Robert Neill 09/15/2000 11 Elena Orellana 09/25/2000 11 Divonda Tyler 10/18/2000 11 Sherissa Dorsey 11/27/2000 11 Scott Krasche 01/12/2001 10 Dawn Anderson 04/18/2001 10 Connie Ward 05/07/200110 George Hembrick 07/16/2001


HAPPY ANNIVERSARYCELEBRATING OUR EMPLOYEES’ MILESTONES

ASSOCIATE FOCUSTHANK YOU MARION SAWYER FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICELUNCHEON CELEBRATING MARION’S MILESTONE


SHERATON BALTIMORE WASHINGTON AIRPORTA LETTER FROM A NORTHROP GRUMMAN GUEST

HOTEL ACCOLADESHOTEL HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS

Let me begin by saying how wonderful the staff has been at Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel. Our company, Rosen Publishing has arranged for our yearly meeting at this hotel and has been beyond satisfied with

our stay. Everything we have requested has been arranged for us in such a fast turn around time, it has truly been a pleasure to have our meeting here.

There are a few individuals that had really gone above and beyond their responsibilities that we would like to praise. First off, our contact coordinator Hannah Mantooth has been a joy to coordinate our meetings with. From day one she has been available and willing to help with any questions and arrange our requests that also fit in with our budget. She is absolutely wonderful to do business with.

Upon arriving to the hotel, Susan Zeran and Dale Rohn were in our meeting room setting up a day early. I asked if I could come in early to set up and they greeted me with only friendly responses. Dale

Rohn has been a delight to have in our meeting room! He is a hard dedicated worker who went out of his way to help us with setting up. He is upbeat, pleasant, and reliable.

Lastly, one of our employees did not have a room to sleep in when arriving late at night (this was Rosen’s mistake). When arriving, front desk associate Tracy Hahn was an absolute sweetheart to her. She assured her she would find her a room, if not with Sheraton due to sold out rooms, but with some hotel so she has somewhere to sleep. After an hour of Tracy working hard, looking at other options, and calling hotels; Manager Jared Martin went upstairs and personally cleaned an entire room for our employee to sleep in. Needless to say we were blown away with the phenomenal customer service that had been provided to us. Our employee actually referred to Tracy Hahn and Jared Martin as her “hero’s”.

I cannot say enough of these extraordinary employees at the Sheraton and it has really been refreshing to have this type of service provided. From all of these examples and workers, Rosen Publishing will be happy to continue business with Sheraton Baltimore and recommend to others with delight!

Thank You!Lindsay MastroConference CoordinatorRosen Publishing

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for the outstanding job everyone did for our JSF Supplier conference held at the Sheraton Westin – March 22, 2011.

Everything was ready exactly as we had requested in the meeting room and for the reception. And throughout the day, your staff was very responsive with any help that we needed – extra chairs in the meeting room, disposing of some boxes, setting up a table outside the room for giveaways, etc.

I would like to say a special thank you to Susan Zeran who I felt went above and beyond in making us feel that no request was too small for your staff to accommodate. Susan was there to greet me as I arrived, she introduced me to the staff who would be taking care of us ahead of time – this was very nice for the fact we knew who to immediately ask in case we needed anything. She also checked in with me throughout the day and during the reception to ensure we had everything we needed.

The food was very delicious – I had a number of members of the NG

team comment on the attractive display and how tasty everything was. My compliments again to the Chef.

Our event ran flawless and every need was attended to – I had requested that someone meet me at the door when I arrived to take some boxes to the salon – they were there, I requested that someone adjust the temperature in the salon – someone was there in less than 2 minutes.

Our conference was a success and the attendees left that evening with a good impression of NG and the information we needed them to have. The NG team and the attendees were able to focus on the conference and relax at the reception due to your staff and the fantastic job they did taking care of us.

Very best regards,

Connie L. Broome JSF Business Operations Manager

SHERATON BWI AIRPORT WOWS ROSEN PUBLISHING GROUPA LETTER FROM ROSEN PUBLISHING GROUP



The Hilton Garden Inn Hampton Coliseum Central achieved the following accolades for June 2011 Mid-Atlantic Region:

#2 Loyalty with a score of 79.4!#5 Problem Resolution **# 8 for RevPAR Index% change YTD 2011!!

**We received our Hilton BPS Director visit in May this year. Our action plan was to achieve top 10 status for Problem Resolution by August 2011 for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Well, our team achieved our goal in one month!

Honorable Mention: our Service score only missed the top 10 by 1.5, our score for June was 76.5!!

Thank you to the phenomenal staff of the Hilton Garden Inn Hampton Coliseum Central. Enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Your hard work and dedication has really paid off.

I am so pleased to announce a little good news before we all head into the holiday weekend. I have just been informed that Expedia has once again honored the Westin Baltimore Washington Airport with its top distinction, listing the Westin BWI to

its Insiders’ Select List for 2011. This marks the third year in a row that the Westin has achieved this very prestigious distinction. For those who might not be aware, Expedia selects only the top 500 hotels of the 131,000 hotels on Expedia’s website. The Westin BWI

was selected based on more than one million hotel reviews submitted by Expedia travelers that acknowledged the hotel as consistently providing superior service, exceptional guest experiences, and remarkable value.

I am so proud of everything that Fletcher, Felix, Emile and the rest of the team has accomplished at this property. Their hard work and commitment to “be better” is reflected in this elite honor.

Congrats, Westin BWI, for a job well done.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Be Better,Neel

Thank you for your email! I just wanted to personally let you know that I had a wonderful stay at the Marriott. The front desk people, in particular, are fantastic. I stayed at the Marriott as part of the EVMS residency program, and there was slight confusion regarding parking. Your front desk people were on top of it, and made sure to clarify the situation with me immediately. I truly appreciated their punctuality, and customer service in general.

Will definitely choose to stay at the Marriott next time I’m in Norfolk. Thanks for everything!

Cheers,Nancy

HILTON GARDEN INN HAMPTONGREAT WORK TEAM!

WESTIN BALTIMORE WASHINGTON AIRPORT WESTIN BWI WINS THE INSIDER’S SELECT AWARD FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

COURTYARD NORFOLK DOWNTOWN A LETTER FROM A SATISFIED GUEST

10 NEWS & VIEWS . LTD MANAGEMENT COMPANY’S NEWSLETTER . JANUARY 2012


Neel,I wanted to take a few minutes and share some feedback with you onyour Springhill Suites off Greenbrier.

I have been traveling to Virginia since November 1 of last yearstaying at the Springhill. While travel away from home is alwayschallenging (at best) I wanted to let you know how special your teamat Greenbrier is.

Starting at the top. Penny is an amazing manager. She has neverhesitated to jump into anything when help is needed. I’ve seen herdoing everything from checking guests in to stocking the little shoparea. She always greeted me by name and with a smile. Her team seems devoted to her which speaks for its self.

Cassandra and Courtney at the front desk are gems. Cassandra tookexcellent care of my colleague and I, even to the point of doublechecking on us when he was ill. She knew to call me and have me come take him to the hospital. She always has a smile and is just joyful to be around. Her laugh is contagious and she truly excels at taking care of the guests. Courtney was always kind and so efficient in helping me with car arrangements and taking care of my room, shealways made sure I got to stay in my “favorite” room. She truly excels at customer service and attention to details.

Janae and Heather in the kitchen/occasional front desk are next.

Heather is always helpful and courteous and will go out of her way ifthere is any issue with breakfast, even cleaning up after me (which isunnecessary). Janae is truly a gem. She personifies customerservice, she never failed to have a smile or a hug for me, even goingso far above on my last day to deliver my breakfast to me, insistingon bringing my “special plate” to the table. I will miss her, and thewhole team.

Marlon was newer, I didn’t get to know him well but he was alwayscourteous and very speedy (which I appreciate).

Neel, I just wanted you to know what a great team Penny has built atthe hotel. It’s well run, the rooms are clean and it’s obvious thatthe hotel is well taken care of.

It was a joy to consider the SpringHill suites my home away from home for the better part of the past year.

SPRINGHILL SUITES GREENBRIERA LETTER FROM A GUEST

The Springhill Suites Hampton was honored to house President Barack Obama this past October. It was a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget.

Every associate brought their “A” game to make his stay as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

A few people really stepped up and went above and beyond the call of duty. Christi Moran worked for weeks with the President’s staff and Secret Service to make sure that the entire group and all of their special requests were taken care of. She stayed up all night while the President was in house to help guests and associates. Robert Casey ensured the hotel was in immaculate shape and everything was in working order. He was also the President’s personal elevator

operator and was on a first name basis with Mr. Obama by the time he left. Rachel Cadet and Rita Mahoney completed a lot of the prep work that made the night such a success.

Due to the extreme security that came with housing the President our regular guests had to go through a gauntlet to get to their rooms. Our parking lot was blocked off so all associates and guests had to park at the Lowes across the street and take a shuttle to the hotel. Once the guests arrived they were greeted by Secret Service agents and had to go through airport-like security measures. Most guests were pleased with the extra security because they knew that the hotel was the safest place in the city. Their understanding and flexibility made the process even more enjoyable.

I would like to thank all hotel and corporate staff associates that put in the extra time and effort that made this night a success. I hope this coming year is as exciting and rewarding for everyone as the previous one was for our hotel.

SPRINGHILL SUITES HAMPTON HOSTING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

NEWS & VIEWS . LTD MANAGEMENT COMPANY’S NEWSLETTER . JANUARY 2012 11

LTD TOP PERFORMING HOTELS 2011 (YEAR TO DATE THROUGH NOVEMBER)

Rank Property RevPar Index

1 Residence Inn Newport News 153.6%

2 Hilton Garden Inn Innsbrook 143.5%

3 Residence Inn Greenbrier 134.5%

4 Residence Inn Norfolk Downtown 131.1%

5 Holiday Inn Express Williamsburg 123.0%

6 Residence Inn Norfolk Airport 122.5%

7 Hilton Garden Inn Hampton 121.2%

8 Courtyard Norfolk Downtown 119.3%

9 SpringHill Suites Hampton 118.4%

10 Courtyard Newport News 118.0%

11 Hilton Garden Inn Frederick 116.0%

12 Fairfield Inn Williamsburg 115.9%

13 Courtyard Chesapeake Greenbrier 107.2%

14 SpringHill Suites Norfolk VA Beach 104.9%

15 Hyatt Place Richmond 104.7%

16 Aloft Richmond 101.3%

2011 REVPAR RANKINGS


12 NEWS & VIEWS . LTD MANAGEMENT COMPANY’S NEWSLETTER . JANUARY 2012


TRIPADVISOR HIGHLIGHTS

2011 TRIPADVISOR HOTEL OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

SHERATON BALTIMORE WASHINGTON AIRPORT• This hotel is ranked #1 of 28 hotels in a very

competitive BWI Airport market and has retained this position despite an all out effort from its sister hotel the Westin BWI, which is closing the gap at #2.

• The Sheraton moved from #12 to the top spot within a 5 month period, a testament to Emile and his team’s focus on guest service and other initiatives.

INNAUGURAL WINNER OF THE 2011 TRIPADVISOR HOTEL OF THE YEAR

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN NORFOLKTony Parrow led his team to execute “best in class” operations to focus on all the attributes to get the hotel rankings increased. The team initiated strategies to increase significantly the number of reviews, which helped the hotel shoot to its number 1 ranking in a very short period of time, overtaking several LTD hotels in the process which were ranked higher!

• The Courtyard is ranked #1 of 43 hotels in one of the most extremely competitive markets in the LTD portfolio.

• This hotel also made up considerable distance on its competitors, moving from #14 in March all the way to number 1 by September.

2011 TRIPADVISOR HOTEL OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

ALOFT BOLINGBROOK

• This was the first hotel in the LTD portfolio to be ranked #1 for its market.

• Despite being a new brand competing amongst more established brands, the aloft garnered over 70 reviews, which is the highest number of reviews captured among all the hotels in the Bolingbrook market.

LTD HOTELS CURRENTLY RANKED TOP 5 IN THEIR RESPECTIVE MARKETS

• Courtyard Downtown Norfolk• Residence Inn Newport News• Sheraton BWI• Residence Inn Norfolk Airport• Hilton Garden Inn Hampton• Aloft Bolingbrook• Residence Inn Chesapeake• Hilton Garden Frederick• Residence Inn Downtown Norfolk• Courtyard Newport News• Westin BWI

Congrats to the Sheraton BWI Airport, who leads the pack with # of reviews---151, Westin BWI a close 2nd with 138 and the Courtyard Downtown Norfolk with 100. Here’s a quote from Tony Parrow on how he made a goal of increasing the hotel’s total reviews:

“Back in March, we set an aggressive goal of not only be-ing number one in Norfolk, but also having 100 reviews by the end of the year. With only 35 reviews after being open for 9 years, everyone at the hotel thought I was crazy (myself included). After completing the long journey to #1 and staying there, the end of the year was approaching quick and we had a ways to go. With a strong December, we were able to get our 100th review on December 12th. Thank you team Courtyard!”

NEWS & VIEWS . LTD MANAGEMENT COMPANY’S NEWSLETTER . JANUARY 2012 13

SALES HIGHLIGHTS

2011 SALES STARS

2011 SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

LUCY RAYMONDALOFT BOLINGBROOK

Lucy has been the driving force behind the aggressive sales culture at the aloft Bolingbrook. Her positive attitude and professionalism has proved to be invaluable as she creates new relationships with local clients. She is an active member of the Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce. Lucy leads by example, creating and implementing a hotel wide “sales lead” program helps drive the sales culture at the front desk. Lucy has actively participated in the referral program successfully employee referring a Chief Engineer (aloft Bolingbrook) and a Director of Sales (aloft Chesapeake).

2011 SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR WINNER

DAWN ANDERSONRESIDENCE INN & COURTYARD DOWNTOWN NORFOLKDawn has held numerous positions in sales over her tenure with the company and now oversees the sales efforts for the Downtown Residence Inn & Courtyard by Marriott. Her “spirit to serve” each & every customer she comes in contact with exudes from her voice, body language and actions. NO job or task is beneath her and she is always willing to roll up her sleeves to help our guests, staff & the company as a whole. She has clients for LIFE because of her prompt & caring response to their needs. There are count-less written and verbal testimonials expressing Dawn’s passion for her work, the company and her “above & beyond” actions to satisfy guests and clients. She has mentored and trained countless associates at many levels both in sales and operations.

2011 SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

ROBYN FULLERHAMPTON INN CHESAPEAKE

Robyn joined the Chesapeake sales team earlier this year by taking on the challenge of driving sales to a very volatile Western Branch/ Suffolk market. He is able to deliver consistent perfor-mance from actively prospecting for new clients to personally managing property level guest recognition programs. He has aggressively imple-mented sales strategies by cultivating partnerships and has uncovered key long-term, high valued project teams for the property. He has also coordinated efforts with the Downtown Norfolk cluster and their combined work uncovered a ship alteration project that produced almost 800 new long term stay rooms for the Hampton Inn.

CHESAPEAKE Acheived over 18,220 room nights and 1.3 million in revenues over budgeted goals

NORFOLK Producted close to 18,185 room nights and 1.6 million in revenues over goal.

PENINSULA Achieved 6,340 room nights and 280,000 in revenues over budgeted goals

2011 SALES REGION SUCCESSES YTD THROUGH NOVEMBER 2011


BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

Did you know our Non-Exempt PTO Policy has changed? The policy for Hotel Non-Exempt was, you have to work 6 consecutive months at full time in order to earn any PTO. If you missed it by one week, you would have to start all over again. We have several employees who have been with us for over a year and still had not earned PTO. How frustrating that must have been for the employee and how unfair this policy was. Not to mention that if you did earn PTO but could not take them, when your anniversary date rolled around, you lost them. It was use it or lose it.

With the new Policy set in place as of November 21, 2011, all Non-Exempt employees are earning a portion of their PTO per every hour they work. No more use it or lose it. Once an employee reaches the limit they can earn, they just will not earn any more PTO until they start taking time off. The employees now can enjoy the benefits of taking time off with pay, getting paid if they had to call out sick or go home sick. For all employees who have been with us prior to the new policy, we grandfathered hours in so they could wreak the benefits of using their earned PTO.

THE PTO POLICIES HAVE CHANGED

LTD’S COMMUNITY SERVICE2011 PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ASSOCIATES SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES

A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE HOTELS, DEPARTMENTS AND ASSOCIATES FOR SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY

NEWS & VIEWS . LTD HOSPITALITY GROUP’S NEWSLETTER .JANUARY 2012

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A 529 college savings plan allows earnings to grow tax-free, and withdrawals for a beneficiary’s qualified higher education expenses are free from federal tax. CollegeAmerica, a 529 college savings plan sponsored by Virginia Col-lege Savings Plan, features 23 of the American Funds and is available

nationwide.

BENEFITS OF USING A 529 PLAN

• Earnings in the account can grow free from federal and state taxes, and withdrawals are free from federal tax if used for quali-fied higher education expenses.

• Assets may be used for higher education, including undergradu-ate and graduate school, community college and technical and professional training. Tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and certain other fees and expenses are all qualified higher education expenses.

• You can contribute up to $13,000 a year ($26,000 for married couples) without gift-tax consequences. Or you may invest $65,000 ($130,000 for married couples) at one time by acceler-ating five years’ worth of investments.

• There are no income limits, so 529 accounts are available to people of all income levels.

• You can save for anyone — your child, your grandchild, a niece or nephew or a friend. You can even open an account to pay for your own higher education needs. You may also change the beneficiary to another member of the beneficiary’s family. And assets can be transferred — in whole or in part — among the 529 accounts of different family members.

• You control the assets, so you decide on the amount and timing of withdrawals. You can change the investment mix once a year and when you change the beneficiary.

COLLEGEAMERICA’S UNIQUE FEATURES

• You can invest in a range of the American Funds — 23 in all. You may choose one fund or work with your financial adviser to design a portfolio of American Funds that fits your financial plan. Only CollegeAmerica offers a range of the American Funds.

• Portfolios customizable to your goals. CollegeAmerica allows you to choose a combination of funds that best fits your situ-ation. As the beneficiary gets closer to college, you and your financial adviser can revise your investment mix once a year to fit your changed time horizon. You can also change the asset mix if you change beneficiaries.

• You can invest until the value of your account reaches$350,000. Account value is calculated per beneficiary and includes assets in all plans administered by Virginia CollegeSavings Plan, including CollegeAmerica, College Wealth,®Virginia Education Savings TrustSM and Virginia Prepaid Education Program.SM

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT 529 SAVINGS PLANS

• CollegeAmerica is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

• If you withdraw money from a 529 college savings plan for pur-poses other than higher education, your earnings will be subject to federal income tax and possibly a 10% federal tax penalty.

• Your CollegeAmerica holdings could reduce your beneficiary’s ability to qualify for grants and student loans.

• Some states give taxpayers a deduction or credit on their state tax bills for contributions to 529 savings plans sponsored by their state. Depending on your state of residence, there maybe an in-state plan that provides tax and other benefits not available through CollegeAmerica. Talk to your tax adviser.

TALK TO YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISER ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BEGIN SAVING FOR COLLEGE IN A COLLEGEAMERICA ACCOUNT

WE ARE NOW OFFERING COLLEGE AMERICAA TAX FREE 529 SAVINGS PLAN

The Constant Pursuit to be Better

ltd hospitality group's newsletter january 2012

Documents

tripadvisor hotel

improved hotel

hospitality groups newsletter

i s s i o n

o u r c o r e v

happy new year

revpar penetration

year performance