Pillar's Lone Star State Hotels Shine

IRVING, Texas - April 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Homewood Suites by Hilton honored two hotels managed by Pillar Hotels and Resorts with merit achievement awards at a special award ceremony in Orlando.

The Homewood Suites Arlington, TX  and Homewood Suites Corpus Christi, TX  were both recognized by the brand giant for having the Most Improved Extended Stay Occupancy Percentage and the Most Improved Overall Guest Satisfaction respectively.

General Managers Kyle Johnson and David Weston, along with their Directors of Sales, Selina Darwin and Chelsea Kroll, were flown to Orlando at Hilton's expense, after having been told by brand representatives that they would be honored at the gala event.  None were told for what they would be honored, nor did they find out until the ceremony actually took place.

In the parlance of extended stay hotels, Extended Stay Occupancy (known as ESOCC) is a critical piece of the Homewood Suites business model.  Classified as guests who stay for periods longer than five nights, these guests should account for at least 50% of the hotel's total occupancy, according to the brand's business plan, and are considered the lifeblood of the brand's overall success.  General Manager Kyle Johnson with the Arlington Homewood said, "I am very proud of Selina and our sales team for capturing a staggering 63% ESOCC, which was a remarkable nineteen point increase over last year."

General Manager David Weston with the Corpus Christi Homewood was equally enthusiastic about his team's winning the Most Improved Overall Guest Satisfaction, an important metric for the brand. "The key to success in any hotel is enthusiasm and teamwork.  It is our team members back at the hotel that deserve this award - they earned it, but I am only too happy to take it home to them," he said.

Pillar manages eleven Homewood Suites hotels in its portfolio of 209 properties.  Brandon Cortese, Director of Homewood Suites Brand Performance Support, said, "We're very proud of these hotels' achievements.  They were not easy goals to reach and the brand recognizes each team's hard work to have received this recognition."

Cortese serves as the brand's account manager with Pillar for its Homewood Suites portfolio, and works extensively with the hotels and senior leadership to help drive operating performance.  "We also thank Pillar Hotels for being such a great brand partner with us," he added.

About Pillar Hotels & Resorts

Pillar Hotels & Resorts is one of the largest independent hotel and resort managers in the United States with approximately 209 select-service, extended stay and full service hotels under management across 35 states. Pillar represents 16 well-respected flags, and is one of the largest franchisees of Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt Place and IHG brands. Pillar Hotels & Resorts offers shared services, hotel management, accounting and revenue management services. The company is headquartered in the Las Colinas business suburb of Irving, Texas. Over the past seven years the company has grown from 22 hotels, absorbing six portfolios ranging from 20 to over 160 hotels. Pillar's size, geographical presence, and management experience uniquely positions them to handle transactions of all sizes. For more information, go to www.pillarhotels.com (http://www.pillarhotels.com).

About Homewood Suites

With more than 275 hotels throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Homewood Suites by Hilton has become a first choice for guests seeking comfortable and home-like accommodations when traveling for an extended stay. Homewood offers value-driven features and amenities like separate living and sleeping areas, fully equipped kitchens, complimentary internet, a daily hot breakfast, and healthy, delicious evening meals every Monday-Thursday. The brand is focused on guest satisfaction and stands behind each stay with its 100% Suite Assurance guarantee. For more information, go to www.homewoodsuites.com (http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/en/index.html).