Marriott was seeking a partner with the expertise to help design brand-specific quality assurance frameworks for all of their brands and deploy them consistently throughout the world.   LRA was selected for the project after an extensive RFP process based on its experience with multi-brand, global hospitality clients and its ability to add value throughout the lifecycle of a quality assurance engagement, from design to field work to portfolio analysis.  

LRA worked closely with the Marriott global Lodging Quality Assurance team to develop a distinctive, branded QA audit for each Marriott brand, with a common underlying process to unite them across service sector and region.

“The quality assurance landscape is changing,” explained John Roberto, Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance & Mystery Shopping at LRA. “The ability to gather data on the functional and emotional elements of the hotel product, facility and service experience – and to do so consistently across a wide geographic footprint – has become mission critical for global hospitality companies.”

LRA provides quality assurance and guest experience measurement services to many of the leading global hotel companies, as well as many smaller lodging companies.  In all, LRA’s Quality Assurance group will conduct nearly 20,000 audits in 2012, along with another 7,000 conventional “mystery shopping” evaluations.   In addition to its work with other lodging clients, LRA provides QA and customer experience research services to industry leaders in Hospitality, Gaming, Sports & Entertainment, Senior Living, Homebuilding, Retail and Travel & Transportation. 

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability. We have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so.  

Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, servicing our clients from offices and resources in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific regions and helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, the National Football League, Avis Budget Group, Madison Square Garden, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.

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Green Key, which is the world’s largest green hotel certification programs with more than 2,700 member hotels, provides Sabre with its list of Green Key member hotels who have earned a 3-Key Rating or higher for participation in the program and the Eco Certified designation. These hotels are then included in Sabre platforms, including:

• Sabre Red Workspace, where nearly 200,000 users can shop and book eco-certified hotels using current amenity search functionality that includes an easy-to-spot icon and a unique amenity code;
• Sabre’s Hotel RFP tool, where nearly 2,000 corporate and agency customers are able to specify eco-certified hotels during the RFP process;
• Travelocity Business, which designates eco-certified hotels to help agents and travelers shop and book participating hotels; and
• Travelocity, the only Online Travel Agency to flag green hotels directly in the main shopping path and provide a “search by” feature.

The Sabre Eco-Certified Hotel Program is a natural extension of the company’s leadership in sustainable travel; Travelocity, a Sabre subsidiary, has offered a Green Hotel Directory since 2009.  Green Key has contributed to the directory since its inception.

“Green Key was one of the original partners in Travelocity’s Green Hotel program and we are pleased to have them as a partner for the expanded Sabre program,” explained Leilani Latimer, Director of Sustainability Initiatives for Sabre Holdings. “Green Key is well recognized in the industry and is engaged with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to align their program with the GSTC criteria; the framework for our program.”

The Green Key Eco-Rating program ranks, certifies and inspects hotels based on their commitment to sustainable operations and practices.  The program consists of a 160-question self-assessment that results in a ranking of 1-5 keys, as well as on-site inspections. In addition, members receive comprehensive performance reports, a membership plaque, access to exclusive member resources, listing on the www.greenkeyglobal.com website and exposure via Green Key’s network of marketing partners, including Travelocity and Sabre.  In addition, Green Key is the preferred green certification partner of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA).

For more information on Green Key or to register your property now, visit www.greenkeyglobal.com, call +1.888.752.7061 or email info@greenkeyglobal.com.

About Sabre Holdings: Sabre Holdings is a global travel technology company, serving the world’s largest industry – travel and tourism.  We provide software to travel agencies, corporations, travelers, airlines, hotels, car, rail, cruise and tour operator companies through our four businesses: Sabre Airline Solutions, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Sabre Travel Network and Travelocity (including lastminute.com and Zuji).

By delivering innovative travel technology, we make the world a better place. Our innovative technology is used by more than a billion people around the world to plan, book and get to their destination at a time and price that's right for them. We work behind the scenes to make the world a better place, one journey at a time.

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, Sabre has approximately 10,000 employees in 60 countries around the world. It has large development and customer care centers in the United States, Argentina, India, Philippines, Poland and Uruguay.  Sabre has won numerous awards for being a top employer and corporate citizen in Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, Peru, Poland, and the United States. Sabre is privately owned by Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Silver Lake Partners.

About Green Key Global: The Green Key Eco-Rating Program, administered by Green Key Global, is the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts in North America based on their commitment to sustainable “green” operations. The program was originally developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering firm.  Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental self assessment that will allow each participating property to benefit on several fronts – cost savings, increased bookings from environmentally conscious consumers and meeting planners and responsible corporate citizenry.   In the United States Green Key is a joint partnership between the Hotel Association of Canada and LRA Worldwide, Inc.; for more information, visit www.GreenKeyGlobal.com.

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Launched in the 4th Quarter of 2010, Competitive Competencies was designed to provide hotel brands with fresh benchmarking data on the functional and emotional elements of the hotel guest experience, based on the data gathering and observations of LRA’s corps of 150-plus professional hospitality consultants.  Given LRA’s penetration in the industry, LRA is able to present pooled data to clients by a relevant competitive set by market segment, hotel type and region.

“Our point of view is that traditional approaches to benchmarking have lacked actionable insights and real relevance to the guest experience,” said John Roberto, Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance & Mystery Shopping at LRA.  “Competitive Competencies was designed to capitalize on the expertise of our consultants and provide up-to-date insights into industry best practices and standards, both on a functional and emotional level. For LRA clients, the Competitive Competencies process answers the question ‘how is my brand performing against its competitive set based on what’s meaningful to hotel guests today?’”

“Client interest in Competitive Competencies data has been very strong,” said Rob Rush, LRA’s CEO.  “We’ve even had a number of non-clients inquire about Competitive Competencies reporting, but at this point it is only available to our existing clients as a means to provide additional value to the overall insights we provide on their guest experience and brand performance.”

Competitive Competencies data is gathered by LRA’s Quality Assurance practice, which will conduct upwards of 20,000 hotel audits in 120 countries in 2012.  In all, LRA works with seven of the top 10 global hotel companies in the world, as well as many regional companies.

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotels Group deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com .

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The quarterly survey will not only help Vintage Senior Living gauge resident and family member satisfaction, but also prioritize improvement efforts based on what is most important to those stakeholder groups.  The program will touch Vintage Senior Living residents and family members across the company’s full continuum of care – senior living, assisted living and memory care for Alzheimer’s and other dementia. LRA, which is a leader in the field of Customer Experience Management (CEM), will provide the ongoing analysis of the survey results.

“Our goal is to build a strong, lasting relationship with every resident who entrusts us with their care,” explained Gabrielle Windsor, the Service Excellence research champion for Vintage Senior Living. “LRA’s approach helps us understand the dynamics behind creating those lasting relationships with residents and their families, as well as what makes them tell their friends.”

In addition to the resident and family member survey, LRA is assisting Vintage Senior Living with primary research on several additional components of the “resident experience,” including the sales and move-in processes.  LRA will also conduct an employee engagement study in order to help Vintage Senior Living further align its employees with their Service Excellence culture.

“The Vintage Senior Living research program is designed to reveal insights into what experiences create a lasting bond between a resident, their family members and the community,” said Mike Phillips, Senior Vice President of Research for LRA. “The goal is to provide an understanding of those experiences so they can be replicated on a resident by resident, community by community basis.”

Phillips and LRA’s research practice will oversee the Vintage Senior Living program.  In addition to its work with Vintage, LRA has developed research instruments designed to measure and enhance the customer experience in industries as diverse as healthcare (Sunrise Senior Living, ARAMARK Healthcare), sports (International Speedway Corp., National Football League), skiing (Stowe Mountain Resort), entertainment (Live Nation, The Grand Opera) financial services (Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, UPS Capital), timeshare (Hyatt Vacation Clubs), gaming (The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Station Casinos) and hospitality (Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group), among others.

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:

LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.

About Vintage Senior Living:
Vintage Senior Living is a family of retirement communities. Established in 1998, Vintage Senior Living offers a vibrant senior living lifestyle specializing in independent senior living, assisted living and memory care services for Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Its mission is to help residents thrive in mind, body and spirit through the dedication of its staff and the excellence of its programs. Vintage Senior Living operates a total of 23 communities with 22 throughout California in addition to its retirement community in Tacoma, Wash. For more information, visit www.vintagesenior.com, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.

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Rush’s seminar topic is titled “Building LRA – the Journey,” and will focus on the challenges of building a company that services a unique niche of the hospitality industry.  LRA Worldwide is the leading provider of Quality Assurance Evaluations and Brand Assurance Audits for the global hospitality industry, and also provides a variety of additional “guest experience” measurement and improvement offerings in hospitality and beyond.  Clients include such industry leaders as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotels Group; outside of hospitality, LRA counts the National Football League, International Speedway Corporation, Sunrise Senior Living and The San Diego Zoo as clients.

“Rob’s perspective on the hospitality industry – as well as his insights into travel, sports, entertainment and more - will provide the seminar series with a valuable point of view,” explained Dr. John O’Neill, Director of the Penn State University School of Hospitality Management. “Building a company from the ground up and managing its steady growth through some historically turbulent times in the industry is a compelling story and one that will complement our previous subjects nicely.”

Rush is the latest in a list of prominent industry professionals to address the class, which offers students the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and ask questions in a focused yet intimate setting.  Those preceding Rush include Steve Rushmore (President & Founder, HVS Hospitality Services), Bob DeSalvio (President, Sands Bethlehem Casino & Hotel) and Brian Sparacino (SVP, Sales & Marketing, Interstate Hotels & Resorts).

“I appreciate the opportunity afforded me by Dr. O’Neill to interact with the best and the brightest of the next generation of hospitality industry professionals,” said Rush.  “It’s personally rewarding for me to share the LRA journey and the students benefit by learning about a non-traditional career path within the industry.”

About the Penn State School of Hospitality Management:
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management is home to the third-oldest hotel, restaurant and institutional management program in the United States. From its humble beginnings in 1937, the program has grown to the point where it is now recognized as one of the most respected and distinguished hospitality management programs in the nation.  By combining a broad educational foundation with specific courses designed to build strong leadership, business and communication skills – and by requiring undergraduate students to accumulate 1,000 hours of “real-world” experience in order to graduate – students gain the theoretical, managerial, quantitative, organizational and technical skills they need to become the next generation of leaders in the hospitality industry. The students’ relationships with faculty (many who have extensive experience in and conduct research for the industry) and alumni (including many who are top executives in their chosen professions) only serve to bolster this learning experience. Penn State’s program currently enrolls more than 700 students.

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and InterContinental Hotels Group deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.

Orlando, FL/Horsham, PA; November 1, 2011 –  Green Key Global, the leading green hotel certification program in the world, was invited to participate in the 3rd Annual Green Lodging & Hospitality Conference in Orlando, FL next week.   Tony Pollard, Managing Director of Green Key, will contribute to a panel discussion titled “The World of Sustainable Hospitality Certification.”

The conference, which is being hosted by the TREEO Center of the University of Florida, runs from November 7-9 at the Doubletree Hotel Orlando.  Pollard’s panel session will take place on Wednesday, November 9 at 9:45 AM.   Kelly Brinker, an Associate Professor at the University of Utah and Chairman of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, will moderate the panel. In addition to Pollard, the group includes the following experts in sustainable lodging:

• Fredik M. Realbutto, Director, Audubon GreenLeaf Program, Audubon International
• Cerise Bridges, Certification Specialist, Green Seal
• Ray Burger, CHA MHS, Pineapple Hospitality, EcoRooms & EcoSuites
• Dr. David W. Randel, Lead Advisor in Florida, Sustainable Travel International
• Mike Hess, P.E., LEED AP, USGBC's LEED exp. U.S. Services Inc.

“With more than 2,700 hotel members, Green Key is clearly one of the most prominent green hotel certification programs in the world,” said Peter Goren, President of the American Green Lodging & Hospitality Association and one of the conference sponsors.  “We couldn’t very well have a panel discussion on green hotel certification without input from the market leader.”

The conference covers a variety of topics germane to operating a sustainable hotel property or destination, from the initial certification effort through the day-to-day challenges of decreasing one’s environmental footprint. Given the Green Key Eco-Rating Program’s focus on hotel operations, the conference organizers sought Green Key member hotels to present at the conference as well. Mary McCarthy, Director of Engineering for the InterContinental Hotel – Tampa (4 Keys) is featured in the first breakout session of the conference on November 8th, presenting “Going Green, It’s Easier than You Think.”

“We’re honored to have been asked to participate in this conference,” said Tony Pollard, Managing Director for Green Key Global.  “As one of the largest industries worldwide, lodging has a unique opportunity to be a leader in sustainability initiatives while educating and influencing governments, big business and consumers in the process.”

The Green Key Eco-Rating program ranks, certifies and inspects hotels based on their commitment to sustainable operations and practices.  The program consists of a 160-question self-assesment that results in a ranking of 1-5 keys, as well as on-site inspections. In addition, members receive comprehensive performance reports, a membership plaque, access to exclusive member resources, listing on the www.greenkeyglobal.com website and exposure via Green Key’s network of marketing partners, including AAA, Travelocity and Expedia.  In addition, Green Key is the preferred green certification partner of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA).

There is still time to register for the 3rd Annual Green Lodging & Hospitality Conference. For more information on Green Key, visit www.greenkeyglobal.com, call +1.888.752.7061 or email info@greenkeyglobal.com.

About Green Key: The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts in North America based on their commitment to sustainable “green” operations. The program was originally developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering firm.  Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental audit that will allow each participating property to benefit on several fronts – cost savings, increased bookings from environmentally conscious consumers and meeting planners and responsible corporate citizenry.   In the United States Green Key is a joint partnership between the Hotel Association of Canada and LRA Worldwide, Inc.; for more information, visit www.GreenKeyGlobal.com.

HORSHAM, Pennsylvania; October 20, 2011 –  1to1 Magazine, one of the leading online publications covering the “customer experience” industry, recently announced its 2011 Customer Champions, a designation bestowed on the most customer-focused executives across a range of industries.  Among those honored were two clients of LRA Worldwide, Inc., a leading consulting and research firm in the field of Customer Experience Management (CEM).

Mike Colbourn, Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Communications for Stowe Mountain Resort and Roger Curtis, President of Michigan International Speedway (MIS), were both announced as winners yesterday at the Customer Experience Professionals Association Members Insight Exchange in Boston, MA.  Colbourn and Curtis were selected from a pool of nearly 50 nominees, and joined the seventh class of Customer Champions selected by 1to1 since 2005. 

“Selecting the 1to1 Customer Champions each year is a challenge and a privilege,” said Ginger Conlon, Editorial Director of 1to1 Media. “All of the nominees are championing the customer cause in their organization and making an impact on the bottom line. The winners stand out for both their efforts and their results.

“For instance, Mike Colbourn stood out for his creative approach to gathering customer insight and using it to not only improve the overall customer experience, but also to surprise and delight individual customers. Similarly, Roger Curtis not only launched an extensive voice of the customer strategy, but also immerses himself in the customer experience to better see the customer’s point of view when making strategic decisions.”

Colbourn was recognized for his role in helping Stowe transition from a traditional New England ski area to a luxury, five-star resort, while ensuring they meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base.   Curtis was lauded for his leadership in taking a corporate voice-of-customer program and activating it at the Michigan racetrack with a number of hands-on, local innovations to engage race fans and employees alike.

“At MIS, all of the team loves to gather insight on our guests to help us identify improvements that the fans will appreciate most, as well as help to create lasting memories that will keep fans loyal,” Curtis said. “It’s part of a culture that we have built here because we are race fans too. So I share this recognition, not only with my team, but with all our guests because they are always so willing to give us feedback to help us improve our facility.”

“Nothing happens in business until the customer makes a purchase,” Colbourn said.  “Effective listening and swiftly reacting to that customer voice is, in my opinion, the difference between good and great. We appreciate the assistance LRA provides in enabling both our ‘listening’ and ‘reacting’ and we’re gratified by 1to1’s recognition of our work in this area.”

LRA works with leading companies and brands in hospitality, travel, sports and entertainment, among other industries, helping them to measure and enhance the customer experience via a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions.  LRA has worked with both Stowe and MIS' parent company, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), for a number of years, helping them both turn customer insights into actionable customer-focused initiatives. Colbourn and Curtis are the 2nd and 3rd LRA clients to be recognized as Customer Champions, joining Liliahn Johnson from the National Basketball Association, who was a member of the class of 2008.

“Any of our success stories start with a client that is fully committed to its customers,” said Rob Rush, CEO of LRA Worldwide, Inc. “We’re proud of the role we have played in their efforts, but really this recognition is a testament to the focus on customer experience of both Stowe and ISC organizationally, and Mike and Roger individually.”    

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, the PGA TOUR, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Ritz-Carlton Clubs deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.lraworldwide.com.

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The Kimpton portfolio fared well in the certification process, with seven hotels earning the maximum 5-Key designation, representing “a hotel that exemplifies the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility throughout all areas of operations.” Those recognized include:

• 70 Park Avenue Hotel (New York, NY)
• Onyx Hotel (Boston, MA)
• Muse New York (New York, NY)
• Hotel Vintage Park (Seattle, WA)
• Hotel Solamar (San Diego, CA)
• Hotel Monaco Alexandria (Alexandria, VA)
• Hotel Helix (Washington, DC)

Kimpton, which perpetuates sustainable lodging practices through its EarthCare initiative, has been a leader in sustainable lodging since its renovation of the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco in 1985. EarthCare became mandatory for all Kimpton properties in 2005, when the concept of “green” lodging and certification was still in its infancy.

“We are very pleased that Kimpton has made this commitment to further their sustainability efforts,” said Tony Pollard, Managing Director for Green Key Global.  “We are confident that their participation will only serve to strengthen the company’s own highly-regarded EarthCare initiative.” 

The Green Key Eco-Rating program, which ranks, certifies and inspects hotels based on their commitment to sustainable operations and practices, is a comprehensive 160-question self assessment that covers a broad range of operational areas and sustainable practices. Upon completion, the answers are tabulated and the property is awarded a ranking of 1 to 5 Keys and a corresponding display plaque, as well as a comprehensive performance report that includes recommendations, best practices and potential areas for improvement and savings.  Participating properties are listed on the www.greenkeyglobal.com website, a valuable resource for environmentally conscious travelers and meeting planners, and also are recognized through Green Key Global’s network of marketing partners including AAA, Travelocity and Expedia, among others. The Green Key process also includes random, on-site verification inspections of audit results.

For more information on Green Key or to register your property now, visit www.greenkeyglobal.com, call +1.888.752.7061 or email info@greenkeyglobal.com.

About Green Key Global: The Green Key Eco-Rating Program, administered by Green Key Global, is the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts in North America based on their commitment to sustainable “green” operations. The program was originally developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering firm.  Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental self assessment that will allow each participating property to benefit on several fronts – cost savings, increased bookings from environmentally conscious consumers and meeting planners and responsible corporate citizenry.   In the United States Green Key is a joint partnership between the Hotel Association of Canada and LRA Worldwide, Inc.; for more information, visit www.GreenKeyGlobal.com.

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The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts based on their commitment to sustainable “green” practices.  The certification process consists of a comprehensive 150-question online self-assessment regarding corporate environmental strategy, housekeeping and engineering. The Green Key certification process also includes:

• Being ranked 1 to 5 Keys based on responses to audit questions
• Receipt of a performance report with recommendations, best practices and potential areas for improvement and savings
• Listing on the www.greenkeyglobal.com Web site, a valuable resource for environmentally-conscious travelers
• Access to online member resources and tools
• On-site verification of self-audit responses by Green Key auditors

To actively engage all general managers, the Motel 6/Studio 6 energy team developed an interactive online training course outlining the Green Key process and its importance at both a property and corporate level. This preparation meant general managers were equipped with the knowledge and insight to more effectively complete the Green Key self-assessment as part of the certification process.”

“This approach proved to be very useful, as it made the certification process fairly seamless for the managers,” said Renee Swoger, director of energy & environment services for Accor NA. “As travelers are becoming savvier about choosing brands based on their environmental policies, Green Key certification is a great tool to help us educate our guests about our commitment to sustainability and efficient use of our resources.”

Each Motel 6 and Studio 6 location will soon display a plaque in the lobby indicating the hotel’s level of Green Key certification (one to five keys). Motel 6 and Studio 6 benefit from the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) partnership with Green Key, which offers members a significant discounted fee on the rating process.   

Originally developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering firm, the Green Key program focuses on sound sustainable practices, specifically in the lodging industry. By making this network-wide commitment to certifying 100 percent of their properties, Motel 6 and Studio 6 further expands the brands’ numerous eco-friendly endeavors.

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About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Ritz-Carlton Clubs deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.

Regal currently operates 12 hotels, split equally between Hong Kong and mainland China. With another 10 properties in the pipeline, Regal felt compelled to ensure the special brand of service that Regal guests currently experience was formally documented in order to support the growth of the brand.  Now every Regal property currently in the portfolio and each new opening will have access to a robust set of “Regal Connection” tools to make sure associates understand the service model and how to deliver consistently, no matter their role at the hotel.

“There’s a compelling need as we grow to develop a tool to guarantee a memorable experience for our guests, who have been extremely loyal and supportive to Regal,” said Albert Leung, Vice President - Rooms and F&B, and the project leader of Regal Connection. “Working with LRA has been a gift with their professionalism and wealth of experience in service culture and training. The development of Regal Connection involved a lot of hard work and LRA has helped make it much easier.”

LRA has worked on a variety of projects of this nature, helping clients first define the elements of a branded guest experience and then translate that vision into a working, operational reality.  Most engagements have been within the hospitality industry with companies such as Wyndham Hotel Group Meliá Hotels International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, but LRA has also worked with leaders in food service (ARAMARK Corporation), travel (NetJets), homebuilding (WCI Communities), entertainment (Madison Square Garden) and sports (Churchill Downs Incorporated) on similar initiatives.

“Regal has embraced the program culturally and operationally,” said Rob Rush, CEO for LRA Worldwide. “Regal Connection really captures the spirit of Regal hospitality and effectively documents its delivery for each Regal property in the future.  Regal realized what every growing hospitality company must – the guest experience you might intuitively deliver when you are a small company needs to be formalized in some way as you grow.”

Regal Connection was officially launched in June of 2011, with a presentation to 120 Regal executives and managers at the Regal Hong Kong Hotel, and was subsequently rolled out to the six properties in Hong Kong with LRA support.  It will extend to the mainland Chinese properties in Shanghai, Chengdu and Shandong.  LRA will support the initiative with a comprehensive mystery shopping program designed to measure the effective delivery of the “Regal Connection” beginning in early 2012.

About Regal Hotels International:
Regal Hotels International, registered and listed in Hong Kong in 1979 and 1980 respectively, is a member of the Century City Group. Regal Hotels Group is one of the largest hotel operators in Hong Kong with over 8,000 rooms and more than 90 restaurants and bars under its portfolio. The group manages the following hotels:

Hong Kong –
1.   Regal Airport Hotel
2.   Regal Hongkong Hotel
3.   Regal Kowloon Hotel
4.   Regal Oriental Hotel
5.   Regal Riverside Hotel
6.   Regal iClub Hotel

Chengdu
7.   Regal Master Hotel
8.   Regal Xindu Hotel (2013)

Dezhou – 
9.   Regal Kangbo Hotel 

Foshan  –
10.   Regal Financial Center Hotel (2013)

Kunshan
11.   Regal Royale Hotel (2013)

Shanghai –
12.   Regal International East Asia Hotel
13.   Regal Jinfeng Hotel
14.   Regal Plaza Hotel & Residence
15.   Regal Shanghai East Asia Hotel

Suzhou –
16.   Regal Fanhua Center Hotel (2013)

Wuhan -
17. Regal Hotel (2014)

Zhengzhou –
18.  Regal Yuhong Hotel (2012)

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Ritz-Carlton Clubs deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.

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