Monthly Archives: March 2018

Former U.S. HUD Secretary Julian Castro to keynote Hispanicize Event

The organizers of Hispanicize Event, the annual Latino trends event for advertising, social media, film and music, announced today that former U.S. HUD Secretary Julián Castro will serve as keynote speaker of its annual Positive Impact Awards program at the 2018 Hispanicize Event taking place in Miami April 17 -19, 2018.

Now in its fifth year, the Positive Impact Awards is the premier VIP gala event during Hispanicize week celebrating community heroes who have done extraordinary work and championed issues in their communities and nationwide.

Through his lifelong commitment to public service, Secretary Julián Castro embodies the spirit of the Positive Impact Awards. As former U.S. HUD Secretary, it was Castro’s mission to ensure that the department offered everyone new opportunities to thrive in their communities, regardless of their social or economic standing. Previously, Castro served as the Mayor of the City of San Antonio, during which he demonstrated his commitment to improving quality of life through the creation and implementation of SA2020, a community-wide visioning effort that sought to improve housing, health, and environment for the residents of San Antonio with the goal of becoming a world class city by the goal date of 2020. Castro also invested in the future of the community through educational programs, including College Cafe, which offers college guidance to San Antonio Students, and expanded the offering of Pre-K education in the city.

All Suites Brands by Hilton Tri-Brand Conference

The three award-winning brands that are part of the All Suites portfolio by Hilton –Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton andHome2 Suites by Hilton – recognized top hotels and team members as best-in-class performers during the recent All Suites hotel leadership conference held in New Orleans. This marked a significant milestone for the All Suites brands by Hilton, as it was their first joint conference since the creation of the category in 2015.

Additionally, as the first in the hotel industry to implement a soap-recycling brand standard through its Clean the World partnership, the All Suites brands hosted the largest kit-building event during the conference. More than 50,000 kits, consisting of recycled soaps and amenities, were packed and will be distributed to local non-profit charities including Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans, Salvation Army, New Orleans Women’s Shelter, New Orleans Mission and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Over 2,200 attendees participated in the All Suites hotel leadership conference. Embassy Suites by Hilton Springfield, Homewood Suites by Hilton North Houston/Spring, and Home2 Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Airport were awarded the prestigious Connie Award as the top performing hotels for their respective brand. The Connie Award, named after Hilton founder Conrad Hilton, is awarded based on three key components: quality assurance audits measuring cleanliness, condition and brand standards; customer satisfaction scores rating staff service; and the quality of the hotel’s physical accommodations. Each winning hotel will receive a monetary award and a recognition trophy to display on property.

General Manager of the Year and Director of Sales of the Year awards were also presented. Nominated by their colleagues, these individuals were recognized for their exceptional leadership and passionate dedication to achieving the highest level of operational excellence. The winners are:

Embassy Suites by Hilton
General Manager of the Year – Marisol Colon, Embassy Suites by Hilton San Juan Hotel & Casino/Embassy Suites by Hilton Dorado del Mar Beach Resort
Director of Sales of the Year – Michael Spilman, Embassy Suites by Hilton Saratoga Springs

Homewood Suites by Hilton
General Manager of the Year – Jennifer Ross, Homewood Suites by Hilton Plano-Richardson
Director of Sales of the Year – Laureen Cooney, Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh/Cary

Home2 Suites by Hilton
General Manager of the Year – David Bohac, Home2 Suites by Hilton Austin North/Near the Domain
Director of the Sales of the Year – Emily Tittle, Home2 Suites by Hilton Austin North/Near the Domain

“Our stellar Team Members go above and beyond to deliver for our guests every day,” said Dianna Vaughan, global head, All Suites brands by Hilton. “These hotels and their staff embody the Hilton vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, and are integral to what has made each of our All Suite brands category leaders.”

With more than 120,000 rooms in its portfolio, the All Suites brands continue to expand their footprint with more than 850 hotels opened domestically and internationally. The brand has 192 owners who have two or more All Suites brands in their portfolio, compared to 118 when the category was launched.

Other top brand recognition awards included Top New Hotel Performance, Excellence in Sales Leadership Award, and Excellence in Operational Leadership. For a complete list of 2017 award winners for each brand, visit the Embassy Suites by Hilton Media Center, Homewood Suites by Hilton Media Center and the Home2 Suites by Hilton Media Center.