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October 7, 2015

New Guest Service Gold®: Golden Opportunities Program Expands AHLEI’s Guest Service Training Options

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has introduced a new Guest Service Gold® training program that offers seven NEW elements to inspire and motivate hospitality professionals. Guest Service Gold®: Golden Opportunities prepares individuals for the Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP®) certification exam. Organizations can also use the original Guest Service Gold® (now renamed Guest Service Gold®: Making Connections) to prepare employees for professional certification. The program, which is available in print and online formats, focuses on the following elements: • Recovery: Turn it Around!• Personalization: Provide an Individualized Experience!• Knowledge: Be in the Know!• Passion: Inspire Others! • Commitment: Be All In!• Inclusion: Include Everyone!• Personality: Be Yourself!These segments can be viewed individually to emphasize or strengthen particular service issues, or presented together as one comprehensive program. A trainer's guide covering additional topics, procedures, discussions and exercises enhances the program and allows for customization by property or organization. Guest Service Gold®: Golden Opportunities can be delivered in two hours in a group setting or as individual training. Program components include: • DVD (22 minutes total running time) • Pre-shift lesson plans • One Trainer's Guide (plus access to an online Instructor Portal) • One Participant Workbook (additional workbooks may be purchased separately).

Educational Institute

October 7, 2015

Kennedy Training Network Announces Its First eLearning Course On New LearnerNation Platform

KTN announced today a marketing alliance partnership with LearnerNation, a performance management system used by over 250,000 individuals in 2,300 organizations including Fortune 500's such as MasterCard, LG, Liberty Mutual, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and luxury brands such as Cartier and Celebrity Cruise Lines. KTN will help promote the LearnerNation platform to its hospitality industry client companies and brands.

Kennedy Training Network (KTN)

September 28, 2015

NAVIS Wins Coveted Top Workplace Award for 4th Consecutive Year

Can you name one of the best companies to work for in Oregon? The Oregonian just did! Today NAVIS, the leader in resort, hotel, and vacation rental integrated sales and marketing solutions, announced that the company was named one of 2015 "Top Workplaces" by The Oregonian/Oregonlive. This is the fourth consecutive year that NAVIS, under the corporate name Buehner-Fry Inc., has received this award, proving the exceptional and innovative workplace it offers.

Oregon, United States

September 22, 2015

SiteMinder Appoints Global Head Of Sales To Drive Expansion Into New Hotel Markets

The global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, is pleased today to announce it has appointed Kevin O'Rourke as its new executive vice president of global sales. The appointment, which reinforces SiteMinder's commitment to growing its already-19,000-strong global customer base, will see Mr O'Rourke responsible for driving the sales behind the company's go-to-market strategy as well as its expansion into new markets.

September 15, 2015

TSA Solutions Expands in North America

TSA Solutions, the worldwide leader in hotel upselling solutions, announced its expansion in North America, adding executives with a total of more than 40 years hospitality experience to expand the business and manage key accounts across the United States and Canada.

September 2, 2015

Pacifica Hotels Chooses AHLEI for Online Training

Pacifica Hotels, the largest owner and operator of independent hotels along the California Coast, has signed an agreement with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) to provide its employees access to a variety of online learning resources through CourseLine®, AHLEI's eLearning platform. Through CourseLine®, Pacifica Hotels team members are able to access a variety of training programs, including Guest Service Gold®, Supervisory Skill Builders, START for Individual Positions, Eye on Awareness®, and 20 CyberCinema® videos in English and Spanish. Many of the training programs lead to professional certification. "AHLEI's online training programs are hospitality-specific and cover the fundamentals that are critical to our business," said Alie Gaffan, CHT, Pacifica Hotels' Director of Training and Development. "The online training courses complement Pacifica Hotels' existing programs and standards." Gaffan explained that Pacifica Hotels customizes and individualizes training plans to set team members up for success. She singled out AHLEI's Eye on Awareness® hotel security training as an ideal reinforcement to Pacifica's strong safety culture. "We provide access to the online training at each property, and the online portal serves as a great tool to monitor team member progress," she said. Initial feedback from employees has been positive. Gaffan noted that many Pacifica Hotels team members have earned professional certifications through AHLEI, and the online learning package provides several opportunities to prepare them for additional certifications. "We'll continue to provide a training path that assists our team in growing and developing the skills needed to earn these distinct designations." For more information about training and professional development resources from AHLEI, visit www.ahlei.org or call 1.800.349.0299 or +1.407.999.8100.

Educational Institute

California, United Kingdom

August 31, 2015

AHLEI and Interstate Hotels & Resorts Announce Launch of Online Training to Raise Human Trafficking Awareness

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and Interstate Hotels & Resorts announce the recent launch of AHLEI's human trafficking awareness training into Interstate's mandatory training curriculum for front-line associates and managers at more than 300 hotels in the U.S. "The Role of Hospitality in Preventing and Reacting to Child Trafficking" is an online program developed in partnership with ECPAT-USA that provides hotel staff and managers with the information they need to identify and respond to crimes of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). "The safety of our guests and associates is always top of mind for Interstate," said Laura FitzRandolph, Interstate's chief human resources officer and assistant general counsel. "This training not only aligns with our core values of acting with integrity and treating others with respect, but also gives those associates and leaders who may be in a position to see potentially illegal trafficking activity the tools they need to respond actively and appropriately to the situation." Interstate is offering the training online through CourseLine®, AHLEI's learning management system, and is also providing a printed version available in English or Spanish to maximize the training reach for all associates. "The Role of Hospitality in Preventing and Reacting to Child Trafficking" was introduced to Interstate properties in late June and training is now included as part of Interstate's new hire orientation. FitzRandolph noted that while mandatory for front-line employees, many general managers and top-level executives have taken the training as well because it is such an important issue. "Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world, and it happens in cities and suburbs all over the United States. If the need arises, we want our associates to be prepared," said FitzRandolph. "It is vitally important for hotel associates both in our US-based hotels and around the globe to be able to recognize and respond to human trafficking."

Educational Institute

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August 14, 2015

AHLEI Adds Kitchen Cook Training and Certification to START Program

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has added training and certification for Kitchen Cook to its START and quickSTART for Individual Positions, which provides flexible training and certification modules in multiple formats to meet the needs of schools, workforce agencies, and properties. START for Individual Positions and quickSTART for Individual Positions provide resources for training new or prospective employees in general hospitality knowledge, soft skills, and position-specific knowledge, combined with the opportunity to earn professional certification. In addition to the Kitchen Cook module, training and certification is available for the following positions: front desk representative, guestroom attendant, restaurant server, and maintenance employee. Position-specific knowledge for Kitchen Cook includes safety guidelines; sanitation rules; culinary terms; standard recipe development; plate presentation; and how to handle special requests, substitutions, and complaints from guests. All of the programs are available in print and online versions, with an instructor's guide and participant study guide, as well as access to the certification exam. The main difference between the START and quickSTART programs is that, for START, job breakdowns are taught in a classroom setting, while for quickSTART, those tasks are taught on the job and validated by a supervisor or trainer. Each of the programs is available in English, Spanish, or Simplified Chinese. For more information, visit www.ahlei.org/start or contact an AHLEI sales manager at 1.800.349.0299 or +1.407.999.8100.

Educational Institute

July 28, 2015

AHLEI Selected to Lead Hospitality Training Project in India

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) in India to train and certify hospitality trainers as part of a country-wide push for career skill development. Tourism and hospitality is one of 29 skill sectors identified by the government of India as a priority area for skill development. According to Dennie Matthews, chief managing officer for AHLEI India, AHLEI has been awarded the project to train and certify thousands of hospitality trainers over the next several years to fulfill the mandate of THSC. AHLEI developed a curriculum for the Certified Skills Trainer program and has already begun implementing the project through a series of three-day training workshops across the country. Matthews noted that to date, AHLEI has trained 164 candidates through 11 workshops, and has many more workshops scheduled through the end of this year. "Integral to the ongoing initiatives to make India a hub of highly valued and productive workers, we are proud of the AHLEI and THSC collaboration, which aims at creating a cadre of specialist trainers who further exercise their expertise in skilling India and making tourism and hospitality a robust Industry," said Praveen Roy, chief executive officer, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council."It is indeed a very prestigious project for AHLEI to be involved in, in the country," said Matthews. "It also goes to show the acceptance of the high quality training materials developed by AHLEI and that our certifications are valued much in India."

Educational Institute

July 2, 2015

Marriott International China Recognizes AHLEI’s Professional Certification for High School Hospitality Program Graduates

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and Marriott International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) whereby Marriott International China will formally recognize AHLEI's Certified Hospitality and Tourism Management Professional (CHTMP) designation awarded to students who successfully complete the requirements of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP), AHLEI's high school hospitality curriculum. The signing ceremony was held at the JW Marriott Hotel, Shanghai Changfeng Park. Bill Lu, senior director of talent acquisition, Asia Pacific, signed on behalf of Marriott International, while Leon Shi, CHE, country manager of operations for Greater China, signed on behalf of AHLEI. The signing was witnessed by representatives from AHLEI's China partners and several human resource executives from various properties. Through this agreement, Marriott International China will prioritize internships and hiring opportunities to individuals holding the CHTMP certification from AHLEI and will give preferential opportunities for promotion within the organization. To qualify for the recognition, the HTMP course must be delivered by instructors who are certified by AHLEI as Certified Hospitality Instructors (CHI) and the exam must be proctored by AHLEI's provincial partners in China. "Marriott International is glad to have more cooperation with AHLEI in China, just as Marriott International and AHLEI already have long-term cooperation in the USA," said Lu. "AHLEI is honored to cooperate with Marriott International as a remarkable leader in the industry. Through working with Marriott associates, I am deeply impressed by Marriott's commitment to developing people, which is what AHLEI and Marriott have in common," said Shi. "We appreciate Marriott's support in recognizing the CHTMP. AHLEI will continue our endeavor of helping the industry in pursuing hospitality education excellence."

Educational Institute

May 11, 2015

Novility to launch revolutionary hospitality training at HITEC 2015

Novility, a hospitality technology start-up based in the Netherlands, is announcing the launch of its first product Novility HELP at HITEC this year. With the brightest professionals and key industry decision-makers attending the world's largest hospitality technology show, HITEC is the ideal occasion to introduce Novility's new approach to training that will increase employee value and take hotel guest service to the next level.

April 23, 2015

Newport Hospitality Group Chooses AHLEI for Online Training

Newport Hospitality Group, which operates more than 30 properties in the eastern United States, has signed a two-year agreement with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) to provide its employees with access to a variety of online learning resources through CourseLine®, AHLEI's eLearning platform.

Educational Institute

April 20, 2015

Royal Orchid Hotels Adopt quickSTART Training from AHLEI

Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd is a rapidly growing hotel chain, which owns and manages 30 business and leisure hotels in 20 different locations in India and Africa. The group also operates the Presidency College of Hotel Management in India (Bangalore), which provides easy access to a ready pool of trained talent for keeping pace with the growing needs of the hospitality industry in India. Through the Presidency College of Hotel Management, the group has adopted the quickSTART line-level training and professional certification program from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). Royal Orchid Hotels will be using the programs to train and certify associates and aspiring students at the bottom of the pyramid. Royal Orchid Hotel Group was founded in 2001 by managing director and CEO Mr. Chender Baljee. The Presidency College of Hotel Management, which is also his brainchild, will be instrumental in monitoring and conducting the START and quickSTART program. With diverse social problems in India, Baljee formed the Baljee Foundation as part of a CSR initiative and established it in the year 2007. The foundation aims at empowering those in marginalized segments of the society, including girls, who cannot complete their education because of lack of funds and give them courage to move forward in their careers with the help of the START and quickSTART program. There is no obligation on the part of the students to work for Royal Orchid Group.START and quickSTART for Individual Positions provide resources for training new or prospective employees in general hospitality knowledge, soft skills, and position-specific knowledge, combined with the opportunity to earn professional certification. By bundling the training and professional certification into a single product, START and quickSTART provide organizations with streamlined, cost-effective training to bring employees on board quickly and provide workers with a portable, industry-recognized credential at the beginning of their hospitality career.Royal Orchid Hotels ltd. has positioned itself as the preferred group of hotels for the discerning global business /leisure traveler. Under its brand the choices of categories available are: • five-star business and leisure hotels, • business hotels, • long-stay hotels and • resorts In 1994, the Baljee Foundation opened the Presidency College of Hotel Management in Bangalore, India, to prepare future hospitality professionals. The college is one of AHLEI's Registered User Institutes. "We strongly believe in exceeding expectations with unparalleled levels of professionalism and making sure our guests enjoy a memorable experience always," said Baljee. "Providing AHLEI's quickSTART training and certification to our front-line employees will enable us to provide a consistent, high-quality guest experience throughout all of our properties."

Educational Institute

April 13, 2015

American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute and Aspire Launch “The Art of Leadership: Foundations” Workshop

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has partnered with Aspire. People. Performance. Profits. (Aspire) to launch a new workshop that delivers tools for industry leaders to enhance their leadership effectiveness through alignment, focus, and understanding of Aspire's proven processes for learning and development. The Art of Leadership: Foundations workshop is a unique, interactive experience for executives, managers, and emerging leaders. The Art of Leadership: Foundations explores Aspire's 6 Pillars of Alignment, which are core leadership behaviors that support and sustain high levels of performance. These six pillars have been identified by Aspire through 20 years of experience collaborating with leaders and organizations to improve performance. Through the workshop, leaders will assess the alignment of their organization's staff and learn how to integrate the 6 Pillars into their team culture. They will also use the 4 Levels of Performance to identify actions needed to help improve employee performance.The program includes all of the resources needed for a trainer to deliver the workshop to a group, including a coach's guide, coach's resources DVD and six participant manuals. Additional manuals may be purchased separately. The workshop can be delivered in one eight-hour session or two four-hour sessions and is appropriate for groups of six to 20 participants. "The new Art of Leadership: Foundations program is the result of incredible collaboration with AHLEI, for which Aspire is grateful," said Renie Cavallari, Aspire's CEO and Chief Instigating Officer. "We are proud to offer the Aspire 6 Pillars through this program to share our knowledge with so many, aligning teams and affecting change throughout the industry."For more information, contact an AHLEI sales manager at 1.800.349.0299 or +1.407.999.8100 or visit www.ahlei.org/leadershipfoundations.

Educational Institute

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April 8, 2015

Seda Hotels Choose AHLEI for Security Training

Seda Hotels in the Philippines is using resources from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) to provide its security personnel with hospitality-focused security training and professional certification. AHLEI's partner, Asia World Hospitality, recently conducted a Certified Lodging Security Officer (CLSO) workshop and exam session for 14 of Seda Hotels' security staff members. "The AHLEI courses will definitely strengthen Seda's reputation as a safe and secure establishment and reinforce its emphasis on providing the best protection for its clients," said Andrea Mastellone, Seda group general manager. The Seda employees will be the first group of CLSO designees in the Philippines, continuing the hotel group's commitment to professional development for its staff. Seda was the first Filipino hotel brand to train with AHLEI's Guest Service Gold® and certify its employees as Certified Guest Service Professionals (CGSP®) to earn the designation of Certified Guest Service Property. "Seda is the first hotel chain in the Philippines to recognize the need for more professionals in the lodging security sector. This is a significant milestone," said Augustus Caesar "Ace" Esmeralda, CPP, ICPS, CLSO, managing director of Ace and Associates Risk Management, who conducted the training on behalf of Asia World Hospitality. He noted that the group was very enthusiastic about the training, which exposed them to international standards and modern lodging security concepts. "They appreciated the new knowledge and were very passionate to learn," said Esmeralda. Seda Hotels is also certifying its upper-level security personnel with AHLEI's Certified Lodging Security Director (CLSD®) designation.

Educational Institute

March 23, 2015

AHLEI Signs Agreement with COTELCO

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has signed an agreement with the Associacion Hotelera y Turistica de Colombia (COTELCO), which will enable COTELCO to distribute AHLEI courses, training products, and professional certifications to its member properties throughout Colombia. COTELCO was founded in 1954 by a group of hoteliers in the city of Barranquilla. At its founding, there were only 19 hotels in the country; today, COTELCO has around 800 member companies. The association is led by Gustavo A. Toro Velásquez, president and CEO (pictured). COTELCO's vision is to be the most representative of the country's hotel and tourism guilds, known for having developed effective strategies that have strengthened the competitiveness and internationalization of the tourism industry, and for leadership in the analysis sector, influencing public policies that help to position tourism as one of the most important industries of the national economy. Through the new agreement with AHLEI, COTELCO members will receive special pricing on AHLEI certification and training products, and will be able to purchase these products directly from AHLEI. In addition, they will be able to purchase AHLEI's hospitality management courses, many of which have been translated into Spanish through an earlier arrangement with COTELCO, which will have the right to print the Spanish-language textbooks for use by members. "We are convinced that this partnership will bring great benefits to our members and especially for Colombian tourism. Having the backing of an entity such as the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute is so important to the training plan advanced by the association," said Gustavo Toro. "The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute is pleased to be working with COTELCO to address the professional development needs of the hospitality and tourism industry in Colombia," said Brenda L. Vazquez, AHLEI's senior vice president of marketing. "AHLEI's prestigious and globally-recognized Spanish courses are a great fit for our Latin American counterpart. We look forward to continued partnership with COTELCO to contribute to their efforts to make tourism an engine of social and economic development in Colombia." For information about AHLEI's international partnerships, visit www.ahlei.org/partners.

Educational Institute

March 19, 2015

Lithuanian Resort and Restaurant Are First Certified Guest Service Properties in Europe

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has awarded the first Certified Guest Service Property awards to two properties in Vilnius, Lithuania—IDW Esperanza Resort and Verkiai Restaurant. Ed Kastli, AHLEI's vice president, international sales, presented the awards March 11 at IDW Esperanza Resort. (top photo: Kastli with Tomas Maknickas, general manager, IDW Esperanza Resort; bottom photo: Kastli with chef Diana Banuskeviciute and Linas Pucinskas, managing director, Verkiai Restaurant) The ceremony was attended by managers and staff from both properties, as well as the mayor of Vilnius and the acting director of the Lithuanian Hotel & Restaurant Association. To earn the Certified Guest Service Property designation, employees completed AHLEI's Guest Service Gold® training and earned the Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP®) designation. IDW Esperanza Resort has 14 employees certified with CGSP® while Verkiai Restaurant has 10 CGSP® employees. Linas Pucinskas, CHE, CGSP, managing director of Verkiai, was among the first people in Lithuania to take the Guest Service Gold® training and CSGP® certification exam when it was introduced in Vilnius in April 2013. He delivered the program to the staff at Verkiai, a luxury restaurant located on the ground floor of the Verkiai Palace in Vilnius. Pucinskas introduced the program to Tomas Maknickas, general manager of the IDW Esperanza Resort, a five-star eco-friendly boutique property that is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. "We decided that such a training and certification would be useful to both our employees and the resort," said Maknickas. "The employees enjoyed the online training and I'm sure it will contribute toward some truly remarkable Guest Service Gold® moments at our resort." He added, "It is an honor for us to earn the title of Certified Guest Service Property. This is yet another reflection of our organization's continued focus on excellence in meeting the needs of our guests." Pucinskas, who has conducted Guest Service Gold® training at several hotels in Lithuania, said that the program is effective, easy to implement, affordable, and well accepted by both employees and guests. "Within the hospitality industry in Europe, we are often discussing Western hospitality standards, which means the highest professionalism and best service provided to the guests. However, nobody was able to describe clearly exactly what that meant. AHLEI has offered a perfect product with seven elements and short-term training, followed by an exam and certification. Today, we can better understand and explain easily what these Western standards of hospitality and guest service professionalism are," he explained. For more information on Guest Service Gold® and becoming a Certified Guest Service Property, visit www.ahlei.org.

Educational Institute

March 12, 2015

NAVIS Launches Major Orlando Recruiting Effort; Expands Orlando Offices

NAVIS, the leading reservation sales and marketing system provider for the hotel, resort and vacation rental markets, will launch a major recruiting effort to expand its Orlando, FL offices. NAVIS will hire 40 experienced call center associates known as reservation sales associates (RSA) and several manager and director-level sales professionals. Click here to learn more about NAVIS' data marketing system.

March 2, 2015

Best Western India Partners with AHLEI for Staffing Needs

Best Western India has announced that it will partner with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) in India to help meet its staffing needs as the hotel company expands in that country. Best Western currently has 28 hotels in India and expects to add another 25 in the next 12 to 18 months. M. Douglas Peter, Director Training & HR for Best Western India, states that students who have completed AHLEI's academic programs, in particular those holding an AHLEI certificate of specialization or hospitality management diploma, will be given preference during campus recruitment by Best Western India for both internships and full-time job vacancies. AHLEI has had a training and educational presence in India since 1994, and maintains an office in Mumbai under the direction of Dennie Matthews, chief managing officer. Approximately 40 academic institutions in India are designated as Registered User Institutes with the authority to offer AHLEI courses and academic certification to their hospitality students. "The hospitality industry in India is experiencing an exciting period of growth and development," said Robert L. Steele III, CHA, AHLEI's president and COO. "AHLEI is proud to work with Best Western India to provide their properties with well-qualified job candidates who are ready to make their mark in the hospitality field." "We look forward to our enhanced partnership with AHLEI India and its partner institutes in the days ahead," stated Best Western's Peter.

Educational Institute

February 18, 2015

Managing Editor Appointed for Hotel Management and Hotel Design

NEW YORK (Feb. 18, 2015) ─ Questex Hospitality + Travel has named veteran journalist Jennifer Y. Brown managing editor of its Hotel Management and Hotel Design print and digital publications, responsible for editorial content and production, reporting to David Eisen, editor-in-chief.

New York, New York, United States

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