2012 - New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association

Finger Lakes Hotel is Best Western’s
First Certified Guest Service Property
The Best Western PLUS Vineyard Inn & Suites
in Penn Yan, is the first Best Western property
to earn the Certified Guest Service Property
designation from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational
Institute (EI).
The 57-room property,
located in the Finger
Lakes Wine Region
of New York State, is
ranked #1 in its city by
Trip Advisor. The staff
includes 30 year-round
and seasonal employees.
Guest Service Gold,
introduced by the Educational
Institute in
2011, shows employees
and properties how to
achieve a new standard
of exceptional service
based on emotionally engaging with guests in memorable
ways. Employees who complete the training
are prepared for the exam to earn the Certified Guest
Service Professional (CGSP) designation. Properties
Pictured at the hotel’s front desk is Catherine Anderson, Guest
Service Representative
Members in the News
that certify 100 percent of their front-line staff earn the
title of Certified Guest Service Property. Hotels and
academic institutions worldwide have adopted Guest
Service Gold to achieve a new standard in guest service
quality.
“It’s an honor to be
the first hotel in the Best
Western family to receive
this certification,”
said Dr. Lynn Thurston,
president of the Best
Western Plus Vineyard
Inn & Suites.
Ruth Reid, a front desk
reservationist at the Best
Western Plus Vineyard
Inn and Suites, said, “I
was so inspired by the
training that I now surprise
our guests with
fresh-cut flowers from
my garden at breakfast time.”
For more information on Guest Service Gold and
other hospitality training solutions, visit the Educational
Institute at www.ahlei.org.
NYSH&TA allied member Hoteliers Ink is
honored to announce its recent invitation
by Destination Hotels & Resorts, which has
partnered with BirchStreet Systems, Inc. for their new
e-procurement marketplace, to become a preferred
supplier for their hotels.
Destination Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in
Englewood, Colorado, is one of the industry's leading
companies in the management and marketing of high-
Hoteliers Ink Preferred Supplier Deal
quality independent hotels and resorts, many of which
they have successfully converted from major brand
affiliations.
BirchStreet Systems Inc. based in Newport Beach,
California, provides e-procurement and purchasing
software and support for hotel clients around the
world. The BirchStreet purchasing suite includes key
hospitality functionality for inventory, AP automation,
capital projects analytics, and food cost management.
FOCUS Fall/Winter 2012 | 27