Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 24, 1995 TAG: 9504240038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Managers of the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center are preparing for a grand opening Saturday, hoping they have seen the worst of start-up problems including several firings, resignations and lapses in service.
General Manager Gary Walton said he is "overwhelmingly" pleased with the performance of the hotel, which begins its fourth week of operation today. Indeed, while Walton has taken some hits, not uncommon for managers of new hotels, guests also have heaped praise on Hotel Roanoke's food and service.
Walton acknowledged having had difficulties and having more work to do. It is difficult, he said, to predict how much longer the hotel's break-in period will last.
The difficulties include the departure of Regency Room restaurant manager Steve Zahrt. Walton declined to discuss Zahrt's leaving, but confirmed that other employees also have left.
"As should be expected during the first few weeks of opening, there have been some resignations and terminations," Walton said.
Responding to reports of delays in the dining room, Walton said staff members are receiving training to ensure that service is consistent.
"While every [patron's] experience hasn't been perfect, the overall response from customers has been tremendously positive," Walton said. "We will continually strive to offer every guest a positive experience while knowing that human beings make mistakes."
Employment, at 300 on Friday, must rise to about 335 to ensure adequate help is on hand for what is expected to be a busy spring, Walton said. Manpower Temporary Services has supplied workers to help close the gap, Walton said.
In addition, construction crews could need several weeks to finish their work, he said.
David Rickman, deputy Roanoke fire marshal, said that while he sees no shortcomings in the fire protection equipment installed in the hotel, some components of the system have not been inspected because they only recently were installed.
That's because renovation work at Hotel Roanoke fell behind schedule, he said. Normally, inspectors examine a new or renovated building's complete fire-protection system - consisting of smoke detectors, extinguishers, sprinklers, emergency lights and water pipes - before the building opens, Rickman said.
In the rush to open Hotel Roanoke, inspectors agreed to check each component as it was installed. The job still wasn't done by April 3, when the hotel reopened.
The hotel booked guests "before it was ready to be occupied," Rickman said.
Hotel experts said it would be rare for any large new hotel to avoid turnover and complaints for several months or even its first year of operation.
A property such as Hotel Roanoke needs more time to hit its stride than an economy hotel because it wants to be known as upscale.
"The nicer the hotel, the higher the expectation level and the tougher it is to meet that expectation level on day one," said David McCaslin, chief operating officer of CapStar Hotel, a Washington, D.C., company that manages 47 hotels. "Realistically, it will probably take a year to say the operation was stabilized." CapStar manages a Norfolk hotel which, like Hotel Roanoke, has an affiliation with Doubletree Hotels Corp.
After $42 million worth of improvements, the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center on April 3 held what the industry calls a "soft opening" - meaning it was open for business with the understanding that the facility wasn't finished and staff had not been fully trained.
For the average hotel, "things should be pretty well under control" by the grand opening, said David Williams, dean of Northern Arizona University's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Walton, however, said he can't pinpoint when guests can expect a consistent level of service. The staging of a grand opening "doesn't mean that the day after the grand opening, voila, everything is perfect," he said.
Walton called Hotel Roanoke's opening especially difficult. It not only opened before work was complete, but drew a larger than expected number of customers, particularly in the Regency Room, the main dining room, and the Pine Room restaurant-bar, he said.
The Regency Room, which seats 160 people, has received as many as 300 calls daily from people wanting reservations, he said.
While hotels normally start off with small groups or conventions, Hotel Roanoke filled every room Friday to accommodate part of a group of 1,200 high schoolers using the conference center for a 21/2-day convention, Walton said.
The hotel's next big test will occur this weekend. Walton said he is trying to get the hotel's Governor's Suite ready for Gov. George Allen, who is scheduled to speak during Saturday's 11 a.m. dedication ceremony in an outdoor courtyard.
At an evening dinner-dance, a presentation is scheduled by Walton's boss, Rick Kelleher, president and chief executive officer of Doubletree Hotels, the Phoenix, Ariz., company hired to manage the hotel and conference center.
by CNB