First Hospitality Celebrates Their Top Performing General Managers and Associates Fueling the Company's Success
The Inner Circle Award is presented to 10 general managers who demonstrate outstanding performance across a comprehensive range of hotel metrics. Selection criteria includes room and total revenue versus budget, RevPAR index and rank, gross operating profit margins, flex and flow, guest service scores, brand quality assurance results, associate satisfaction, and turnover rates.
Winners of the Inner Circle Award are treated to a weeklong international trip, with Panama serving as this year's destination. Each winner was invited to bring a guest, for an all-expenses-paid experience that included accommodations at the Waldorf Astoria Panama, roundtrip airfare, meals, beverages, and a range of curated activities. Highlights of the itinerary included a visit to the 'Biomuseo' and Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal, an Embera cultural immersion, a beach day on Mogo Mogo Island, and more. First Hospitality's President and CEO, David Duncan, and Executive Chairman Sam Schwartz joined the group during the late-March trip.
The Inner Circle trip is our way of recognizing the outstanding general managers who lead with excellence across every facet of hotel performance. It was an honor to celebrate their achievements in Panama. The trip has become a standout moment on the company calendar - a meaningful way to recognize top performers while deepening connections across the First Hospitality team. David Duncan, president and CEO of First Hospitality
Demonstrating its commitment to a People First culture, First Hospitality promoted over 150 team members in 2024. The company also saw a 9-point increase in employee retention compared to industry peers, along with a 16-point lead in Great Place to Work ratings - clear reflections of First Hospitality's continued focus on associate satisfaction and development.
Additional marquee awards honoring associates include First Hospitality's Live Free Drive Free Award, honoring associates who achieve perfect attendance for an entire calendar year. More than 1,000 associates qualified for this award in 2024, representing nearly 30% of all associates, a new record for the company. Winners receive the choice of a new car and auto insurance for one year, or have their rent or mortgage paid for one year, up to $1,500/month. This year's winner selected Live Free. The Pace Setter Award honored five sales leaders who not only exceed their annual team booking goals, but also significantly grew BT and Group RevPAR share.
Our talented associates are the backbone of First Hospitality. Their dedication and passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences are what drive our success. Our marquee awards spotlight their hard work and reflect the strong culture we've built together. David Duncan, president and CEO of First Hospitality
For more information about First Hospitality and its portfolio of hotels, please visit: firsthospitality.com.
About First Hospitality
First Hospitality is a top-ranking development, investment, and third-party operating company with a portfolio of branded, lifestyle and independent properties along with a portfolio of restaurants & bars located throughout the United States. Founded 40 years ago, the organization fosters opportunities for associates, investors, owners, and partners to prosper together. The foundation of First Hospitality's success is built on an individualized approach that puts people first, encourages a strong ownership culture, and consistently demonstrates astute business acumen. The company and its hotels are frequently recognized by the industry and media for high guest service and associate satisfaction, including accolades from Forbes, Condé Nast, TripAdvisor, and AAA. For more information, visit www.firsthospitality.com.
Bridget Fairless
First Hospitality
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hospitality Net
02-07-2025
- Hospitality Net
Decoding Guest Feedback: Insights on AI and Review Trends for Hoteliers
The world of guest reviews is constantly moving. New technologies are changing how guests share feedback. They also change how hotels manage their online reputation. It is a critical part of hotel management. For hoteliers, staying ahead of these trends is not just an option. It is essential for success. A recent Shiji Buzz Webinar brought together leading industry leaders to discuss the future of guest reviews and what hoteliers need to know in 2025. Hosted by Andre Baljeu from the webinar included Rodica Buzescu, Group Product Marketing Manager at Diana Villanueva, Online Reputation Specialist at HM Hotels, and Jessica Kurtz, Global Product Ambassador with Reviewpro Reputation. They covered everything from updated scoring systems to the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Takeaways Embrace recency. New weighted scores mean recent reviews matter most. Your current efforts to improve are rewarded much faster. Integrated platforms are a necessity. Replace patchwork systems with integrated platforms. A 'one-stop shop' for reviews improves efficiency and data insights. API-First is fundamental. APIs are essential for connecting your hotel software. They ensure seamless data flow for better operational efficiency. Use AI as a Co-Pilot. Use AI to draft review responses for efficiency. But always maintain human oversight to protect your brand voice. Turn complaints into clarity. Use negative feedback as a free marketing audit. Clarify your offerings and solve issues in-house first. Why new reviews matter most A major topic was the changing value of reviews over time. has recently updated its system, shifting from a simple three-year average to a new model that places greater weight on the most recent reviews. This change was a direct response to feedback from hoteliers who felt that old reviews unfairly impacted their current reputation. This new, dynamic score more accurately reflects a hotel's current reality. It rewards properties for their current efforts and improvements. Diana shared her initial reaction, noting that her team quickly saw the benefits. The new system provides a more accurate representation of a hotel's current state, particularly for properties that have undergone recent renovations. Their hard work is no longer held back by outdated feedback. This approach aligns with other platforms, such as Google, and is becoming an industry standard. This sentiment was echoed by Jessica, who explained that Reviewpro Reputation's own Global Review Index (GRI) has always prioritized recency to show a potential guest what a stay would be like today, not years ago. The anatomy of a modern review The way guests write reviews is also evolving. People are moving away from long, wordy essays. Instead, feedback is becoming more concise. Platforms are innovating to capture this by asking for 'tidbits of information' and using multiple-choice questions. This makes leaving feedback quicker and less overwhelming for the guest. Despite this brevity, data presented by Reviewpro Reputation shows that text comments remain vital. In the first quarter of 2025, over 66% of reviews still included text, an increase from the previous year. This text is crucial because it provides the context behind a score, which hoteliers need to make meaningful improvements. In response, hotels are getting faster. The average time to respond to a review has been cut in half, from six days to just three in the last two years. This speed is critical. A fast reply is not just for the guest who wrote the review; it is for all potential guests who will read it. Harnessing technology Managing reviews across many platforms is complex. Technology integrations offer a powerful solution. When an OTA like connects directly with a reputation management platform like Reviewpro Reputation, the benefits are immediate. Using guest reviews API, it creates a central hub for hotel teams to respond to all reviews without needing to log into multiple systems. This integration greatly improves efficiency and security. More importantly, it provides deeper insights by pulling in detailed departmental scores for things like service and cleanliness. This granular data helps managers pinpoint exact areas needing attention. One analysis showed that after integration, the average response time for hotels dropped from two weeks to just five days. Make AI your ally, not your replacement, right? We're not replacing your responses with AI. We want to be your co-pilot. We want to work hand in hand, but the end decision of that response is still the hotelier. Jessica Kurtz AI as a Co-Pilot Artificial Intelligence is the next major force shaping review management. Recognizing that hotels were already using tools like ChatGPT, technology providers like Reviewpro Reputation have integrated this power directly into their platforms. The conversation stressed a key point: this technology should be seen as an ally, not a replacement. The AI acts as a co-pilot, reading a guest's review and suggesting a draft response to save teams time. The hotelier can customize the tone, length, and signature to ensure the reply aligns with the hotel's brand. As an early adopter of Reviewpro's AI tool, Diana emphasized that the human touch remains essential. An employee must always review, edit, and personalize the text to ensure the hotel is truly listening. If review management is only about replying, then in my opinion, we are losing the most important part of guest feedback, which is to listen and to improve. And for that, you need real people behind it. Diana Villanueva Turning negative feedback into a positive strategy Negative reviews are an unavoidable part of the business. The panel offered clear advice: treat these reviews as a learning opportunity. If a guest complains about a missing amenity, the first step is to ask why they expected it and audit your marketing on and other channels for clarity. This prevents future disappointment. When responding, turn the negative into a marketing moment. Acknowledge the issue, then highlight another great feature. The best strategy, however, is to solve problems before they become negative reviews. Anything that you can fix earlier during their stay is gold. Anything you do with responding to guest reviews afterward, it's great and it impacts your future guests. But it feels to me like it's a place where we should all invest a bit more time. Rodica Buzescu The future is responsive The landscape of guest feedback is more dynamic than ever. The conversation made it clear that a passive approach is no longer viable. Hotels must be proactive and technologically adept. They need to understand the new rules of recency. They should embrace tools like integration and AI to become more efficient. Ultimately, managing guest reviews is about more than just a score. It is a continuous cycle of listening, responding, and improving. It is a core function of modern hotel operations and marketing. By embracing these changes, hoteliers can build a stronger reputation. They can also foster deeper loyalty with their guests. The future of guest feedback is here, and it is time to engage. Watch the full webinar here: About Shiji Group Shiji is a global technology company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for the hospitality industry, ensuring seamless operations for hoteliers day and night. Built on the Shiji Platform—the only truly global hotel technology platform—Shiji's cloud-based solutions include property management system, point-of-sale, guest engagement, distribution, payments, and data intelligence for over 91,000 hotels worldwide, including the largest hotel chains. With more than 5,000 employees across the world, Shiji is a trusted partner for the world's leading hoteliers, delivering technology that works as continuously as the industry itself. That's why the best hotels run on Shiji—day and night. While its primary focus is on hospitality, Shiji also serves select customers in food service, retail, and entertainment in certain regions. For more information, visit View source
Hospitality Net
13-06-2025
- Hospitality Net
Why legacy PMSs are holding hotels back and how cloud technology solves it
As hospitality evolves, hotels must streamline operations, harness data more effectively, and enhance efficiency to stay competitive. The Property Management System (PMS) is at the core of hotel management, an essential tool connecting various hotel functions. As more business shifts online and seamless digital experiences become the expectation, PMSs must integrate with internal and external systems, including POS, front desk, and housekeeping. Yet, most PMSs were built for a different era, making it difficult to support the growing web of integrations required in today's digital-first environment. Traditional property-based legacy systems are cumbersome to use and maintain. These old systems often require hotel staff to navigate complex menus and wade through irrelevant options just to retrieve information that should be readily available with minimal clicks. Additionally, new rollouts and upgrades come at a very steep cost to hotels in terms of time, personnel, and resources. In contrast, cloud-based software updates are completed remotely, delivering greater efficiency and enhanced functionality without disruption. The shift toward digital marketing and personalized guest experiences further emphasizes the need for more agile PMSs. Integrating with loyalty programs, guest marketing, CRMs, and mobile apps wasn't envisioned when legacy PMSs were first implemented. These aging systems have reached the end of their functional lifespan. Unlocking greater agility with a cloud-native PMS A modern, cloud-native PMS offers far more than just streamlined operations; it empowers teams with intuitive, real-time control over every aspect of property management. Designed for today's dynamic hospitality environment, intuitive, user-friendly displays reduce staff training time and increase productivity, allowing teams to focus on the guest experience instead of clunky system navigation. Leveraging the cloud's scalability and flexibility enables centralized access to critical functions, like front desk operations, housekeeping, and maintenance. In addition to greater insights, it allows teams to stay connected and responsive no matter where they are on the property. Real-time reporting and analytics further equip hotel leadership with the information they need to make fast, informed decisions that improve performance and guest satisfaction. Facilitating seamless integration with other hotel systems eliminates the friction of disconnected data and disjointed processes, resulting in a more agile, efficient operation. Simplifying access to data across systems while enriching functionality unlocks new capabilities, like real-time rate and availability management through integrated channel managers or inline RMS capabilities to optimize revenues. Unified platform, unlimited possibilities Delivering the modern, digital experiences guests expect hinges on seamless systems integration and single-source data to unlock data´s full potential. iStay, IBS Software's unified hospitality management platform , doesn't just upgrade how hoteliers manage their properties and enhance guest experiences – it completely transforms them. iStay's cloud-native PMS integrates seamlessly with the platform's CRS, PMS, RMS, Booking Engine, distribution, and loyalty software, eliminating traditional data silos across disparate systems that complicate hotel operations and personalization efforts. This holistic approach enables hotels to grow their business, deliver exceptional guest experiences, and allow staff to focus on personalized service rather than complex system workarounds.
Hospitality Net
13-06-2025
- Hospitality Net
Edouard Lapasset has been appointed General Manager at Mandarin Oriental, Paris
Mandarin Oriental is pleased to announce the appointment of Edouard Lapasset as General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Paris, effective June 1, 2025. He continues his career at the prestigious rue Saint-Honoré property, where he has served as Hotel Manager since 2022. With nearly 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality, including 11 years within Mandarin Oriental, Edouard brings extensive expertise in hotel management and a deep understanding of the luxury hospitality sector. Driven by curiosity for all aspects of the hotel industry, Edouard gained experience in various departments (Purchasing, Food & Beverage, Guest Services, Housekeeping, Project Management) before joining Mandarin Oriental as Assistant Front Office Manager at Mandarin Oriental, Geneva. He then rose through the ranks to become Director of Rooms, before taking on the same role at Mandarin Oriental, Doha in 2020. In 2022, he joined Mandarin Oriental, Paris as Hotel Manager, where he has since contributed to strengthening the hotel's position as a benchmark for French luxury hospitality. Born in Paris and a proud ambassador of French savoir-faire both in France and abroad, Edouard discovered his passion for hospitality early on through extensive travel, which sparked his love for service and, above all, for human connection. He places great importance on both guest and employee experience and is committed to embodying excellence in every role he undertakes. A competitive athlete, particularly in fencing, he draws on values such as performance, self-improvement, leadership, and the importance of family, discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Principles that he applies in both his personal and professional life.
