Linchris Congratulates Gianfranco Saltalamacchia as 2016 Employee of the Year.

The loose Italian translation of Saltalamacchia is to “jump from one spot to another.” And this is exactly what Gianfranco Saltalamacchia (known as Gianni) has done since he first joined Linchris in 2005; jumping

rapidly up the ladder and advancing through the ranks driven by a desire to succeed. And he does this by creating an environment that is fun to work in, productive and highly impactful on the guest experience.

This is why Gianfranco Saltalamacchia, Group Sales Manager at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Milford, MA, has been chosen as Linchris Hotel Corporation’s 2016 Employee of the Year.

Gianni began at the hotel in 2005, where he was involved in banquet set-up. But it wasn’t an entirely new world for him, as his father had previously been the Director of Catering at the property. Gianni would go on to become a bartender in the hotel’s Legends Lounge, which is where his winning personality started to come through as he was a guest favorite, always ready with a smile and a pleasant remark. He soon took on the responsibilities of Bar Supervisor, and from there on to sales as a Corporate Catering Manager. Jeff Terwilliger, General Manager of the Double-Tree by Hilton, says Gianni’s winning personality started to pay dividends for the property. “He began developing relationships with some of our biggest clients, including MiltonCat and WATERS,” says Jeff. “He also built great relationships with a lot of our social groups as well. Many of them, to this day, still ask for him personally whenever they are at the hotel.”

Gianni is also thought of affectionately as the hotel’s cheerleader, encouraging the staff to stay upbeat and better themselves, while servicing the guests to the best of their capabilities. Says Jeff, “Gianni is the person that everyone goes to when they have a question. He doesn’t shy away from any challenge. He will do whatever it

Brian Anderson’s Promotion to Area Director of Operations Exemplifies the Linchris CultureBrian Anderson’s first experience working within the hotel industry began with a sales position at the Ramada Inn in Monroeville, PA. It would also serve as a launch-ing point for a long and successful career with Linchris Hotels where, in 1999, he became Director of Sales for Linchris’ Williamsport (PA) Radisson. After stops at eight Linchris hotels, Brian Anderson has now been promoted to Area Director of Operations.

Brian’s Linchris resume would eventu-ally lead him to stops at the Holiday Inn Express in Keene, NH where he stayed for two years. In 2006, he opened the Hilton Garden Inn in Plymouth, MA, before serving as General Manager for two other Linchris Hotels in Mas-sachusetts; Holiday Inn in Mansfield and Holiday Inn in Brookline. When Linchris was looking to acquire the 25th hotel in their portfolio, the Hilton Hotel in Scranton, PA, Brian was the top choice. The hotel underwent a $3 million renovation and was ranked #5 of all Hilton Hotels in the Americas. In September 2013, Linchris Hotel Corporation purchased the 244-room DoubleTree by Hilton Wilmington, DE, and Brian was chosen to lead this hotel. Brian brought the hotel from the bottom tier of all DoubleTree hotels to being ranked in the top 100 in the 1st year.

THE L INCHRIS INNSIDER IS A PUBLICATION OF L INCHRIS HOTEL CORPORATION269 Hanover Street, Unit #2 • Hanover MA 02339 • 781-826-8824 • www.linchris.com

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Nick Pancoast, Vice President of Operations; Michael Sullivan, President, Linchris Hotel Corporation; Jeff Terwilliger, General Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton, Milford, MA; Gianni Saltalamacchia, Linchris Employee of the Year; Amy O’Neil, Director of Sales, DoubleTree by Hilton, Milford, MA; Bob Anderson, Senior Vice President of Operations

Brian Anderson

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A Message From Chris

I recently came across an uplifting story from our Best Western Inn & Suites in

Rutland, VT. The hotel’s Front Office Manager, Lisa Jajack, was speaking to some guests from San Francisco last month, who said they had never seen snow nor had they ever gone sledding before. So Lisa took it upon herself to go to her house and get two sleds plus win-ter attire, since her guests didn’t have any, so they could experience first-hand the joys of sledding in New England. Lisa’s guests said they had a wonderful time. I can pretty much guarantee that this feedback made everybody’s day at the hotel because there are few things more gratifying in our industry than receiving the appreciation of one of our guests, and the feeling that you, as your hotel’s emissary, made a difference in that guest’s life. Customer service has long been the corner-stone of our company. And thanks to team members such as you, we have for over 30 years maintained a high level of excellence that is unwavering. YOU make the difference, and it is much appreciated. Along with servicing our guests, another Linchris trait is recognizing and rewarding those that possess an excellent work ethic and strong sense of enthusiasm for customer service by advancing them on a career path with Linchris. Gianni Saltalamacchia, selected as the 2016 Linchris Employee of the Year, is such an individual. Twelve years ago Gianni was setting up banquet tables and today, through hard-work and a willingness to learn as much about our industry as he can, Gianni is now setting up meetings for major clients as the Group Sales Manager for our DoubleTree by Hilton property in Milford, MA. We congratulate him on this well-deserved honor and wish him continued success with Linchris. Finally, a tip of the hat to Brian Anderson, and his recent promotion as Area Director of Operations. Brian has worked at eight of our properties since the late-1990s and has steadily moved up the ladder to his current position, having recently helped oversee a $5.7 million renovation of our new seaside jewel, the Hotel 1620 in historic Plymouth, MA.

- Chris Gistis

Linchris Employee of the Year 2016

BEST WESTERN INN & SUITESRutland, VTAdrienne WeisgerberHousekeeper

COMFORT INN & SUITESSt. Johnsbury, VTNicholas StahlerNight Auditor

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON, ANDOVERAndover, MAGail ReardonServer

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON, BOSTON-ROCKLANDRockland, MAJulie MartinNight Auditor

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON WILMINGTONWilmington, DEAmy VelezBartender

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATONEastham, MAHelena BassettHousekeeper

GOLDEN EAGLE RESORTStowe, VTShirley EastmanLaundry Attendant

HAMPTON INNLittleton, NHBarbara BlackburnNight Auditor

HILTON GARDEN INNPlymouth, MALaurie HayesHousekeeper

HILTON GARDEN INN ALLENTOWN WESTBreinigsville, PADestiny MoccioBreakfast Server

HOLIDAY INNManchester, NHMelanie SnowHousekeeper

HOLIDAY INNSalem, NHMilly FerrerHousekeeper

Hyatt Place, Dallas Celebrates Grand Re-OpeningThe Grand Re-Opening of the Hyatt Place-Dallas featured a special appearance by mascots of two of the area’s most popular sports teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.Nick Pancoast, Vice President of Operations, Linchris; Rowdy, Dallas Cowboy’s Mascot; Dewey Dufour, Linchris Project Manager; Bryan Vrba, Sr. VP Asset Management, Blue Vista Capital

“Gianfranco” continued on page 3

takes to make sure that question is answered. He is also the hotel’s CARE Champion, committed to keeping the hotel’s ratings high by often holding quality meetings with staff, keeping them motivated and equally committed to enhancing the guest experi-ence. In October, Gianni quarterbacked the CARE Rally, in which he focused his train-ing on “MAKING IT RIGHT” and guest recovery. Almost immediately the property began to see an improvement in service scores, which averaged 68.4 prior to the meet-ing to an average of 70.1 after.

As Group Sales Manager, you can always find Gianni on the phone, making calls to build a relationship of trust with area groups. Last year his segment finished the year 30% higher than his goal, having booked over $1 million in revenue. But it’s not always about working with the business community. Gianni is equally committed to showing young people the benefits of working in the hotel industry while leading local high school students on tours of the facility, explaining the various duties of the staff

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Wedding BellsHannah Eiland, Director of Sales at the Double-Tree by Hilton, Boston-

Rockland, was on a weekend getaway in Portsmouth, NH when she was proposed to and naturally said YES! Her mother, Marie Thomason, Director of Catering at the DoubleTree Milford will be her well deserving maid of honor.

Linchris Employee of the Year 2016

HOLIDAY INNWeirton, WVCheryl KisselLaundry Attendant

HOLIDAY INN DAYTONA BEACH LPGADaytona Beach, FLBridget SchroederFront Desk Agent

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESSManchester, NHJulie PaniaguaFront Desk Agent

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESSPoughkeepsie, NYVeronica SambranoBreakfast Attendant

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESSSpringfield, VTShaena HakeyFront Desk Agent

HOLIDAY INN MIAMI WESTHialeah Gardens, FLNancy WuAccountant

HOTEL 1620Plymouth, MACepta O’BrienFront Desk Agent

HOTEL BOSTONBoston, MARina JovelHousekeeper

HOTEL PROVIDENCEProvidence, RIYensy CordovaHousekeeper

HOTEL TYBEETybee Island, GAAdrienne RedmondHousekeeper

HYATT PLACE, DALLAS/GRAND PRAIRIEGrand Prairie, TXAshley Velez-TorresHousekeeping Supervisor

Future Hoteliers

Congratulations to Yessica Rodriguez, Operations Manager at the Holiday Inn Express,Manchester, NH. Yessica and her fiancé, Miguel, welcomed baby Angel on February 16, entering the world at 7 pounds, 1 ounce.

Stargazers In March the DoubleTree by Hilton, Boston-Rockland hosted a meeting for Sullivan Tire. Their guest speaker was Superbowl Champion Sebastian Vollmer of the New Eng-land Patriots, shown here with Shelby Piche, Front Desk Agent.

Turn to the back page to see more Employee of the Year 2016 winners

and sharing his experiences with them. He shows them through his own eyes how working in the hospitality industry can be a rewarding experience.

“It’s hard to think of anything other than ALL-STAR when you think of Gianni,” points out Jeff. “He has a passion for people that is unmatched. Every day he seeks new opportunities to learn and to grow. Which I believe makes him an excellent choice as the Linchris Employee of the Year!”

Gianni Saltalamacchia was honored at a luncheon at the 3 Restaurant in Franklin, MA, where Linchris corporate officers presented him with a trophy and a check for $3,500.

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The staff of the Comfort Inn & Suites, St. Johnsbury, VT

Comfort Inn & Suites Wins Choice’s Gold Award

Congratulations to newly-promoted General Manager Sara Whittemore and her talented team at the Comfort Inn & Suites, St. Johnsbury, VT for being honored with the 2017 Gold Award, bestowed annually by Choice Hotels International. The award is presented to the top hotels within the Choice brand, based on various factors including guest satisfaction ratings. The Comfort Inn & Suites have won this prestigious award for five consecutive years. “I am so proud of the Comfort Inn & Suites, who made earning this award a priority,” said Stephen Bland of Choice Hotels International. “Thank you for all you are doing.”

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Movin’ On Up

Matt Chauvin has been promoted to General Manager of the Hotel Providence, Providence, RI. Matt was formerly the Director of Operations.

Patrick Strong has been named Assistant General Manager of the Hotel Providence. Patrick was formerly the Front Office Manager at the Hilton

Garden Inn, Plymouth, MA.

Martin Joseph has been named Chief Engineer at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Boston-Rockland. Martin began his career in hospitality three-

and-a-half years ago and began working with Linchris when they acquired the DoubleTree by Hilton in Wilmington, DE in September 2013. Martin started off as a full-time evening shift engineer and worked his way up to lead engineer.

Kaitlyn Reed is now Front Office Manager at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Boston-Rockland. She began working with Linchris when they

acquired the Hilton Garden Inn Allen-town West, where she served as a full-time Front Desk Agent.

Matthew Haranas has been promoted to Bistro Supervisor at the Hotel 1620, Plymouth, MA, where he was formerly a Customer Service Supervisor.

Linchris Employee of the Year 2016

HYATT PLACE HOUSTONHouston, TXJuan UmanaHouseman

HYATT PLACE SAN ANTONIOSan Antonio, TXElvira SanchezHousekeeping Supervisor

INN AT MIDDLETOWNMiddletown, CTEleonora CiarciaFront Desk Agent

SHERATON TAMPA EAST HOTELTampa, FLEdgar SuarezEngineering Supervisor

The next step in Brian’s career came when Linchris purchased the Radisson Hotel in Plymouth, MA, which was in need of a major face-lift. Brian helped oversee the $5.7 million renovation and re-branding to an independent hotel. The property, now known as the Hotel 1620, is the crown jewel of the burgeoning Plymouth waterfront.

Brian says his determination to advance through the ranks at Linchris was inspired by his first meeting with Chris Gistis back in 2001. “You always expect the new owner to come in and talk only about profits and the bottom-line,” Brian remembers. “But for Mr. Gistis it was all about servicing our guests, and how important that was. I knew then this was a different type of company than what I was used to working with. I was totally impressed with his honesty and his warmth.”

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Kaitlyn Reed, Front Office Manager

Feeding the HungryWe give a shout out to the team at the Sheraton Tampa East hotel and all their charity work on behalf of “Feeding America” in Tampa. General Manager Jeff Lang and his great crew helped prepare 3,068 meals for families in need.

WYNDHAM HOTEL, BOSTON-CHELSEAChelsea, MARenee PhippsFront Desk Agent

Letters to the Troops As part of DoubleTree by Hilton, Boston-Rockland’s 100 acts of kindness campaign, the hotel collected letters for our troops during the month of March. Their goal was to collect 100 cards during the month to send to soldiers stationed overseas, through a partnership with CarePacks, an organi-zation in Weymouth, MA. CarePacks is a non-profit orga-nization that sends care packages to deployed U.S. troops. According to General Manager Jenna Bergamino, the program was opened up to not only our guests and employ-ees but, also the companies that stay and do business at the property, as well as sister properties in the area. The final count is now in and the hotel finished with a total of 104 letters to be sent out to the troops. Not only did they receive letters from hotel team members, but also from guests, and team members at the Hilton Garden Inn Plymouth, MA and the Linchris corporate office. On Friday April 7th several team members went to CarePacks to deliver these letters along with our signature DoubleTree Cookies. You can visit their web page at carepacks.org for further information!