Hospitality suite

On 4/19 we had a hospitality set-up in a suite on the fourth floor. The hospitality was in suite 420 for an expected 20 people. The hospitality included desserts, appetizers, and coffee station to be set in the room by 5:00pm and the party was to start at 5:30 pm. The appetizers were set in stainless steel serving dishes that are propped up on decorative bricks with a 4 oz. sterno on the bottom of each dish. The appetizers included bacon wrapped scallops and fondue with assorted cheese and meats. The desserts were set-up on multi-level glass shelves in order to provide the guest a clear view of each dessert while also adding to the decorative display. The desserts consisted of vanilla custard shots, truffles, white chocolate, dark chocolate, fondue, and a rich chocolate gonache cake. The coffee station was placed on the credenza opposite of the dessert display. The set allowed the guest access to all the appetizers, desserts and coffee in one trip around the table. The client was delighted to see the display of sweet desserts when they entered the room. Since the suite was an occupied sleeping room we had to clean up at 8:00pm and return the room to its original order. The party was simple and easy to set, preparation and efficient cleanup made the event run smoothly.

Exceptional service award

When I returned from the NY Hyatt I was recognized from the Hyatt for all the hard work and effort that has been put forth through my internship. I received the exceptional service award that is recognized for an individual excellent job performance and positive team effort. Ariadnie which is our catering manager nominated me for this occasion to reward me with the hard work and dedication that I served for her group. My name was announced as a distinguished member for supplying the guest with the up most satisfaction that the Hyatt is known for. I previously had hosted their event about a month ago, but was thrilled when their feed back came through and they mention my name. Along with mentioning, I received a thank you letter addressed directly to me for the hard work that I had put forth. The client was very happy and rewarded me with a subsidy check in my name. The recognition is proof that through client interaction that I can develop positive outcomes to large catering events based on the outcome of learning and observing that I have done.

Meeting involvment

Since meeting came this last week there are many changes to the in-room dining operation. Equipment pars had to be counted and brought up to the levels that are consumed on the busiest days. Since budgets are short, decisions on which items to invest in needed to be addressed and voted on. As a team we came to the conclusion that trays and new napkins would be the best investment at two times. A suggestion on investing smaller trays was made. I explained that purchasing the uniform trays we are investing in an item that can be used in occasions where a customer only orders one item as well as when a customer orders three meals. There is no point in purchasing equipment can do when our budget is already stretched. One thing that we did agree on is that all of the captains and servers head to be more consistent between each other and each shift. Consistency will prevent mistakes and assure that each of Hyatt’s standards are both met. The meetings are important to share ideas and give constructive feedback for these ideas. Meeting are great for feedback and communication and setting common goals for the outlet to achieve.

New York Hyatt Operations

I recently took a trip to New York for the weekend. During the trip I stayed at the Grand Hyatt New York. I made many observations and notes on how the operations at this particular Hyatt are ran differently than the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. The Grand Central Hyatt is located in the heart of New York City right next to Grand Central Station. Grand Central Station is the center point of travel in New York which is the reason many tourist and business travelers choose this location to stay in order to save time and money on transportation. Through my exploration of this Hyatt I found that it is a union hotel which was a little different than the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Since the hotel was a union property I found that the wages were higher at these union hotels due to union dues that did not outweigh the difference in wages from our hotel to theirs. The gratuity on the other hand was only 15 % where our gratuity is 19 %. I got a chance to talk to the manager on duty and he let me take a look at the in room dining line where all the food is cooked and prepared. The first thing that I noticed was that they had a large amount of equipment which was most likely due to the 1500 rooms which is twice as many rooms as the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. The equipment was all very new as well. The organization of the line was not as clean as our line in Phoenix which was probably due to the large amount of rooms and equipment they had to bring service too. When I ordered two burgers to my room I found that the meals were much more expensive at this hotel and the tray layout was much nicer as well. The total for just two burgers with tax and gratuity came out to 75$. After the employee discount the meal dropped down to 25$. It is always a good idea to observe other outlets in other hotels to find out the differences in the outlets and how those differences affect the operation of that outlet. Observations might also be utilized to change or make the in room dining in Phoenix more efficient.

Action Plan

Networking is very important to the advancement in the workplace and the advancement in personal relationships with others in the workplace. These relationships will follow an employee in their career pursuit and can be very fulfilling when the perceptions of the employee are positive. Developing a network of people in the workplace starts the first day of employment within that industry. At the Hyatt Regency Phoenix these impressions were made for me the first day that I started as a convention services houseman. Building on dedication to my industry I have networked with professional leaders in my industry. I have built the perception of being dedicated and diligent in every aspect of my job. These traits have led me in developing my own concepts and ideas on how situations and problems can be resolved in the most efficient manner possible. With the help of the professional leaders that I have made positive impression I have developed ways in which to handle arising problems from past experiences and actions taught by these leaders.

The next step in developing a longer lasting professional relationship with management leaders at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix is to convey the ability to handle situations that test the knowledge that have been learned in the field. These situations and the details of how they are handled need to be conveyed to the managers and an assessment on how the problem or situation was resolved. From this point the manager can further my professional career by providing constructive criticism that details how situations can be handled in a more efficient manner.

The plan to show more involvement and further my networking within the Hyatt Regency Phoenix is to attend every food and beverage meeting that is open for me to attend. When attending these meeting it is crucial to offer constructive comments and situational circumstances and ways to resolve these problems. Providing this knowledge of the hotel and issues that are affecting the hotel provides management with the certainty of my commitment within the industry. Addressing the issues will also show my development from an hourly employee to a supervisor and now with the mindset of a manager. The mindset of a manager needs to focus on the long term goals and issues that have a positive impact on the outlet it involves. The mindset from a supervisor to a manager transforms goals from just operation output on a daily basis to a long term beneficial plan for the department that is being operated within.

Showing the understanding of the hotel and the and the hotels operations will lay the platform to apply for Hyatt’s corporate management program. The networking and manager referrals will provide the evidence that I am capable and prepared to take on the manager role. The next chance to apply into the corporate management program is July. Although the economic situation limits the amount of interns they can except my chances are boosted since I have built the network within Hyatt that are essential in becoming a manager. These are my plans in advancement in the Hyatt hotels by following these points of improvement I can boost my chances of placement within the program.

2nd Party

The second hospitality on Tuesday, 3/7 involved more preparing since it included a rolling bar and bartender. The hospitality took place in suite 761 which is right down the hall from the first hospitality earlier in the night. The room was not occupied before the party so it was a bit easier to set the hospitality and the bar without interrupting the guest. The bar consisted of our Diamond Liquors selection which included Crown Royal, Kaluha, Dewar’s, Beefeaters, Absolute, Bacardi, Jose Cuervo, an assortment of domestic and imported beers, Champagne, and an assortment of our red and white house wines. We set the bar up outside and had convention services set up two tables behind the bar for glasses. The bar was placed outside on the patio to spread out the guest by having the guest circulate from inside to outside. The desserts were very similar to the first party because the chef double the same dessert pattern to save time and money. The only difference was this hospitality had cold chips and salsa and guacamole instead of the hot appetizers provided in the last hospitality. I bartended the event and also acted as the greeter. The event did have a twist when the client called and wanted the hospitality to start a half an hour earlier than originally planned. The time change did not effect the event since we were set in the room and we had already placed the desserts, bar, and coffee station. There was no hot food so the chef did not need to make appetizers on the fly. Once I heard about the change in time I headed up to the event to greet people at the door. Once my captain showed up I went back to the bar to make drinks. Periodically during the party I would make rounds to clean up dishes and glasses left. The event went very smooth and the client was impressed that the time change did not affect the fluent manner of the party. The clean-up process took a little longer during this event because we had to roll away the bar and pack up all the glasses and tables. The room was returned to its normal state and the client was impressed at how fast we transformed the suite.

1st party tonight

On Tuesday 3/17 we had two hospitality set-ups in suites on the seventh floor. The first hospitality was in suite 747 for an expected 30 people. The hospitality included desserts, appetizers, and coffee station to be set in the room by 4:00pm and the party was to start at 4:30 pm. The appetizers were set in stainless steel serving dishes that are propped up on decorative bricks with a 4 oz. sterno on the bottom of each dish. The appetizers included crab stuffed pastries and bacon wrapped scallops. The desserts were set-up on multi-level glass shelves in order to provide the guest a clear view of each dessert while also adding to the decorative display. The desserts consisted of vanilla custard shots, truffles, white chocolate, dark chocolate, fondue, and a rich chocolate gonache cake. The coffee station was placed on the credenza opposite of the dessert display. The set allowed the guest access to all the appetizers, desserts and coffee in one trip around the table. The client and the meeting planner were delighted to see the display of sweet desserts when they entered the room. Since the suite was an occupied sleeping room we had to clean up at 7:00pm and return the room to its original order. The party was simple and easy to set, preparation and efficient cleanup made the event run smoothly.

Surgions party!!!!

We had our first large hospitality event in the In-Room department this week. The hospitality event followed a banquet diner that hosted 1200 guest. Individual guests were given private invitations to come to the suite after diner. The hospitality set-up was based on expecting 100 guests but only fifty people circulated through the suite during the night. The food display included mostly dessert items were elevated to different heights to add to the display as well as making the food easily accessible. Since there were two rooms we set up the dry desserts in the main room on the main dining room table. The coffee station was situated on a smaller table that was against the wall to allow guest the easy access to dessert beverages right after picking their dessert. The second room contained the Ice cream desserts with the desserts on higher platforms and the ice cream on the table. Three heat lanterns were ordered to cover the patio area since the night time weather was cold. Lots of preparation took place before the set-up to insure that the function could be set-up and torn down quick and efficiently. Since the suite is an occupied sleeping room we had to set up and tear down the event within thirty minutes to allow the guest to still use the suite area as a private area before and after the party. The guest mostly consumed cordial and dessert liquors although a full bar was provided. The bar did require a bartender during the party so I volunteered to bartend the party and get a feel for some of the different things that we could have done in order to make the party run smoother. The event did go very smooth and some things that I would have done differently are learning the stereo functions before the party began. We also should have had more brandy sifters to drink out of since the party was a dessert function and there was an older crowd that was drinking. Besides these miner setbacks the party went very smooth and the guest enjoyed themselves.

Valentine's Day and All-Star weekend

It has been a very busy last couple of weeks at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. With Valentine’s day and the All Star Game both in the same day and weekend there was a lot of planning and preparation in order to make sure that these events ran smooth and enjoyable for the guest. This process included developing specials that would attract the taste buds as well as the customer’s wallet. Each department decided on unique specials to attract the customers that would be visiting their food outlets. The In In-Room dining the Chefs put together a meal which consisted of a skirt steak and Arugula Bose pear salad for $30. The guest could also add a wine pairing at an additional cost of $6. The In-Room dining menu special was decided to attract both singles and couples by providing a gender friendly entrée while still providing a competitive price whether than going out. The Terrace restaurant had a great turnout by providing an early morning breakfast to guest waiting to get an early start on the day. The Terrace had a morning buffet special for $10.99 for the guest which included a hot and cold line. The Terrace outlet specials are often decided by negotiations with a group that holds a large room block based on the details of their contract. The Compass restaurant was also very popular with their special. The Compass provided a four course meal with prices varying on the selections that the guest decided on for each course. Upon arrival each couple was given a rose and a free drink pass for Hyatt’s networks bar and grill. Although the Network’s bar and grill did not have a special the restaurant was packed at all times of the day which was expected with the large mass of people on the streets. Each department appeared successful in their decisions by providing large profit margins each day for the weekend compared to the previous and following days of operation.

my internship at the Hyatt

My Internship is at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. We are predominantly a business hotel due to the convention center across the street. A large portion of our business comes from sports events and shows since our hotel is centered between US Airways Center, Chase stadium, Herburger Theatre, and Dodge Theatre. My current internship outlet is in the Food & Beverage department at the Hyatt Regency. Often times we will have guests that want to entertain business partners in their in room suite. They usually will set up the event with the meeting catering manager that is handling their group. The suites are often given to the group president or member that is entertaining as a reward for booking a large room block in the hotel. This makes the host feel as if they had already saved money from acquiring the suite and may choose to have a full bar and appetizer set-up which can become very expensive. This week my manager put me in charge of a Bar set up in a in-room suite party. The bar did not require a bartender so the bar was dry set and left earlier in the day. The food was prepared downstairs in the kitchen an hour before the party was to start. Since all the food in this case was cold then the food could be set in the room a half an hour before the party started. The party was for 40 people although only 30 people probably came through the door. The food for the party consisted of cheese, fruit and mixed snacks. The beverage for the party consisted of an assortment of red and white wines to match the flavor of each cheese and an assortment of domestic and imported beers. The set-up for the party was very basic with the food on the table where anyone entering the room would be able to see the presentation. The wine and beer bar was located in the in-room bar area off to the side. The event went very well, all the work for the event required of preparation and cleanup. Once these things are executed then the party generally runs smoothly especially since this one was self serve.

New Compass Menu

New menu changes
This week at the F&B meeting and my manager and I talked about ways in which they want to improve the Compass Restaurant. The current Compass restaurant is a rotating restaurant that serves as the Hyatt Regency’s fine dining experience. Since the current economic situation is very poor right now Hyatt has decided to move away from the fine dining experience and move toward a simpler menu that appeals to everyone in order to fill every seat in the restaurant. The new menu has a simpler vocabulary than the previous menu which may attract younger customers.

The first course meals Include:

Crispy warm brie
Charred shrimp
Coriander Beef &wheat
Beer Fondue
BBQ Tuna Crudo

The second course options are:

Compass Bisque
Southwest Caesar Salad
Local Chop Salad
Iceberg Wedge
Tomato &Pine apple Salad

The final course options include:

Prime flat iron steak
Black-Angus Ribeye
Beef tenderloin medallions
Prime rib of pork
Herb roasted chicken and shrimp
Jumbo Sea Scallops
Grilled Pacific Swordfish
Smoked White Bean Taquitos
Market Fish- (Chef's Choice)

Although explanations are given for each menu item, the new menu needs little explanation to picture what the item is. The new menu has added more dishes in every section y to provide more variety to their customers. Along with the changing menu a couple of positions also needed to be filled. The restaurant needs a server, greeter, and bus boy. The Bus boy position was easy to fill, but the server and greeter positions are a little harder to find people that have a little experience in these areas. This includes knowing fine dining etiquette and knowing which wines would be paired with different entrees. One way that we would recruit employees is through the Tourism Management School at ASU. This way we will receive individuals that have a desire to expand and develop a career in the current field. To pursue future employees we will be at the next career fair with the HR personal to interview possible candidates. The promotion of the restaurant is another aspect of the business that needs to be improved. The necessary steps toward contacting concierge desk and local magazines to promote the Compass needs to be improved. Our current plan is to offer concierge and local magazines a free dining experience in order show off a new and improved dining experience.