Author: developer

Murat Coskun, General Manager of the Hampton Inn, East Peoria, Illinois and Dave Kimsey, Chief Financial Officer of Johnson Development Company were recognized by the American Hotel and Lodging Association with the designation of Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA). The CHA designation, recognized worldwide, is the premier symbol of professional achievement for lodging executives. It’s an honor awarded to professionals whose leadership and managerial abilities are exemplary; professionals who, by combining education and experience with dedication to the industry, have achieved a high level of expertise.

Today’s successful general managers and top hospitality professionals must have effective human resources and property management expertise, sound judgment, and practical skills. They must keep pace with change, improve knowledge, and share their experience with others. Johnson Development Company congratulates Mr. Coskun and Mr. Kimsey for exhibiting their knowledge in all areas required of a CHA; financial management, sales and marketing, leadership and management, human resource management, rooms management and, food and beverage management.

Jeff Edwards, Regional General Manager of the Urbana Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express was recently named Chairman of both the Alliance Board and the Convention and Visitors Bureau Boards of the Champaign-Urbana area. Mr. Edwards will assume these roles beginning July 1, 2006.

The Alliance Board is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the activities of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce and the Champaign County Economic Development Board. The board coordinates the activities of the three organizations in it’s mission of promoting and supporting community development. As Chairman of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board, Mr. Edwards will be responsible for the oversight of the CVB staff, finances, community sponsored events, Arts council activities and the Sports Commission.

Mr. Edwards has been a CVB board representative for five years, served as a member of the Executive Committee for two year, and is currently the completing a term as the Vice-Chairman.

Mr. Edward has been a member of the Alliance Board for the past three years.

For the second consecutive year, Murat Coskun, the General Manager of the Hampton Inn – East Peoria was recognized by Hilton Hotels Corporation as the General Manager most accessible to the guests in the North Central Region (over 110 hotels). The distinction, based on guest responses to surveys regarding management presence at the daily complementary breakfast, was bestowed upon Murat at the annual Hilton Focused Services Conference in Minneapolis, MN. Reserve your room and meet Murat and has team for breakfast by calling (309) 694-0711.

George Johnson, President and CEO of Johnson Development Company has been named to the Central Regional Operations Council of the International Association of Holiday Inns, Owners’ Association (IAHI). The mission of the 12 to 14 member IAHI Regional Operations Council is to provide consistent and specific operational to the IAHI Brand Committees and Board to guide standards development and program implementation and review, enhancing the IAHI’s ability to respond to hotel needs and to improve implementation of InterContinental Hotel brand and system programs.

As a member of the council, George’s duties will include the following:

Identifying and communicating operational best practices that increase guest satisfaction, employee retention and improve profitability,

Providing operational input for proposed and existing standards to assist in the achievement of system and brand goals,

Address and provide feedback on specific issues as identified by the IAHI Board in conjunction with InterContinental Hotels Group,

Assist the IAHI in the accomplishment of membership goals through direct contact with franchise principal correspondents and general managers, and

Serve as a vital link in grassroots communications by contacting specified principal correspondents and general managers.

Johnson Development Company, LLC owns and operates the Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn and Suites, and the Staybridge Suites in Springfield, IL as well as the Hampton Inn in East Peoria, IL. Additional the company manages the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Urbana, IL.

On January 5, 2006 at the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) Leadership Conference, in Dallas, Texas, Angela Ford was honored with recognition to the 2006 NACE President's List. Angela is the Director of Sales and Catering at the Holiday Inn - Urbana. The President’s List honor is awarded to a select number of individuals throughout the association’s 3500+ members each year. The tradition began to recognize NACE members that truly exemplify effort and achievement within the industry and beyond other members within their chapters.

Nominations are made by each chapter’s president and are sent to the national president for review and must include two letters of recommendations. The nomination and reference letters all carried a consistent theme throughout:

Dedication, determination and commitment
Tireless and selfless service
Encouraging – Cheerleader
Supportive – Above and Beyond the call

“I am truly honored to receive this recognition and to be placed among some of the well known names in the industry. It is rewarding to have this accomplishment and be reminded that success comes from the commitment you make to inspire others, get the job done, and to strive for excellence at all times. I encourage everyone to find something you are passionate about and excel to rewarding levels,” stated Angela.

The Urbana Motel Partners, today announced the official opening of their new Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites at 1003 West Killarney Street in Urbana, IL. The new property is the first Holiday Inn Express in the Urbana area.

The 74-room 3-story hotel, owned by the Urbana Motel Partners and operated by Johnson Development Company of Springfield, IL, is located at 1003 West Killarney adjacent to the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center. The Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center is also operated by Johnson Development Company.

“We are pleased to bring a new level of service and quality to the Urbana market to compliment our existing Holiday Inn,” Kim Filla, General Manager of the new Holiday Inn Express said.

“A tireless effort by everyone involved made the completion of this project a reality. We are pleased to have the increased room capacity and quality that the Holiday Inn Express will add to our market and allow us to expand our conference offerings to even larger groups,” said Jeff Edwards, General Manager of the adjacent Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center.

The new hotel features amenities such as the Express Start ™ Free Breakfast Bar served daily, Smart Roast™ In-Room Coffee, the Simply Smart™ Guest Bathroom with pressure and temperature regulating shower heads and a plush bathroom amenities package, as well as the Smart Connect(SM) Guest Communications program with free local and 1-800 telephone calls and free high speed internet access. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites is also a member of the Priority Club® Rewards Guest Loyalty Program. The 74-room hotel also features an indoor swimming pool, exercise room, meeting room, and a complimentary business center with guest computers and printing and faxing capabilities.

To make reservations or request information about Holiday Inn Express contact the hotel directly at (217) 328-0328, travelers may also access the Holiday Inn Express website at www.hiexpress.com or call 1-888-HOLIDAY (1-888-465-4329).

Johnson Development Company is also the owner and operator of the Staybridge Suites, Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn and Suites in Springfield, IL, as well as the Hampton Inn in East Peoria IL.

The Hampton Inn and Suites, Springfield-Southwest received an overall “Outstanding” on its recent quality evaluation by Hilton Hotels Corporation. This overall score, based on a combination of guest satisfaction surveys and franchise quality auditor review, is the highest quality score that a Hampton Inn and Suites can receive.

In a letter from Hilton Hotels Corporation, Stephen A. Arnold, Senior Director noted that, “The hotel team has certainly demonstrated their ability to maintain a superlative property.” Mr. Arnold further commented, “Their dedication to upholding product and service quality puts them among the best of the best.”

The Hampton Inn and Suites – Springfield, SW, opened in 2002, is an 83-room hotel featuring free high-speed internet with wireless access in the lobby, free hot breakfast every morning, evening receptions Tuesday through Thursday, and microwaves and refrigerators in all guest rooms. The hotel also showcases a swimming pool and hot tub, exercise facility, on-location miniature convenience store, and public access computers in the lobby.

Come see for yourself why the Hampton Inn and Suites, Springfield-Southwest is rated as an outstanding hotel. Contact the hotel directly for reservations at (217)793-7670.

The Urbana Motel Partners and Johnson Development Company, LLC announced that they will officially break ground for a new 74-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites to be located at 1003 Killarney Street in Urbana, IL. Ground-breaking ceremonies will be held at 10:00 am, Monday June 13, 2005. Construction of the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites is scheduled for completion by the end of 2005.

“Holiday Inn Express is an ideal lodging product for the Champaign-Urbana market,” said George Johnson, of Johnson Development Company, the management company for the Urbana Motel Partners.

“Business and leisure travelers visiting the area will enjoy the same high-quality services and amenities they’ve come to associate with the Holiday Inn name. The Holiday Inn Express project complements our existing facilities and market. The additional rooms allow us to market to larger groups and to plan for the expansion to our meeting and convention facilities.”

The new hotel will include amenities such as the Express Start ™ Free Breakfast Bar served daily, Smart Roast™ In-Room Coffee, the Simply Smart™ Guest Bathroom with pressure and temperature regulating shower heads and a plush bathroom amenities package, as well as the Smart Connect(SM) Guest Communications program with free local and 1-800 telephone calls and free high speed internet access. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites will also be a member of the Priority Club® Rewards Guest Loyalty Program. The 74-room hotel will also feature an indoor swimming pool, exercise room, meeting room, and a complimentary business center with guest computers and printing and faxing capabilities.

To make reservations or request information about Holiday Inn Express, travelers may access the Holiday Inn Express website at www.hiexpress.com or call 1-888-HOLIDAY (1-888-465-4329).

Holiday Inn is a World leader in the hospitality industry. There are approximately 1,300 Holiday Inn Express properties in the United States. Holiday Inn Express is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages and franchises a portfolio of highly regarded hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotels®, Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, and Candlewood Suites®.

Murat Coskun, the General Manager of the Hampton Inn – East Peoria was recognized by Hilton Hotels Corporation as the General Manager most accessible to the guests in the North Central Region (over 110 hotels). The distinction, based on guest responses to surveys regarding management presence at the daily complementary breakfast, was bestowed upon Murat at the annual Hilton Focused Services Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Reserve your room and meet Murat and has team for breakfast by calling (309) 694-0711.

Hampton, the national brand of mid-priced Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, has awarded the Hampton Inn & Suites - Springfield, Southwest, located at 2300 Chuckwagon Drive, Springfield, IL as one of its national Circle of Excellence Award winners. The property is ranked as being in the hotel brand’s top 10 percent in service, product and quality among 1,250 Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels. The Hampton Inn & Suites – Springfield, Southwest is owned by P.C. Motel Ventures, LLC and operated by Johnson Development Company, LLC, 1999 Wabash Avenue, Suite 206, Springfield, IL.

Circle of Excellence Award winners are selected annually by the Hampton brand. The criteria for receiving this award is based on customer feedback measured through guest satisfaction surveys about the hotel, as well as product quality and service scores measured quarterly by the company. The Hampton Inn & Suites – Springfield, Southwest is among only 120 hotels in the brand to receive the award, which includes a trophy plaque to display in the hotel’s lobby and special designation in the company’s guest directory of hotels.

“We are honored to achieve this designation among all Hampton hotels,” said Tricia Kelly, General Manager. “Providing clean, comfortable rooms and outstanding guest service is a top priority for our hotel staff and one reason we remain highly competitive in our local market.”

The 83-room Hampton Inn & Suites – Springfield, Southwest is located just minutes from downtown Springfield. Hotel amenities include free in-room high-speed internet, business center, exercise facility, swimming pool, in-room microwave and refrigerators, and 27 suites. Reservations may be made by contacting the hotel direct at (217) 793-7670 or online at www.hamptoninn.com.

In addition to clean and comfortable rooms with an individual iron and ironing board, all Hampton Inn & Suites guests receive a complimentary breakfast each day, complimentary in-room movie channels, in-room coffee maker, complimentary local phone calls made from the room and complimentary USA Today newspapers in the breakfast lobby area.

All room rates are backed by Hampton’s national 100% Hampton satisfaction guarantee program, which states that if guests are not completely satisfied with their stay, they are not expected to pay for that night.

Hampton Inn & Suites is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,500 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world’s best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Company®, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, and Conrad®.