Volume 2, 2003PAGE 4

Hampton Inn & Suites at Peabody Place named "hotel of the year" by Hilton Hotels Corporation

Known for his commitment to guest satisfaction and exceeding customer's expectations, Craig Marshall, general manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites at Peabody Place, seemed an obvious choice to receive the Peabody Hotel Manager of the Year in 2001 and 2002.

This year Craig accomplished an even larger goal, when his hotel in downtown Memphis was named "Hotel of the Year" by Hilton Hotels Corporation, which franchises the Hampton brand. In 2002, the Hampton Inn & Suites at Peabody Place received the highest ranking among all Hampton Inn & Suites and all 1,200 hotels in the Hampton system for guest satisfaction, product quality, and service scores.

Craig, who has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years, set a goal to be the "best Hampton Inn & Suites in the world" three years ago, when the hotel first opened. To achieve that objective, he lives by the motto, "You can't expect what you don't inspect." .

Craig credits his staff for helping the hotel become the best of the best. "I could never do this by myself," he said. "I have a great staff that is just as dedicated to delivering the best in customer satisfaction as I am."

In addition to these awards, the Hampton Inn & Suites has won Hotel of the Year from the Peabody Hotel Group for the past two years. The hotel and staff also have won some of Hilton's other top awards, including the Circle of Excellence for customer service, the Hampton Pride Award for product quality and customer service, and the Connie Award for being the best in the Hampton brand. The Connie Award is named for the founder of Hilton Hotels, Conrad Hilton.

Hilton also received its sixth consecutive Outstanding Product Evaluation, meaning the hotel achieved a perfect inspection. "The record is seven, which we plan to meet, and then pass!" Craig said.