Hotel General Manager Recognized Among National Chain's  ‘Best of the Best'

 Mechanicsburg, Pa, March 12, 2002 – "It's hiring good people and empowering them. I'm just working behind the curtain. The folks in the front line make it happen," said Brett Sechrist on being awarded the General Manager of the Year for 2001 by Homewood Suites by Hilton, a national brand of residential-style hotels.  Sechrist, general manager of the Homewood Suites in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, received the award at a ceremony during a Hilton Hotels Corporation conference in New Orleans. 

Sechrist was selected for the award based on his contribution to the hotel's performance in the areas of quality and guest satisfaction. The award's criteria include customer feedback scores measured through guest satisfaction surveys on the hotel as well as product quality and service scores measured quarterly by the company.  He has been the general manager of the 116-suite hotel located at 5001 Ritter Road since 1994.

“Brett's commitment to excellence as a general manager of the Homewood Suites Harrisburg-West hotel has resulted in the hotel achieving top quality within the Homewood Suites brand," said Jim Holthouser, senior vice president of brand management, Homewood Suites by Hilton.

“Brett's extraordinary efforts to build a strong employee team to support his vision has made this hotel one of the most reputable in the brand for delivering superior service, according to our customers." 

Sechrist said his selection for the award was due to the people around him. “It is the people here. Over the years we've received a lot of awards. It is the people that have made the difference."  Further praising his employees, Sechrist added that many of his employees have advanced to other positions with the hotel.

Sechrist said that his efforts in team building often purposefully center around levity.  He said that a lighthearted approach and “Yukking it up" have helped to strengthen the team spirit at the hotel while combating the often stressful atmosphere that surrounds direct customer service. Examples of levity that Sechrist has used are a “Copier Smashing Party" following the demise of a particularly frustrating copier machine and ongoing “Hair Dare" activities where someone agrees to shave his or her hair if a certain business goal is met.

Sechrist also said two other factors has led to the hotel's and his success. The hotel's low employee turnaround, much less that usual for the industry, has given him an experienced and dedicated staff. In addition, having an owner like High Industries makes a difference because High handles much of the human resource, legal and accounting functions, allowing Sechrist to concentrate on day-to-day operations.

 According to Sechrist, nearly fifty percent of the guests at the suite-style hotel are long term guests, relocating to the area. Many others have stayed at the hotel in the past.  

Sechrist, a native of the Pittsburgh area, has been in the hotel business for 15 years.  He is Assistant Den Leader for Cub Scout Pack 180, Mechanicsburg and assistant pony league coach for the Silver Spring Township Youth Baseball Association. He lives in Mechanicsburg with his wife and two children.

Built 1989, the Homewood Suites targets guests who stay for a few or more consecutive nights and who prefer residential-style all-suite lodging for a price comparable to a stay at a high-quality, traditional hotel.  Each suite has a fully equipped kitchen, featuring a microwave oven, full-size refrigerator and twin-burner stove with all the necessary pots, pans and utensils.

The Homewood Suites Harrisburg-West is owned and operated by High Hotels, Ltd. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an affiliate of High Industries, Inc.  High Hotels also owns and operates winning Homewood Suites in Reading, Pennsylvania, which also received a quality award, as well as Hampton Inn hotels in Reading, York, Mechanicsburg, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Middletown, New York, and Annapolis, Maryland. 

  Homewood Suites is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, which develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,000 hotels, resorts, and vacation ownership properties.  Its portfolio includes many of the industry's best known hotel brands, including Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Harrison Conference Centers, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, and Conrad.