The Science

Centralized Services

We’re pleased to offer a variety of centralized services through the HEI Service Platform (HSP), a collection of mandatory and optional value-add enterprise programs. With these programs, we’re able to maximize real estate value by delivering essential services with greater cost efficiency and execution than if they’re performed at the property level. The improved efficiency is possible, thanks to our consistent, process-driven approach and our comprehensive technical infrastructure. The result is a lower fixed property cost, combined with faster and more consistent implementation of our strategies, and better human talent with lower turnover.

Mandatory Shared Services

• Accounting Systems
• Sales and Revenue Systems
• Associate Payroll, Training and Development
• IT Support, Security and Productivity Services
• Internal Audit
• Engineering Systems and PM Audit
• Merchandising, Promotion and Reputation Management
  
  

Value-Add Components

While some of our programs are mandatory, we also offer several optional “value-add” programs that deliver meaningful value in certain scenarios.

Optional Centralized Programs

These programs are great options for select hotels to capitalize on centralized resources to drive increased value.

• Finance – Provides a centralized DOF, accounts payable processing, balance sheet entries and reconciliations, and general centralized accounting support.
• Human Resources – Supplies centralized HR support, including a centralized HRD, instead of requiring an on-site Human Resources Director.
• Revenue Management – Offers a centralized DORM as an alternative to an on-property DORM, as well as a pool of group room coordinators who are highly-trained in dealing with group reservations and cancellation collections.
• Sales – Provides a centralized DOS, centralized group sellers, and centralized business transient sales support.
  
  

Optional Value Enhancement Programs

These value-add programs are great in unique circumstances as an alternative to fully centralized departments or hiring certain on-property resources.

• Enterprise Payables Management – Includes access to centralized services such as accounts payable processing and balance sheet entries and reconciliations, for hotels where full Centralized Finance is not appropriate.
• Enterprise Recruiting – Offers full-service centralized talent recruiting for managers and above.
• Enterprise Reservations – Grants access to a pool of coordinators who are highly trained in dealing with group reservations and cancellation collections.
• Enterprise Marketing – Offers full-service marketing services in lieu of a local marketing manager. Partners with on-site team to drive revenues through community engagement.

Workers Comp

On-the-job injury or illness issues have a direct impact on profit performance. We ensure that GMs and their executive teams are directly involved in all safety programs and responsible for getting people back to work. HEI has used its scale to establish an industry-leading workers comp program designed to minimize expense volatility.

Workplace Management

All GMs, and their senior and mid-level management teams, work side-by-side with Associates in a hands-on and collaborative fashion, maximizing labor productivity.

Health Care

HEI emphasizes and motivates preventative care. An HRA (Healthcare Reimbursable Account) encourages Associates to become actively engaged in responsibly managing their own healthcare. This proactive approach, combined with HEI’s scale, has achieved an overwhelming level of support from our associates, at an attractive cost to our capital partners. 

Positive Associate Relations

Our most valuable asset is our people. Creating a positive associate culture is paramount in creating value. At HEI we believe in recognizing and rewarding our team members while promoting from within. The GMs in our hotels hold monthly Positive Associate Relations (PAR) meetings to listen, gain valuable feedback and ensure that each team member has what they need to be successful. Through these discussions we learn what is most important to our teams and find ways in which to fulfill these needs to keep our team members engaged. In addition to this, our core associate touchpoints, from GM Roundtable discussions, departmental monthly meetings and Town Hall celebrations, are all collectively working together to create a positive associate culture.

Reputation Management

With a team of Reputation Management Analysts dedicated to each hotel, we work to preserve and improve our reputation performance across all key consumer-facing platforms. GMs personally manage Trip Advisor while working with our Reputation team on key tactics to grow our number of four- and five-star reviews on both branded and OTA sites where our travelers are “shopping” the most. At HEI, we believe the buying decision is influenced by the reputation of the hotel so we provide the resources to influence that decision. In addition to the reputation of our hotels to the guest, we believe it is as important to maintain a positive reputation for prospective associates, and the GM also works with our Human Resources professionals across associate platforms such as Indeed to ensure we maintain and improve our reputation in order to attract and retain the best talent.

Training Platform

At HEI, we continue to invest in our people through several training platforms. With a dedicated Training department, we engage on every level across disciplines such as Revenue Management, Sales Strategy, Guest Satisfaction, Expense Management, Safety and more. Through these custom programs and training sessions, we are able to quickly adapt to the ever-evolving business and get these learnings to our property teams efficiently and effectively. In addition to this technology, HEI develops custom Service Culture and Brand training for our Lifestyle and Independent hotels. Through this in-person, classroom training, associates learn about their hotel’s personality, attributes and how their role as a guest “ambassador” of the hotel pulls through the property’s service culture.