Hospitable approach

Sue Gallogly, director of sales and marketing for the Courtyard Warwick Hotel, was named the 2014 Director of Sales of The Year by Waterford Hotel Group. She also received the President Level Sales Champion Award and the hotel was named the 2014 Front Office Team of the Year. Prior to her role at the Courtyard Warwick, Gallogly has held roles at NYLO Hotels, the Sheraton Warwick Hotel and the Westin Hotel. Gallogly also serves as an ambassador for the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. She holds a B.S. in hospitality sales and meeting management and an A.S. in food and beverage management from Johnson & Wales University.

Are there any phrases or mentalities that you try to instill on your staff?

The mentality I most often instill on our staff is to listen, smile and be kind. Marriott International recently awarded the Courtyard Warwick with the Silver Circle Award. This recognition is awarded to Courtyard-branded hotels that are in the top 20 percent of overall guest satisfaction ratings in North America. This was a great nod to our entire team and the guest experiences they provide.

As a Chamber ambassador how do you help integrate new members?

- Advertisement -

Ambassadors are assigned new members at monthly meetings. I email and/or call the member to introduce myself and then visit with a Chamber welcome basket. The main purpose of the visit is not only to welcome the new member, but to find out more about their business and how I or the Chamber can be of assistance in building their business. Often that involves introducing them to potential clients, mentors or allies.

What was it like serving as director of sales for the opening team of a NYLO boutique hotel?

Being part of the opening team for a hotel is about as fun as work gets and this is particularly true of boutique hotels. There is a level of creative freedom that you don’t find working for a deeply branded chain. Of course, there are challenges as well. The main one is fear of the unknown. We had to first build awareness and then back it up with consistently good service. •

No posts to display