Press release:
Aloft Asheville Downtown Honored with 2016 Starwood Cares for the Community Hotel Volunteer Award for North American Region
Local hotel team recognized for making a meaningful impact in the Asheville community
Asheville, N.C. (April 13, 2016) – McKibbon Hospitality, a leading hotel management company with more than 80 properties, is pleased to announce that its Aloft Asheville Downtown hotel has been selected by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide as the recipient of the 2016 Starwood Cares for the Community Hotel Volunteer Award for the North American region. The hotel was chosen as one of three finalists by Starwood from more than 800 full service and specialty select brand hotels, and more than 3,000 of the company’s associates voted to select them as the winner of this prestigious award.
“With community service being at the heart of everything we do at McKibbon, we are very proud of the commitment our entire Aloft Asheville Downtown team has shown to the Asheville community,” said John McKibbon, chairman of McKibbon Hospitality. “In addition to the top-notch service they provide hotel guests each day, they continue to go above and beyond in the community to help make Asheville an even better place to work, live and visit.”
The Starwood Cares for the Community program supports and encourages Starwood associates in strategic volunteer work that drives sustainable and meaningful impact in the community. Aloft Asheville Downtown is recognized for its volunteer efforts to support the community’s humane treatment of animals, homeless population, youth organizations, environment, and arts and cultural groups throughout 2015. The hotel’s team of 55 associates participated in 15 volunteer events over the course of the year, benefiting more than 10 local non-profit organizations including Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue, Homeward Bound, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Mission Health Children’s Hospital.
“We are proud to recognize Aloft Asheville Downtown as the recipient of the 2016 Starwood Cares for the Community Hotel Volunteer Award in North America for their outstanding commitment to engaging associates in meaningful volunteerism,” said Michelle Naggar, vice president of social responsibility for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “The associates at the hotel set an inspiring example by aligning their passions with the needs of the local community, resulting in long-standing partnerships with local nonprofits and tremendous community impact.”
As part of the award, the Starwood Foundation is providing Aloft Asheville Downtown with a $5,000 grant to donate to the local charity of its choice, and McKibbon Hospitality has agreed to match this amount, bringing the total donation to $10,000. The hotel has selected Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue to receive the funds. Aloft has been partnering with Charlie’s Angels since 2014, when they joined forces to launch a foster dog adoption program. Through the program, Aloft Asheville Downtown fosters dogs in need of a forever home, housing one dog at a time who can be adopted by hotel guests and visitors. Since its inception, the program has placed 58 dogs with new families. Charlie’s Angels will use the funds to purchase a new van to transport animals from local kill shelters to their Safe Haven facility or new foster home.
In addition to this award, Aloft Asheville Downtown received the following awards at Starwood’s annual conference held last week:
- Sales Leader of the Year Award – Director of Sales Christine Kavanagh has been honored for leading the hotel’s overall success in sales and community outreach, and for close engagement with Starwood’s corporate sales, marketing and operations teams.
- Starwood Cares for the Community Individual Award – Food and Beverage Director Emma Ledbetter has been recognized for her outstanding volunteer efforts and leadership in encouraging other hotel associates to take positive action to help strengthen the Asheville community.
For more information about Aloft Asheville Downtown, visit www.aloftashevilledowntown.com or www.facebook.com/aloftasheville. To learn more about McKibbon Hospitality, visit www.mckibbon.com.
About McKibbon Hospitality
Headquartered in Tampa, FL and Gainesville, Ga., McKibbon Hospitality creates memorable hospitality experiences that inspire brand and property loyalty. It’s how we’ve grown into one of the largest (and most awarded) hotel development and management companies in the country. We build, renovate and manage properties across the country for Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and other iconic hospitality brands. From hand-picking urban sites to imagining the just-for-you details of a guest experience, from overseeing operations to bringing a brand to life, and everything in between, McKibbon shapes inclusive hospitality development. Visit McKibbon.com to learn more.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in some 100 countries and over 180,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®,Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, element® and the recently introduced Tribute Portfolio™.
The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood recently announced plans to spin off its Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. business, a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands, into a standalone public company by the end of 2015. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About Aloft Hotels
With 100 hotels open now and coming soon in 15 countries around the world, Starwood’s Aloft brand delivers a fresh approach to the traditional staid hotel landscape. For the ‘always on’ next generation of traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience and a modern style that is different by design. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.
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