Altoona hotels win big at Marriott General Manager’s Conference

May 21, 2019

Altoona, Penn. (May 21, 2019) — The dual-branded Fairfield and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Altoona was awarded two prestigious awards at this year’s Marriott General Manager’s conference in Chicago. Both brands were awarded the 2019 Platinum Circle Award, and the TownePlace Suites was named the top hotel in arrival experience and number three in morning break of all hotels of the same brand across North America.

The Platinum Circle Award is given to hotels within the top five percent of their brand, determined by results of Guest Satisfaction Surveys completed by hotel guests throughout the previous year. Hotels compete against all of the other properties of the same brand across North America. The Fairfield was in the top five percent of 948 hotels, while the TownePlace Suites was in the top five percent of 384 hotels.

The Guest Satisfaction Surveys are comprised of various categories of guest interaction, including overall experience, arrival experience, morning break, environment and more. From these surveys, Marriott determines the top hotels across each of its brands in all of the individual categories. The TownePlace Suites by Marriott Altoona was named the top hotel in arrival experience and number three in morning break compared to almost 400 other TownePlace Suites properties across the United States and Canada.

“A guest’s arrival experience starts when they pull into the parking lot and continues to their check-in and employee interactions. We do our best to make a guest’s arrival as easy and efficient as possible because it sets the tone for the rest of their visit,” said General Manager James Long. “The morning break experience is all about breakfast. We make sure the breakfast and dining areas are clean, the staff are professional and the food is high quality.”

“To be the top hotel in these categories is a huge accomplishment,” said Peter Plamondon, Jr., Co-President of Plamondon Hospitality Partners. “But to be named the top hotel in arrival experience and in the top three for morning break throughout the United States and Canada is a huge deal! Awards of this magnitude show that every associate in the hotel, across every job function, is doing their very best and we are so incredibly proud of them.”

The Fairfield and TownePlace Suites in Altoona, located off Pleasant Valley Boulevard near the Van Zandt VA Medical Center, is owned and operated by Plamondon Hospitality Partners in Frederick, Md. It opened in February 2017, and is one of the first of its kind for Marriott. Hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, outdoor patio with Weber grills and 1,000 square feet of meeting space. The dual brands cater to both extended stays and transient travelers, and put two award-winning hotels under one roof.

Plamondon Hospitality Partners is a hotel management and business development company located in Frederick, Maryland. Their current portfolio includes Marriott and Hilton properties in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Georgia.