SPRINGFIELD, Mo. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts (JQH) today announced that its 257-suite Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista / Hotel & Conference Center in Nebraska has received the esteemed Platinum Adrian Award for public relations excellence in recognition of its highly successful Project SEARCH initiative. The upscale property, ranked as the number one Embassy Suites hotel in the world in 2009, 2010 and 2011, was acknowledged at the 58th annual Adrian Awards in New York, hosted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). Springfield, Mo.-based JQH is the largest private, independent owner and manager of hotels in the United States.
The HSMAI Adrian Awards is considered the world’s most renowned and prestigious advertising, public relations and digital marketing competition specifically tailored for the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. This year’s competition garnered more than 1,200 entries from around the world. Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista’s entry showcased the hotel’s serving as a real-life workplace for job training for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and then transitioning program graduates to long-term employment. The award entry also highlighted how the hotel effectively communicated the program’s mission and progress through a creative documentary developed by La Vista Project SEARCH students and also via publicity efforts in local television, magazine and newspaper stories. The storytelling efforts resulted in enhanced program collaboration locally, nationally and internationally and also improved hotel topline revenue.
Project SEARCH began at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in 1996. As one of the first hotel host sites of the innovative program, the Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista has found Project SEARCH to be effective for filling high turnover jobs, creating disability awareness training, and increasing customer loyalty, among other benefits. David Scott, the hotel’s director of sales, serves as Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista’s lead advocate and communicator of the mission of Project SEARCH. He was recently invited to the White House as a Champion of Change Nominee for Disability Employment. He also represented the hotel and JQH in accepting the Platinum Adrian Award.
“Receiving the Platinum Adrian Award for Project SEARCH is especially rewarding, because it allows us to let more hotels know about an innovative training program that truly changes lives and is good for business,” Scott said. “Hotels tend to serve as an ideal site for hosting Project SEARCH classes, with properties typically being able to offer diverse training experiences in the areas of banquet, housekeeping, engineering and sales over a 30-week period.”
100 Percent Placement Record
Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista spearheads a business advisory council that collaborates with local employers to secure permanent jobs for graduates of the Project SEARCH program. With a 100 percent placement record last year, the La Vista property is outperforming the Project SEARCH national average of 68 percent and the Nebraska average of 75 percent.
JQH Project SEARCH Expansion
Building on the success of its La Vista property, JQH has extended implementation of the Project SEARCH program within the company’s vast hotel portfolio. An additional nine JQH hotels in seven states representing multiple brands are currently hosting a Project SEARCH class or are scheduled to begin participating in the next academic year:
- Courtyard by Marriott Omaha – La Vista in Nebraska
- Embassy Suites Omaha – Downtown/Old Market in Nebraska
- Embassy Suites Lincoln in Nebraska
- Embassy Suites Nashville SE Murfreesboro – Hotel & Conference Center in Tennessee
- Embassy Suites Norman – Hotel & Conference Center in Oklahoma
- Embassy Suites St. Louis – St. Charles/Hotel & Spa in Missouri
- Embassy Suites Dallas – Frisco Hotel, Convention Center & Spa in Texas
- Embassy Suites Albuquerque – Hotel & Spa in New Mexico
- Renaissance Phoenix – Glendale Hotel & Spa in Arizona
“Our hotels are embracing a unique training program that benefits everyone involved,” said Joe Morrissey, JQH senior vice president of operations. “We look forward to continuing to adopt Project SEARCH classes throughout the JQH portfolio and encourage the hotel industry to get involved with this breakthrough opportunity that reinforces community responsibility.”
Located at 12520 Westport Parkway in La Vista, the Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista / Hotel & Conference Center can be reached at (402) 331-7400. For more information, visit www.omahalavista.embassysuites.com and www.facebook.com/EmbassySuitesLaVista.
About Embassy Suites Hotels
Visit www.embassysuites.com for more information about Embassy Suites Hotels and connect with Embassy Suites at www.embassysuitesmediacenter.com, www.facebook.com/embassysuiteshotels and www.twitter.com/EmbassySuites.
About Hilton Worldwide
Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information about Hilton Worldwide.
About Project SEARCH
Project SEARCH's primary objective is to secure competitive employment for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program is a unique, business-led, one year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace. Since its inception, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to over 300 sites across the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and Australia. For more information, go to www.projectsearch.us.
About John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts
Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts (JQH) is the largest private, independent owner and manager of hotels in the United States, representing brands such as: Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Sheraton, IHG, Chateau on the Lake Resort / Spa & Convention Center, and Plaza Hotels Collection. With a portfolio of more than 75 hotels representing nearly 19,000 guest rooms/suites in 24 states, JQH’s properties are dominant in their markets. Founded on the extraordinary vision of John Q. Hammons and built on his continued legacy of excellence spanning more than 50 years, JQH has become one of the most recognized and award-winning companies in the hospitality industry. Built to be the best, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts continues to set the standard in hospitality management and hotel development. For more information about JQH, visit the company’s website at www.jqhhotels.com or www.facebook.com/jqhhotelsresorts.
