Akron Part II - It All Started with a Selfie with our BFF Arne





If you go back to the beginning of my blog, the new job started at the corporate office and with a selfie of the one and only Arne Sorensen.  On Day 2 as we sat at the table in the Hub, I wasn't hearing a word that my boss was saying as I was stalking Arne across the room following his every move.  I look at Shannon sitting next to me and said lets go we are going to take a selfie with Arne, she said no I don't want to ruin your picture with him....I think I gave her a crazy look and told her that she wasn't ruining it and she couldn't pass up this chance to get up!  I think it was that moment that signed the dotted line on our friendship because I knew she was just as crazy as I was! 

 

From that moment we have kept in contact via text message nearly daily, phone calls and the occasional FaceTime when we needed to see each others faces.  At first meeting you probably could pick out that for sure I am the loud one that will get Cole in trouble :) vs. Cole who is even tempered and thinks things out before acting....as we have gotten to know each other it really is a good balance!  She is my moral compass and I make her exit her comfort zone!  We never thought we would get to work together as two newbies as we have people on our team that have been on it for years and never worked together.  So when the schedule stuck and we got released we were super excited!

 

It was a week for the record books!  We learned a little more about each other and actually uncovered that we have a lot more in common than we knew as far as our backgrounds and upbringing.  Solving the worlds problems one night we determined that neither of us trust people easily and it takes us a long time to develop, however that maybe because we were kindred spirits that we trusted each other earlier on than normal.  It was a week full of laughs, late night chats and for me an admiration and respect for a friend that grew over the week as I got to know her more and watched her during training, where I learned so much from her. 

 

Our week was full of multiple trips to the Giant Eagle grocery store that has a bar inside it and also you can purchase beer in bottles to drink while shopping.  Lots of selfies around the city of Akron, at the Giant Eagle and whenever we thought it appropriate!  Late night chats in the Speakeasy or the Club House getting to know each other better, solving the worlds problems and talking about our experiences the last 10 weeks and trying to learn from them.  Spreading St. Patty's Day cheer by delivering Little Debbie Cakes to the city of Akron from our rental car (it was hilarious!!).  And wrapping up our time in Akron by being the MOD's as the management team went to dinner to celebrate their opening! 

 

It was a 12 days together and I feel so blessed to have had the time with Shannon and Emma.  Most of my week was dedicated to making them laugh whether by my Zirkle impression (I heart you), my stellar dance moves, a one liner here and there or just by just being me!  While our jobs can sometimes be stressful and a lot of pressure to open the hotel and lay the best foundation possible, it was good to have a week where that was all still happening but at the end of the day we genuinely enjoyed being there together and were having fun. 

 

Shannon Cole thank you for being a partner in crime, someone I can trust, a sounding board some days, a cheerleader, a smile at the end of a long training day, the moral compass, and most of all from Rose to Dorothy...."Thank you for being a friend...travel down that road and back again!!!"

 

 

When you need back up you can totally call us...we will be there no questions asked!

#selfie

Just hanging out in the Speakeasy, solving the worlds problems!

Wouldn't have wanted to share a flight of beer at the grocery store with anyone else! 

A shopping cart with beer holders, we couldn't shop without them!

1/2 a block of cheese...it will only cost you $421

Another photo op we just couldn't pass up!

Opening day and we got a few pictures around the city in between shifts...this is a giant catfish wind catcher...it almost took off Cole's head!

Opening Day + St. Patty's Day = Ice Tea in St. Patty's glasses :(

Quick pull over for a selfie with the Goodyear sign!

What do you when you have St. Patty's Day Little Debbie's and are in Akron....you drive around, roll the window down and share Little Debbie's with the city of Akron!  Only in Akron and only with Cole!

Mark....Happy St. Patty's Day....Here is your Little Debbie!

It was like we were throwing candy in a parade!!!  Happy St. Patty's Day!

When you realize that all the management team left at 6pm on opening day and now you have turned into the MOD's for the night!

Akron O-H-I-O.....Part I....."The Training Week"

Akron OHIO!!!  On our internal training website we have an excel spreadsheet schedule that is posted and maintained by our bosses that gives us an idea of where we might go next.  I rarely look at it as it changes all the time and usually I get a phone call or email about my next assignment.  However I logged in while at home after the AC Boston to see if anything was on my schedule and it said Courtyard Downtown Akron, which I knew would be at least 3 trainers so I started looking.  I saw on there that one of the other trainers was Tim Jones a gentleman from our team I hadn't met yet, however he sends me a nice email every time a hotel I have been at opens so I was looking forward to seeing him.  Then I located the 3rd trainer, Shannon Cole, NO WAY!  If you remember my blog from my first day at the corporate office, Shannon is my battle buddy, the one whom I wouldn't have made it through the last 10 weeks without, the one who when I have questioned my training ability has been there with a kind word, who has been a cheerleader and someone who I can trust (which as we both established doesn't come easy for us)!  I couldn't believe that they would put us on an assignment together we figured we wouldn't see each other forever; I knew she was in the process of leaving Waco so I called an left her a voicemail....I am sure I sounded like an over excited idiot in it....but I was so excite to see her face!  We text daily and talk every few days, but it would be nice to see her face!

Well the training team stuck and we had been released to Akron...super excited!  Then on Sunday (we arrived on Monday 3/7) we got an email that Tim wouldn't be joining us that he had become sick and wouldn't be able to make it out on the road....we were to hold tight about a replacement.  We called each other and were assured that we were going to have to pull this off together and had no doubts that we could do it!  Then we got an email that Emma would be replacing Tim and joining us later on Monday....so exciting!  I had just spent a week with her in Boston and was excited to see her again in a less crazy environment and hopefully I would get to learn some more about  her!

Shannon and I got to meet up in the Charlotte airport and spent 3 hours in the American Airlines Admirals Club catching up and getting prepared for the Leadership meeting when we arrived at the hotel. 

So the hotel is beautiful and in downtown Akron, not too far from Goodyear and the University of Akron.  The staff was eager to get started, although some of them had heard that the female trainers where tougher and meaner than the male trainers so they were nervous that 3 ladies showed up!  All in all it was a good training time together and with a few issues at the hotel with the fire permit, we actually ended up having to push the opening back 2 days and didn't open until today March 17th, St. Patty's Day!  So we had an extra 2 days to train the staff....and an extra 2 days to explore Akron!  While here we established our "Club House" in one of the suite loft rooms at the end of the hall that wasn't quite done, ate at some awesome places, discovered a grocery store with live bands a bar and beer and drinking while you shop, did several group workouts, laughed from morning till night and only got ditched one night by Emma for dinner :)!!!!

This was a week that trainers dream of having, a team that was eager to learn and training partners that are as crazy as you are who want to make it fun and who roll with the punches when things just aren't working out right.  Emma again was so patient with Shannon and I who had only seen one Bistro training and took the time to teach us so much.  They then continued to rock Bistro training as I trained Front Desk and Housekeeping.  My side hurt from laughing at the end of everyday, my dance moves got worse as the week went on and I can honestly say it would take a lot to top this week!  Team members and Regional team members from the hotel management company said multiple times that you all must travel together often and where shocked to hear that this is the first time we had worked together; they thought that we always traveled together as much fun, respect, organization and patience we had with each other and team.  It was an amazing week and again made me feel truly blessed to do what I do...the long hours and sleepless nights in a creepy hotel make it all worth it!

Part II to this blog...coming soon!!!  How 2 random girls from two different places with two different personalities have become such good friends and come to find out have had similar pasts! 



 

 

 

 

So much fun to see my friend and hang out in the Admirals Club!



What do you do with no internet...you hook the Ipad up to the big screen in the "Club House Room" and FaceTime your favorites and take a selfie with them!  Tricia was just landing at LAX...so good to see her cute face!

The one...the only...Chantel!

Bistro training day one....Shannon and I are official in our chefs coats!

FaceTime with the Queen herself.....my side hurt from laughing so hard!!!

I am so sorry Ormsby....you have been replaced on my screensaver!!!

Bistro training....my sharpie had to match my lipstick!

Opening day selfie the day before since Emma left us for home! 

Anne and Jo.....a couple of crazy front desk agents I had the pleasure of training!

Opening day selfie!!!

My seat mate on the plane to Akron....her mom had to go to the bathroom so I got to hold her....so cute!!!  And so calm on the plane!  Mini Pearl would have been freaking out!!

AC Boston - My First Lifestyle Opening

So the last time we left off I was leaving Holland MI to head to the big city of Boston in the middle of an assignment.  I'd been called in to help with the opening of the AC Hotel in Boston....a beautiful location and my first Lifestyle brand opening.  This was the 7th AC to open in the US and there was a lot of pressure on this opening.  I was super nervous....I would be working with Emma and Maricela whom I had heard about and knew that they had their shit together so I had to bring my A Game!  It was a very stressful and crazy week, this hotel was AMAZING with lots of custom items so there was a lot of game changing during the week.  Emma was awesome...keeping us all on task, even while she was fighting a crazy cold and having to do most of the orientation facilitating since I was new and Maricela was also learning.  She was a trooper!  Then there was Maricela and her mean parking skills....she seriously can back into any spot...its remarkable! 
In the middle of all the craziness we did manage to have some fun!  We went to a place called Yvonne's it was highly recommended by a guy on our team that lives in Boston.  When you walk down this old brick street in downtown Boston you come up on this place called Yvonne's, when you walk in there are 2 hairstylist chairs and a reception desk!  The lady at the reception desk asks if you have an appointment, if not she lets you know if they have any available, we were lucky to get one.  She then reaches behind her an a spot in the wall becomes a door and opens up into one of the coolest bars I've seen in awhile.  It is all wood, glass mirrors, dark lighting, and hand crafted, hand shaken cocktails....it was a show with every drink. It was the best thing we did while in Boston as it was such a fun night full of meeting new folks and laughs with MVA, Emma and Maricela!!!
This was an opening full of lots of lessons, lots of laughs and a few stressful moments.  However at the end of the day I learned a lot from the other girls, got to meet a few new Marriott people and my FOSSE training class was amazing and they are still rocking it and doing very well!  It was home for a couple of days and then off to Akron OH....with Shannon Cole....my battle buddy and Tim Jones another new trainer that we hadn't met yet!

Flew Grand Rapids to New York and then New York to Boston.  Beautiful!

Elevator Selfie!!!!

Cab Selfie on the way home from the Speakeasy.....it was a smelly cab....but an awesome bar!

Opening day selfie!!!

 

 

The speakeasy!

I went to Holland....MI! :).

Feb 16th started with a quick trip to Chicago (more to come later) and then I headed to Holland Michigan to meet the one, the only Trisha!  We were assigned to a New Build Courtyard, she would be teaching Bistro and I'd be working with Housekeeping, FOSSE and Leadership!  I was SOOOO excited to be joining her again as I learned so much from her in our 4 days together, she is a patient teacher and since last seeing her I had spent 18 days with the Queen getting whipped into shape...so I felt ready to "add value" during our week together.  The hotel was still under a bit of construction when we arrived...and when I say bit I mean a hott mess!  :)

I spent time with their housekeeping department and the front desk, then it was time to work with Trisha in the Bistro...HOLY LORD!  I was a nervous wreck...but she is SOOOO good at what she does...making sure that employees are following her...she instructs in a way that you catch every word and in the 72 hours of Bistro we spent together I learned so much from her.  

We started together on Wedensday and on Friday I got a call that I was being pulled to go to another project in Boston, so the Queen was coming in on Saturday to take my place.  I had arrived in Chicago on Tuesday and spent the day with Micheal Van Akkern he is the Brand Leader for Lifestyle Brands (AC Hotel, Moxy,Renaissance) I was interviewing to be part of the Lifestyle section of our team, a group of select individuals who are chosen to join the brand training.  I still wanted to meet with MVA in order to expand my network, broaden my horizons and I had told my bosses when I interviewed that I would go anywhere and do anything.  So when I got the call to head to the AC I knew that the interview had gone well (more to come in a later blog posting).

Trisha and I had a good few days of training together and a few great dinners.  We went to a local pub that was playing the NBC Night of Curling on the TV so I got the opportunity to school some folks in the bar on curling...it was fun!  Then we had the GREAT pleasure of Queen Zirkle joining us on Saturday so we got Saturday night and Sunday night dinner with her...it was amazing to see her...I am not sure what I am going to do when I have to go more than a few weeks without seeing that amazing face!!!  

I packed my bag and hit the road on Monday morning at 5am for Boston MA for an new AC Hotel Boston North, my first lifestyle brand!  It was a trip to remember and I will blog about it later....for now I am going to finish the rest of my in air cranberry and vodka and take some time to unplug when I get home.  Recharge my battery, say good bye to someone I love dearly and get prepared to hit the road again on Sunday!  Stay tuned!

Our car while in MI...not very good for the snow...but darn we looked good!!!

Trisha and I out on the town! :)