By Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“It’s an honor to be nominated. but it’s actually a reflection of what the Hyatt family in Jacksonville has accomplished.”
Those were Hyatt General Manager Dan King’s words commenting about his nomination as a candidate for the 2008 Hyatt General Manager of the Year Award. King was chosen for the “Large Hotels” category out of more than 120 Hyatt properties worldwide.
He said while annual revenue accounts for part of the evaluation and nomination process, there is an ever bigger focus on customer service. An independent polling organization conducts comprehensive surveys of Hyatt guests including meeting planners and business and leisure travelers, to determine their satisfaction with their experience at each hotel.
“The sales department books the groups, but our associates bring them back. Every job here at the hotel is critical to our success,” said King.
In addition to his nomination, King has also been named vice chair of Visit Jacksonville, the organization that promotes Jacksonville as a destination for business travel and tourism. He was also recently named president of the board of directors of the North Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, whose more than 120 member hoteliers work to bring more visitors and their tax dollars to Duval, Clay, Nassau, St. Johns and Putnam counties.
King said 2009 is shaping up to be a busy year, but his first priority is making Jacksonville’s Hyatt the best place to stay in North Florida. He also said he can only take a small part of the credit for the hotel’s success.
“Being the general manager is like being the conductor of an orchestra,” he said. “Some of the instruments need to play softer and some need to play louder, but we all have to be on the same page and at the same tempo. Like a conductor, when it’s all working together, I’m the one who gets to stand out front and enjoy the music.”
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