by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Thursday marked the beginning of the Hyatt’s sixth year as part of Downtown’s Northbank skyline. Recognizing that milestone could be done in many different ways, but the ultimate choice came down to celebrating the community.
“Rather than have a reception here at the hotel, we decided to create a new Web site and e-mailed invitations to about 700 of our partners and business and community leaders to invite them to share their stories of the Hyatt,” said General Manager Dan King.
“We feel that Jacksonville’s residents and leaders are the reason we have been so successful here for the past five years,” he said.
King said www.hyattjaxfive.com also has details about several anniversary promotions the hotel is offering, including a chance to win one of 55 discount vouchers for a night at the Hyatt for $55. The winners will be announced May 5, keeping with the theme of “five.”
The Web site also links social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, on which the hotel has almost 2,000 friends, fans and followers.
“We have sold nearly 1 million room nights during the past five years,” said King. “We consider this a huge success and given our nation’s turbulent economic conditions over the past two years, we think it’s an example of how Jacksonville is one of the premier business and tourist destinations in the Southeast.”
It has been quite a half-decade, according to the 966-room hotel’s guest services records. In addition to the guests, 5,300 groups from civic clubs to international conventions have used the Hyatt’s meeting facilities and 183 couples celebrated their weddings there. One guest has stayed at the hotel for 962 nights since 2005.
King was general manager of the Hyatt Regency Dearborn in Michigan when the word spread in the company that the Hyatt flag would soon fly on the Northbank of the St. Johns River.
“I was ecstatic because it meant we had a new waterfront convention hotel and my parents retired to St. Augustine 30 years ago, so I was very familiar with the area. I also knew Phil Tufano, Hyatt’s first general manager here, and I told him if he ever decided to move on, I wanted the general manager’s job,” said King.
The new Web site also spotlights a list of the Hyatt’s local partners, including businesses, the City of Jacksonville, tourism advocates and several nonprofit organizations. The Web page also has links to each partner’s site.
King said the hotel has a tradition of supporting local service organizations and that’s part of the culture.
“Hyatt has a corporate responsibility to give back to the community wherever we are,” he added. “Being the largest hotel in North Florida, our responsibility is even greater.”
The property began in 2001 as an Adam’s Mark hotel before becoming a Hyatt. The first day the Hyatt opened its doors, Francesca Romero was the guest services manager. Now she’s the director of VIP Services.
“This property has become a beacon for the city. It’s also an example of diversity and ethnicity. We have more than 60 countries represented among our associates and they each bring their own treasure to the hotel.”
She said they share a simple philosophy. “The sales team brings our guests to the hotel, then the staff makes them glad they came here and we make sure that when they leave us, they want to come back,” said Romero.
The first person most guests meet when they arrive is Phil Patterson, who has been the doorman since the first day.
“It has been a wonderful five years,” he said. “I’ve met so many wonderful people from all over the world.”
King said as successful as the past five years have been for the Hyatt, there’s more in store.
“We’re pledged to continue to provide the highest level of service for our guests and we’ll take that service to new levels,” he added.
The Hyatt brand has been a landmark on Downtown’s skyline since 2005.
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