The center, dubbed Hotel Equities University, accommodates 30 to 35 employees within a tiered-seating classroom similar to those found at modern college campuses, says Tamara Markham, the company's director of operations. "It will be more familiar to Generation X and Y employees," she tells GlobeSt.com.
Besides regular training for management, sales and other Hotel Equities personnel, the company conducts what it calls "culture class" for new hires within their first two to three months on the job. That course is taught by Fred Cerrone, the president and CEO who founded the company in 1989.
"We have secured several new hotel management contracts in recent months, and our expansion will allow us to accommodate the new people we are bringing in," Cerrone says. Hotel Equities currently has 30 hotels in its portfolio under a broad range of brands in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, and Virginia.
The office itself is centrally located within Atlanta's Northside Perimeter submarket, which is easily accessible by interstate or mass transit for Hotel Equities' employees from outside the Atlanta area, Markham says. About 20 people work at the Hotel Equities headquarters, she says.
"One of our greatest assets is our people and it's important for us to invest in training, which is why it's important to have a comfortable place for that," Markham says. Besides helping with employee retention, she notes that the proper training can enhance customer service, which leads to greater profitability.
Ed Riggins with CresaPartners negotiated the lease renewal and expansion on behalf of Hotel Equities, while Caroline Nolen of Barry Real Estate represented the building's owner, RB41 PCE LLC. Riggins says he was particularly pleased to complete this deal: "In this environment, I just don't have too many clients who are increasing the size of their space by 123%."
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