Lessons From The Recession

Dear Team,

One of the hotel industry trades asked me to write an article titled, "Lessons From The Recession" for next month's magazine. As I typed away late one night, I began to realize, there are just so many. First among them is how we all take the "good times" for granted. Likewise, we take for granted working for a solid company and with a talented team. Both have proven to be a cherished commodity in these remarkable times. While FHG has certainly been challenged by this economy like everyone, all of you continue to step up everyday. I would like to tell you that better days in are sight, but signs are that we still have a long way to go before we will see any relief. Our recipe for weathering the storm is found in our "holy grail", the EAGLE card. Now more than ever, we need to be committed to Excellence. We are in a competitive market and everything we do to set us apart will pay a dividend. Awareness has never been more crucial. Consumer patterns are shifting daily and we need to be shifting with them. I just read a study of third party web sites that shows almost one third of all transient reservations is made within three days or less of check-in. Growth is a big part of our strategy. In the first half of this year, we have added the HGI, Minneapolis Downtown, the Chicago South Loop Hotel, the Holiday Inn Maumee, and theWit to our family. This growth provides continued opportunity for us all. Leadership remains one of our strongest attributes and now, more than ever, we need to be leaders. Every one of us! Lastly, but far from least... earnings. Our keen commitment to watching the bottom line is our best antidote to keeping our hotels healthy and jobs secure. We need to live the EAGLE every day. Together we will weather this storm and emerge the undisputed, greatest team in hospitality. Thank you all for your efforts for the team.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Habeeb
President/COO