SRQ Magazine | DEC21 | Brandstory with Hyatt Regency Sarasota

from SRQ Magazine | December 2021 | BrandStory: Hyatt Regency Sarasota

Welcome to the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, a fixture in downtown Sarasota since 1975, when it became the first full-service hotel in the area.

PARADISE ON THE INTERCOASTAL

**An aerial view of the Hyatt Regency Sarasota property.**
Image courtesy of Hyatt Regency Sarasota.

LOCATED ON THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY with its own 30-slip marina, the 294 room hotel features a large lagoon style swimming pool and over 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space. It is just minutes from the spectacular white-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and a short walk to downtown Sarasota’s fi nest shops and restaurants. It is truly coastal elegance with all the best that Sarasota has to offer.

WHO AND WHAT IS THE NEW AT THE HYATT?

**Hyatt Regency Sarasota General Manage Wes Santos.**

FRESH FACES, NEW ADDITIONS. New this year to the Hyatt Sarasota, but certainly not new to the hotel industry, is General Manager, Wes Santos. Wes is a seasoned leader who began his hospitality career during high school when he was a busser at Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk, CT. Like many hoteliers, he spent a number of years working through different departments, learning the ins and outs of the hospitality business. After majoring in Hotel & Lodging Management and getting his college degree, Wes went on to work in hotels in several markets across the country. During his tenure as General Manager, he has received various leadership awards, including Marriott’s General Manager of the Year during his first year as GM. His top priorities are coaching and development of his team members. “We have put a tremendous amount of focus on employee retention & cultivating a culture of inclusiveness, teamwork and commitment to our guests,” says Santos. “Our fi rst task was to transform our back of house areas into an inspirational, welcoming & cultural atmosphere. A world map was added to our employee entrance and every single employee was tasked with ’pinning’ their place of birth. We instantly saw results as this generated conversation amongst team members and created a lot of dialogue between departments that typically would not interact with one another throughout the day.” Another boost to staff morale can be found at the employee entrance. Wes and his team recently contracted local artist Holland King to paint a mural that defines the hotel. Aimbridge Hospitality (Hyatt’s management company) values are painted on one side of the mural, while the other side shows off the Hyatt Regency logo, perfectly drawn with a Sarasota sunset in the background. “Our values are something we discuss daily, as it is now ingrained in our culture and mottoes we live by each day” says Santos. The Aimbridge Core Values: 1. Think We, Not Me 2. Be Inclusive, be respectful, be curious. 3. Become better everyday 4. Think like a guest, act like an owner.

**Hyatt Regency Sarasota foyer.**
Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Sarasota.

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

A WHOLE-TEAM APPROACH TO EXCELLENCE. Recently, a new plan was introduced to get line level team members more involved in decision making and planning. The Commitment to Excellence Special Council invites employees from different departments of the hotel to meet monthly and talk about what is being done well and what can be done better. The purpose is to aid in developing associates, share best practices and gather feedback from hourly team members—tasks that were once typically handled by management. The council consists of supervisors and associates working together, introducing and sharing ideas to affect positive changes for the hotel, community and personal growth. “The council members are really ambassadors for excellence in the hotel,” says Santos. It’s a plan that benefits both the hotel and the employee, as being part of the committee provides mentorship and growth opportunities within our management. Council members are empowered with community leadership opportunities and greater involvement in planning.

The ‘’Making Waves’’ Employee of the Month is another new initiative that the Hyatt leadership team is extremely excited about. Each month, they select an employee that embodies team values and is ‘’making waves’’ in their department. The first recipient was Front Office Supervisor, Riley Austin. “We are excited to continue celebrating our associates and have recently celebrated three who have been with the Hyatt for a combined 104 years,” reports Santos. The team will soon be hosting a quarter-century luncheon for 16 team members who are celebrating 25 years or more at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota and presenting them with a letter signed by the COO of Hyatt Hotels. Other team celebrations include Latino and Hispanic Heritage Month, International Housekeeping Week, ‘’A Day in the Life’’ (job shadowing program), Community Day (community involvement programs) and Employee Gatherings that include visiting local restaurants and museums in Sarasota.

UNFORGETABLE EVENTS

Successful Leadership

RETURN OF BANQUET EVENTS. With it’s 10,000 square-foot ballroom and picturesque boathouse on stilts overlooking the bay, the Hyatt continues to host unforgettable conferences, weddings, and events. The planning team, led by Director of Events, Carol Danisi does their utmost to make every event a success. “2021 has been the most successful event year that the Hyatt has seen since 2016,” reports Danisi. “It’s nice to see it all coming back,” she says. Much of the success of the Hyatt team can likely be attributed to Aimbridge Hospitality, the third-party hotel management company overseeing the operations at Hyatt Sarasota. Aimbridge has more than 1,500 branded hotel and resort properties in its portfolio and it employs more than 60,000 people across 20 countries. The hospitality group outperformed competitors in the first half of 2021 with revenues that surpassed 2019 and 2020 levels. “Aimbridge is looking to increase their footprint in Sarasota and continues to bring value to our community, shareholders and associates across our hotels,” says Santos.

MEET DEBBIE DEVITO DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

Like most businesses over the past two years, the Hyatt Regency Sarasota has had to adjust their traditional way of doing business. They learned to do more with less and in turn have found a new respect for colleagues and their responsibilities. “Although the health pandemic has affected all of us, the team at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota has stood tall, side by side and we have grown into a much more cohesive unit,”— A lot has changed in the hotel: there’s a younger vibe in hiring to reflect the growing younger demographic of Sarasota, plans for future renovation, and new leadership in place.

DELICIOUS ADDITIONS

**Shrimp Scampi Fettucini.**
Photo by Wyatt Kosytgan.

WHAT‘S CURRENT AT CURRENTS Guests and restaurant patrons have been enjoying delectable dining at Currents Restaurant and Bar for years. Executive Chef Ryan and his team are known for their creative expertise in serving up delicious locally-sourced fare. This year, they’ve been serving up brand-new menu items and making special events, like weddings, even more unforgettable with custom catering menus tailored to suit the needs and tastes of their clients. “The Boathouse is a very popular choice for events like weddings because it is one of the only places in Sarasota to hold events on the water,” says Carol Danisi. “We’ve done a complete refresh of our breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, introducing trendier and healthier options.” Breakfast now features a quinoa chorizo power bowl, almond crusted french toast, eggwhite brie omelet and avocado toast. Lunch additions include the fl at iron rice bowl, ale fish & chips and goat cheese salad. And some of the most popular new dinner items are the lobster tortellini, ale brined pork chop, kale caesar salad and pecan crusted salmon. “We are excited to feature more specials and food and beverage activations throughout our hotel. We continuously look for opportunities to provide an elevated experience for our guests,” says Danisi.

**Short Rib with whipped Yukon potatoes, french beans and mushroom ragout.**
Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

All of these wonderful new creations would not be possible without the culinary expertise of Chef Ryan Ward. Chef Ryan has been with the Hyatt Regency Sarasota for the past four years. However, he has been working in the restaurant business since he was 14 years old. “I started working at our family restaurant as a teenager. At 16, I worked at a small pub as a dishwasher after school and as a prep cook at the White Mountain Hotel in New Hampshire on weekends,” says Chef Ryan. His Hyatt career goes way back to 2008 where he started as a chef at the Hyatt DFW in Dallas, Texas. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont in 2009, he became Sous Chef at the Hyatt in Reston Virginia, where he covered both the restaurant and banquets. In 2013, Chef Ryan won Manager of the Year award at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, MA and in 2016, he moved to Washington DC where he assisted with preparations for the presidential inauguration. In 2017. Chef Ryan was named Executive Chef at the Hyatt Sarasota where he earned top spots in the Interstate food summit culinary competitions of 2017 and 2019. With all of this recognition, it is no wonder that guests and local residents return time and time again to experience the unique and tasty creations at Currents.

**Chef Ryan Ward of Currents Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota.**
Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

For those guests and patrons who choose to relax by the pool on a sunny day, or sit by the firepit at night with a drink in hand, the Hurricane Hut at the Hyatt has just launched it’s very first menu dedicated to cocktails. New to the Hyatt this year is Jamie Ujvari, a young energetic food and beverage manager who is serving up new and exciting cocktails, such as Hit Me Like a Hurricane, Lido Lavender Lemonade, and La Paloma.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

GIVING BACK. The Hyatt has always been involved in the community. Year after year, the staff gives their time and energy to volunteer with organizations like SE Guide Dogs, Suncoast Charities for Children and Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center. “We encourage our colleagues to give back,” says Devito. “Most recently, our executive team visited All Faiths Food Bank, where we packed over 2,000 backpacks for children in Sarasota and Desoto counties.” The hotel also donates a number of gift certificates to help nonprofits raise funds for their causes. “For the past two years, everyone was working from within, trying to stay safe and distanced from one another,” says Debbie Devito. “Now, we are once again back out in the community. It’s important for us to be involved in local community events. We want to help wherever we can. This is something we are really looking forward to in the new year.”

1000 BOULEVARD OF THE ARTS, SARASOTA, 941-953-1234, HYATT.COM, @HYATTSARASOTA