MEMPHIS, TN - Hilton Garden Inn® the award-winning brand of upscale, yet affordable, hotels, today announced the brand achieved the Brandon Hall Gold Award for Best Employee Engagement Model in the Talent Management category. The coveted award recognizes Hilton Garden Inn's efforts to support its new Satisfaction Promise, a guest loyalty program introduced in early 2012.

To ensure all Hilton Garden Inn team members were engaging with guests to resolve issues and ultimately avoid future problems, the brand partnered with Root, a strategy execution consulting company, to develop a multi-faceted engagement program that involved a variety of solutions including videos, games, role-playing, and prizes - all designed to inform, entertain and excite participants.

After the initial rollout in early 2012, customer loyalty scores increased significantly and employee engagement has also improved. As a part of the brand's customer satisfaction surveys, Hilton Garden Inn has seen an increase in loyalty among guests who are aware of the Satisfaction Promise after just nine months. The loyalty scores are broken down as follows: 

  • Loyalty scores, which are up 16.6 points
  • Overall experience scores, which are up more than 13 points
  • Value of the experience for the price paid, which is up more than 17 points

"With an initiative as important to us as our brand promise, it was essential to ensure every one of our team members, at every one of our hotels, understood what the program was intended to do and their individual role ensuring our guests are 100% satisfied with their experience," said Alan Roberts, Vice President, Brand Performance and Sales Support, Hilton Garden Inn. "By partnering with Root we were able to create brand education solutions that were fun and engaging, and more importantly, make certain our team members understand the outcomes we're driving towards.

"This year's winners should be very proud of their achievements, especially based on the rigorous judging process all submissions underwent," said Mike Cooke, chief executive officer of Brandon Hall Group, Inc. "We are honored to recognize the award winners who exemplify a high standard of performance in their organization and demonstrate clear, measurable business results through these innovative programs."

The entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group Sr. Analysts and Executive Leadership based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measureable benefits. 

Contacts:
Dawn Ray
Hilton Garden Inn
901-374-5954
dawn.ray@hilton.com

About Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, upscale, yet affordable hotel brand that continually strives to ensure today’s busy travelers have everything they need to be most productive on the road — from our oh-so-comfortable Garden Sleep System® bed to complimentary wired and Wi-Fi Internet access in all guestrooms. So whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the amenities and services for travelers to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while away from home. For more information about our locations around the globe, visit www.hgi.com or www.news.hgi.com.

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 94 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.