NYLO Hotels Launches Sales Apprenticeship Contest

. May 19, 2009

ATLANTA, GA, May 19, 2009 - "You're Hired!" That's what one lucky winner will hear after topping the point scale of the NYLO Sales Apprenticeship Contest, June 1 - 4, 2009. The prize is a one-year paid apprenticeship at the award-winning NYLO Providence/Warwick.

"We're delighted to bring this program to Rhode Island," says John Russell, CEO, NYLO Hotels. "The hospitality and tourism sector is a driving force in the state's economy, employing one out of every 10 Rhode Islanders. With the Sales Apprenticeship Contest, NYLO is doing its part to create jobs and help develop the next generation of hospitality leaders."

"This is a wonderful opportunity for participants to develop contacts and acquire experience and training from a top-notch team of hospitality veterans - and have fun doing it," says Dale Venturini, president and CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality & Tourism Association. "NYLO's Sales Apprenticeship Contest is an innovative way to recognize talent and create job opportunities."

NYLO Providence/Warwick's Sales Apprenticeship Contest is for members of Rhode Island's hospitality community. Send a cover letter and resume to Christine Nevers, general manager, NYLO Providence/Warwick at [email protected] or via fax to 401-734-4476.

How the Contest Works

The competition consists of a weeklong series of challenges, which focus on creating a successful fundraising event, June 4, for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

NYLO executives will select 20 contestants from a statewide applicant pool. Interviews, May 30, at the Providence/Warwick hotel will narrow the field to 10 finalists. These candidates will move on to compete, June 1 - 4, in a series of daily sales and marketing challenges to win the apprenticeship. Victors will be announced, Thurs. evening, June 4, amidst the revelry of the celebration/fundraiser for the Food Bank in The Loft, the hotel's signature restaurant/bar.

Contestants will receive free accommodations and food for six nights at NYLO Providence/Warwick. During daily challenges, the strongest contenders will show drive and determination as well as a flair for sales, marketing, event planning, hospitality and communication.

The prize is a 12-month paid sales apprenticeship with NYLO Providence/Warwick. Additionally, the student who shines the brightest will win a three-month paid internship. All other finalists will receive a two-night, three-day getaway at NYLO Providence/Warwick.

Both the NYLO Sales Apprenticeship and Internship will include intensive training in hospitality sales, marketing, technology and service.

"Our guest satisfaction surveys are off-the-charts," Russell says. "It's our ONLY@NYLO Service Culture that pervades everything we do. That's the secret ingredient. But to learn it, you gotta' earn it."

To enter the NYLO Sales Apprenticeship Contest, members of Rhode Island's hospitality community can send a cover letter and resume to Christine Nevers, general manager, NYLO Providence/Warwick at [email protected] or via fax to 401-734-4476.

NYLO Sales Apprenticeship Contest Mentors

Contestants in NYLO Providence/Warwick's Sales Apprenticeship Contest will receive career guidance and mentoring by hospitality leaders, including NYLO partners and members of the hotel's executive team:

CEO John Russell is a former chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, a two-term past president of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and HSMAI Hall of Famer, among other awards. During the past 30 years, Russell has led the industry in the marketing, operations, franchise sales and management of a range of hotels, from limited service to luxury. Before NYLO, he held senior-executive positions throughout Cendant Corp., including chairman and CEO of the hotel division, now Wyndham Worldwide.

Patrick O'Neil serves in the dual role of executive vice president of operations, NYLO Hotels, and general manager of the flagship property, NYLO Plano at Legacy in North Dallas. O'Neil has led the development of many successful NYLO programs, including the brand's green practices; technology platforms, such as the award-winning Web site, NYLOhotels.com; and unique offerings that have enabled the brand's restaurant/bar, The Loft, to quickly emerge as a nightlife hub in each NYLO market.

Christine Nevers, general manager, NYLO Providence/Warwick, is a 15-year Rhode Island hospitality veteran. Before NYLO, Nevers served as general manager/director of sales and marketing for The Hotel Providence. Under her leadership, the property earned numerous distinctions, including: the 2007 and 2008 AAA Four-Diamond Award; Michelin Guide Four Star-Rating, and Expedia Top 100 Hotel of the World.

Award-winning Maggie Longo, food and beverage director, NYLO Providence/Warwick, has earned accolades for creativity, business acumen and team building throughout her 20-year hospitality career. Maggie has played a vital role in Providence's blossoming culinary scene, as the driving force behind a number of the city's culinary hotspots, including Ten Prime Steak & Sushi and Temple Downtown Restaurant + Lounge.

As director of sales and marketing, Sue Gallogly oversees all NYLO Providence/Warwick's sales and marketing activities for leisure, business and group travel. Gallogly brings to NYLO a depth of experience from more than a decade of success in sales and marketing for Providence's leading downtown and airport hotels.

About NYLO Providence/Warwick

NYLO Providence/Warwick represents a new kind of boutique hotel that marries high style with high affordability. The property is designed by Stephane Dupoux, one of America's Top 20 architect/designers. Situated on the banks of the scenic Pawtuxet River, NYLO Providence/Warwick houses 163 guestrooms, called guest lofts, and more than 1,450 square-feet of meeting and event space. Each guest loft has 300 square-feet of bright, airy living space, with 10-foot-plus ceilings, exposed brick walls and oversized windows. The property runs on 100 percent renewable energy and offers a PURE Floor with allergy-friendly guest lofts. NYLO's lively restaurant/bar/game room, The Loft, features a hip atmosphere, adjoining riverfront terrace and eclectic menu of sophisticated regional cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

About NYLO Hotels

Atlanta-based NYLO Hotels offers a new class of hotels that combines the dynamic qualities of urban residential loft-style living with the best-of-the-industry features of leading hotel brands. NYLO features bright, spacious loft accommodations; state-of-the-art business center; high-tech gym; and stylish, 24-hour, healthy-alternative restaurant and bar. The brand caters to travelers seeking an energized alternative to the bland, one-size-fits-all experience typically found in mid-priced lodgings. The first NYLO made its debut in Dec. 2007 in Plano, Tex., in North Dallas. A second hotel, NYLO Providence/Warwick, opened in Sept. 2008, and a third, NYLO Dallas/Las Colinas, is on track to premier early in the summer 2009. For more information, visit http://www.nylohotels.com.