A Message from our President: SUN’s Commitment to Cleanliness and Safety

To Our Customers and Partners: As a trusted partner in the hospitality industry and cleaning professionals for over 15 years, SUN is committed to the health and safety of our teams, guests, and communities. Although, we take great pride in our already high standards of cleanliness, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has presented a shift in focus to address new changes in behavior and along with enhanced cleaning expectations as the ‘New Normal’. SUN is ready and capable to adapt in this new environment. In the time of crisis, information and communication are critical. We continue to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation daily for up-to-date and accurate information by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and localities where we work. As the coronavirus situation evolved quickly back in March, SUN was proactive in distributing information and taking steps to protect our staff and partners. We will continue to evolve and update our communications with relevant guidance from the CDC and WHO. Taking Care of Our SUN Family While our offices remained open to support our clients and staff, we were deeply saddened when some resorts were forced to close their doors, even if only temporarily. The impact to the hospitality industry and its employees is felt far and wide. At SUN, we consider ourselves family and we try to take care of our family. Several of our teams and partners have been working side by side to successfully organize and manage Food Pantries and mobile food distribution sites for employees needing some extra support. This has been a huge success in helping our most vulnerable through this difficult time. We Are SUN, We Are One. With resorts closed and much of our workforce furloughed, SUN established a two-way mobile text platform for employees to contact with questions or concerns. Weekly digital ‘check-ins’ with staff helped keep them informed, engaged and supported. We have remained in daily contact with site Directors and I couldn’t be prouder of their efforts to support our clients’ and staff’s needs. What You Can Expect from SUN Moving Forward As we move toward this New Normal phase, our focus is on safeguarding the health of staff and guests. We are implementing workplace safety protocols for employees returning to work through additional communications, training and signage. Some additional measures include monitoring employee health through daily temperature checks, staggered shift times, providing Personal protection equipment (PPE), adhering to social distancing guidelines, and as always encouraging employees to practice good personal hygiene and stay home if they are sick. As reassurance and peace of mind, SUN is assessing and building upon our already stringent cleaning and laundry protocols so guests and employees feel safe while on the property. We’ve been working closely with our suppliers to procure additional supplies and equipment to support our enhanced cleaning processes. We remain committed to helping our partners and communities to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all. We are all in this together.

Sincerely,

David Fries

President & COO

DOING GOOD – Orange Beach, Alabama Team Gives To Homeless

December 22, 2019
Blog, Community

The team at Orange Beach, Alabama partnered with CRM and Festiva to collect and donate to a local homeless shelter this holiday season. Christy Tucker, Director of Housekeeping, organized the month long donation drive for the Alfred-Washburn Center, in Pensacola, Florida.

The AWC is a ministry of the society of St. Vincent de Paul providing food, showers, laundry facilities, clothing and ID cards to those in need within the community. Services are free of charge and available to all who seek help at the AWC.

Thank you to all who participated in the donation drive!

SUN Clients Earn 2019 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

SUN is thrilled to announce that three of our Festiva clients The Cabins at Green Mountain in Branson, Missouri, Church Street Inn in Charleston, South Carolina, and Palm Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama have received the 2019 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. The Certificate of Excellence honors hospitality businesses that deliver consistently great service across the world. This designation is presented to approximately 10% of total businesses on TripAdvisor that have consistently achieved great reviews over the past year.

SUN Attends 2019 Zealandia Leadership Conference

Members of SUN's management recently attended the 2019 Zealandia Leadership Conference on October 8-11 in Greenville, South Carolina. The leadership conference brings together the top 100 leaders from Zealandia's partner companies and resorts for a few days of networking, team building and leadership training. To kick off the conference, SUN sponsored the Welcome Reception. Additionally, David FriesPresident/COO, spoke about green product implementation, strategic action plans and our core mission of delivering Hospitality. SUN attendees included David Fries (President/COO), Steve Zurawski (Senior VP), Chad Womack (Region VP), Daniel Hernandez (Region VP), Ty Reuber (VP Sales & QA), Suzanne Johnson (Executive Assistant).

Take Your Hospitality To The Next Level

Housekeeping no longer hides in the shadows, we are increasingly interacting with guests on a daily basis and being noticed for our efforts. Our mission of HOSPITALITY is to deliver the most positive vacation experience and memories possible. How to treat your guests with these personal touches: Connect. Engaging guests with warm and welcoming behavior will always make a strong impression. Remember the 10/5 Rule... Ten feet from a guest, smile and make direct eye contact. Five feet from a guest, verbally greet. Acknowledge Repeat Guests. Remind them of a previous stay by sharing a memory or thank them for being a loyal customer. Personalize The Experience.  Get to know your guest and find out what they want. Ask questions and listen. What is the reason for their stay? Family vacation? Relaxation? Business trip? Look for ways to support their reason and make an impact on their experience. Little Things Do Count. Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most. Rain in the forecast? Offer to lend an umbrella. This a small gesture but one that could be very much appreciated. Think Big Picture. Know a popular local restaurant? Information about the local town, recommendations of things to do and places to go encourages a feeling that you care about the guests entire stay, not just the part of it that takes place on the property. Share your knowledge! Amazing hospitality does not have to be big or extravagant to 'wow' guests. Hospitality often requires us to step out of our own comfort zone to recognize and meet the needs of others... and that is where the magic happens!

2019 Halloween Costume Contest – Win $100 Visa Gift Card!

October 18, 2019
Blog, Contest, Halloween
Enter SUN's Facebook Halloween Costume Contest for your chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card! The Rules Are Simple:
  • Submit your photo, along with your full name and mailing address (to send prize) to rhummel@sunhospitality.com by November 1st.
  • One costume entry per person from the current year.
  • Photos will be uploaded to SUN's Facebook page under album titled "2019 Halloween Costume Contest" for easy access and voting all in one place!
  • Send your friends and family over to SUN’s Facebook page to view the album photos and vote. Votes must be on the photo in the album, not shared on a personal page, in order to count. Voters can vote on as many pictures as they like.
The photo with the most ‘Likes” by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5th will win the $100 Visa Gift Card!!!  Happy Voting Everyone!
Celebrating 15 Years of Service

15th Anniversary Interview with President & COO, David Fries

September often signals the end of summer and the busy season in our industry. September is a time of reflection. This September marks Sun Hospitality’s 15th Anniversary so we took a moment to sit down with our President and COO, David Fries, to reflect on the past 15 years. This year we celebrate SUN’s 15th Anniversary. What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you think about that? Hospitality is my passion. There is a great feeling of self-fulfillment and pride in leading an organization that embraces and delivers a meaningful service of creating a pleasurable and memorable vacation experience. SUN is very fortunate to have good people. We strive to be a good employer and help people take care of themselves. Take us back to where it all started, where did you get the idea to start a housekeeping company?
Read More

Cabins at Green Mountain Director Announces Retirement

After 10 years of dedicated service and leadership, Marilyn PatrickDirector of Housekeeping at Cabins at Green Mountain in Branson, MO is setting her sights on a well-deserved retirement and spending more time with her family. Marilyn’s last day with SUN will be Saturday, September 14th. Marilyn has been an integral part of the SUN family over the past decade. Her hard work and diligence have greatly impacted our company and she has been a source of inspiration. Marilyn has made many memories here at SUN, in her words, here are some of her favorites...
Read More