SUN Promotes Ben Wise to Director of SUN Services, Commercial & Residential Cleaning Services

We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Ben Wise to Director of Sun Services. Ben will oversee the expansion of SUN’s commercial and residential cleaning services in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Ben has been in the hospitality industry for over a decade and has been a vital part of the SUN management team. He started his journey at Blue Ridge Village Resort (BRV) in 2006 as a Houseman and later joined SUN in 2011 as we began servicing the property as a client. Ben held many positions throughout his tenure there, including Laundry Attendant, Guest Services Representative, Inspector, Assistant Director, and Director of Housekeeping. As a trainer and mentor to many Directors throughout the country, he fosters comradery among his team members and builds lasting relationships.

In his own words, “I have seen the successes and failures of people developing their careers. I have seen how resilient these individuals are and our value as a company comes from people like this. Want to see individuals succeed? Turn them into a family, more than a team. They must experience each other’s successes and failures, in and out of work: one goal, one mind. If people come to work not knowing each other and not feeling a sense of community, they will not be successful in working towards a common goal. The overarching lesson I have learned in my time with SUN is that good culture breeds success. It's about how you feel at the end of the day towards the people who stood and faced the challenges beside you. Tomorrow will bring another opportunity for success.”

Ben's well-rounded background and experience make him a natural fit to take on the role of SUN Services Director.

SUN Announces 2022 Q1 Service Excellence Award Winner

We are excited to announce Angela Turpin as the Service Excellence Award recipient for  January – March 2022!

Director of Housekeeping, Angela Turpin, manages two properties, Gatlinburg Town Square in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and The Lodges at The Great Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. She is being recognized for maintaining high performance levels while assuming additional responsibilities.

Angela was instrumental in identifying a new sales opportunity and successfully onboarded the new client, The Lodges at The Great Smoky Mountains (LSM) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. New client acquisition is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of work from many people. Angela successfully operated her primary property, Gatlingburg Town Square, while taking on the responsibilities of LSM without any issues. The transition went extremely well, and she maintained a positive attitude despite having limited staff.
Under Angela’s management of both properties simultaneously, key performance indicators for a successful operation have been achieved on time and under budget. She has developed good relations with the General Managers of both properties. Despite working non-stop for many weeks, the General Manager praised Angela and her team for their professionalism.
Currently, Angela is coaching and mentoring her second in command, Skye DeCarr, to successfully take lead supervision at The Lodges at The Great Smoky Mountains.
Her commitment to quality and professionalism is reflected in the above-average guest comment scores she receives at Gatlinburg Town Square. Understanding the importance of delivering a superior product in a timely manner, she leads her team successfully in supporting SUN’s mission.
We look forward to all Angela can accomplish in the future as a valuable leader and asset.

SUN Clients Earn Top 100 Recognition

SUN is thrilled to announce three clients earning top recognition. Church Street Inn in Charleston, South Carolina earns 2022 Choice Hotels Platinum Award. Coconut Palms Beach Resort II in New Smyrna Beach, Florida and Rangeley Lake Resort in Rangeley, Maine make Top 100 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for 2021. Top honors were a result of guest satisfaction surveys from various sources. All three resorts are managed by LaTour Hotels & Resorts. LaTour Hotels & Resorts include mixed-use development involving Hotels and Resorts, Condominiums, Fractional, and Shared Ownership.  

SUN Honors Staff for 10 Years of Service

We are delighted to honor Dora Fierro and Omayra Santiago at Vacation Villas at Fantasy World for 10 years of dedicated service at SUN. It is with great pride and admiration that we congratulate them on their anniversary milestone. Through the years, your talents and efforts have helped our success. Together, we take pride in your accomplishment and your commitment to excellence. Thank you for dedicating 10 amazing years to SUN and congratulations on all your efforts and achievements!

SUN Honors Staff with 10+ Years of Service

Many congratulations to some very special team members who are celebrating 10 years at SUN!!! This dedicated team has been working together at Coconut Palms II Resort and we are eternally grateful for their valuable contributions.
Patty Sterman, Director of Housekeeping
Deborah Bowman, Common Area Attendant
Shawn Bowman, Houseman
Mary Holland, Laundry Attendant
We are so proud to have them as part of our work family. Looking forward to many more years together!

SUN Honors Staff with 10+ Years of Service

We are delighted to honor the following staff for 10+ years of dedicated service at SUN. It is with great pride and admiration that we congratulate them on their anniversary milestone. Steve Zurawski, Senior Vice President Chad Womack, Senior Vice President Regional Rick Pailthorpe, Vice President Administration Ty Reuber, Vice President Sales & QA Johan Barrios, Director at Blue Heron Beach Resort Tausha Watlington, Director at Seaglass Tower Angella Willard, Lead Inspector at SUN Services Sandra Gomez, Inspector at Blue Heron Beach Resort Ana Garcia, Lead Inspector at Vacation Villas at Fantasy World Linda Zieler, Inspector at Tamarack Vickie Ambs, Inspector at Seaglass Tower Calvin Long, Houseman at Carolina Yacht Landing Patricia Langley, Room Attendant at Ellington at Wachesaw Through the years, your talents and efforts have helped our success. Together, we take pride in your accomplishment and your commitment to excellence. Thank you for dedicating 10+ amazing years to SUN and congratulations on all your efforts and achievements!

Andrea Freeman Promoted to Regional VP Operations

SUN is pleased to announce the promotion of Andrea Freeman to Regional Vice President Operations. In her new role she will manage the housekeeping operations of the Carolina's Region and area Directors. Andrea has grown into an outstanding leader at SUN who is passionate about people, service and building key relationships. Andrea started her career at SUN in 2003 as the Assistant Director at Ellington at Wachesaw East in Murrells Inlet, SC. As she steadily honed leadership skills, she was promoted to Director in 2015. During her tenure, Andrea managed several resort properties simultaneously along the Grand Strand, including Ellington, Sandpebble Beach Resort, Blue Water Resort, Sea Mystique Resort, and Travel Advantage Network. She is a key contributor to the success and growth of SUN leadership, often traveling and mentoring new Directors. In late 2020 Andrea was promoted again to Area Manager where she helped launch the new Sun Services division for the commercial and residential market. "Andrea has been a responsible, highly regarded leader in our organization for quite some time. This promotion is well-deserved and we look forward to her heightened contributions," stated David Fries, President & COO.

SUN Announces 2020 Q4 Service Excellence Award

We are excited to announce that Tracy Miles is the Service Excellence Award recipient for October – December 2020!

Tracy is an Inspector at both Palm Beach Resort and The Shores Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama. She is being recognized for her dedication and willingness to always go above and beyond the call of duty. Tracy joined the SUN family in 2018 as a Room Attendant and is the ultimate team player, wearing many hats supporting her team. During the busy summer months, she pitched in to make sure rooms were ready on time, took on additional units and didn’t stop until the workload for the day was complete. Most recently, both resorts have been closed due to flooding from Hurricane Sally. Tracy has been a tremendous help taking on all types of roles from laundry and cleaning to fire watch and gate security. She’s even come to work in the middle of the night when needed. A guest favorite, Tracy has been mentioned many times in guest comments for service excellence. In one instance, she helped move an elderly couple whose air conditioning failed and were visibly distraught. She took initiative to help pack up all their belongings and food items and get them set up in another unit. She’s always eager to work and is a great motivator on her team. She has earned the trust and respect of her team who lovingly refers to her as ‘Nana’. Tracy’s can-do attitude and dedication make her a true asset to her team and the SUN family!    
 

2020 Employee Shout Out Winners

The 2020 Employee Shout Outs from guest comments are in! Each year we track when a guest mentions SUN employees in their feedback, indicating great service received. In the pandemic era of social distancing and contactless service, much of the customer interaction gave way to safety protocols and guest expectations of enhanced cleanliness. Even so, our passionate staff were able to find moments of care and connection that impacted the guest experience.
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