Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Roberts

Alan Roberts

Global Head, Embassy Suites by Hilton

Alan Roberts, Global Head Embassy Suites by Hilton, serves as the chief strategist and champion for the Embassy Suites by Hilton Brand. His focus is on the areas of product and service positioning standards, unit distribution strategies and ownership relations. This Global Head is responsible for achieving operational excellence, ensuring that systems, policies and programs are in place to support the brand direction in alignment with the guiding principles of Hilton.

Ultimately, Mr. Roberts is responsible for brand growth and development. He strives to drive profitability and further the expansion of the Embassy Suites portfolio. He was named to his current role in 2016.

A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Mr. Roberts has served in a wide array of capacities, from porter to front office manager, director of sales and general manager, encompassing guest-facing and operational expertise. He started his career with Hilton in 2004 when he joined the Brand Performance & Sales Support team with Hilton Garden Inn (HGI) where he started as a Director. He also served as Sr. Director with this team and culminated his time with HGI as Vice President, Brand Performance and Sales Support.

Mr. Roberts joined the Embassy Suites by Hilton brand in 2013 as Vice President of Brand Performance Support where he served until being promoted to his current position. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Hospitality Management. After graduating, he worked for several hotels in the Asheville and Charlotte, NC markets, going on to eventually become the general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn - Charlotte Uptown. Before joining the Hilton Garden Inn brand team, he worked at Panos Hotel Group, overseeing the operations of a 12-hotel portfolio in a regional capacity.

Mr. Roberts can be contacted at 703-883-1000 or alan.roberts@hilton.com

Coming up in May 2019...

Eco-Friendly Practices: Corporate Social Responsibility

The hotel industry has undertaken a long-term effort to build more responsible and socially conscious businesses. What began with small efforts to reduce waste - such as paperless checkouts and refillable soap dispensers - has evolved into an international movement toward implementing sustainable development practices. In addition to establishing themselves as good corporate citizens, adopting eco-friendly practices is sound business for hotels. According to a recent report from Deloitte, 95% of business travelers believe the hotel industry should be undertaking “green” initiatives, and Millennials are twice as likely to support brands with strong management of environmental and social issues. Given these conclusions, hotels are continuing to innovate in the areas of environmental sustainability. For example, one leading hotel chain has designed special elevators that collect kinetic energy from the moving lift and in the process, they have reduced their energy consumption by 50%  over conventional elevators. Also, they installed an advanced air conditioning system which employs a magnetic mechanical system that makes them more energy efficient. Other hotels are installing Intelligent Building Systems which monitor and control temperatures in rooms, common areas and swimming pools, as well as ventilation and cold water systems. Some hotels are installing Electric Vehicle charging stations, planting rooftop gardens, implementing stringent recycling programs, and insisting on the use of biodegradable materials. Another trend is the creation of Green Teams within a hotel's operation that are tasked to implement earth-friendly practices and manage budgets for green projects. Some hotels have even gone so far as to curtail or eliminate room service, believing that keeping the kitchen open 24/7 isn't terribly sustainable. The May issue of the Hotel Business Review will document what some hotels are doing to integrate sustainable practices into their operations and how they are benefiting from them.

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