January/February 2008

Marriot's Winning Design
The chain's Laguna Cliffs, CA resort has made the most of its winning entry in a uniform makeover contest.
By By Susie Bramhall

Fashion magazines aren't the only place to catch a glimpse of designer styles.

In an industry where a conservative look has been the norm, and some bellmen are still hopping around in traditional red monkey suits, the hotel and hospitality industry has stepped up its game and is now playing in the fashion big leagues. Gone are the days of drabby skirts and unflattering pants. Welcome to hip shirts, stylish ties, and the hottest colors.

Designing hot new looks for the hotel industry has become big business, with fashion designers often brought in to do a complete overhaul on the top properties – the same designer names you’d recognize at the big department stores.

Cintas, one of the world’s largest uniform manufacturers, has rolled out the red carpet for its own makeover project, “Define

To make a big announcement, Cintas hosted Laguna Cliffs Marriott General Manager Jim Samuels at last November’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show. “While at the show, Jim was able to preview our latest designs and found our tan sharkskin collection to be ideal for his property, which overlooks the Southern California coast,” says Dan Ambrosio, vice president-specialty sales for Cintas. “The rich texture of the fabric fit the look he needed in order to strengthen the brand and set the tone for the property.” 

The next step was for Cintas’ local style consultant to sit down with the various hotel departments to coordinate colors, fabrics and silhouettes to achieve a resort style that maintains a professional appearance. Samuels and his Planning Committee (Directors of Rooms, Food & Beverage, Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing, and Engineering) to view a color board presentation on three different styles and looks.

“When Cintas came into the property, we reviewed with them our vision of taking the resort to the next level,” says Samuels. “Again, they wanted to know what look we were trying to achieve. Really, what we were looking for was a consistency across the board, and how this new look would blend with the future physical changes at the resort.”

All departments had input into the design, comfort and fit of their uniforms. “The original design for the housekeeping staff, for example, was modified to make these uniforms more practical for multi-tasking, “without changing the designer look and feel,” says Samuels.

The result is a stunning apparel program of earth tones – browns, tans, and khakis –with blue highlights throughout.

Feel the excitement
Stock items arrived within two weeks; custom pieces took 12 weeks to finish. The day finally came when the Laguna Cliffs Marriott got just what it envisioned.

“You could just feel the excitement when everyone received their new uniforms,” says Erica Cattaneo, Samuels’ executive assistant and the one responsible for the hotel’s contest entry. “The day we had the uniform fitting party, the people from Cintas said we were the happiest and most excited group of associates they had ever seen.” 

Cattaneo describes the new uniforms as “stylish resort casual, which works perfectly at our beachside resort,” she says. “The new color scheme also provides some much-needed continuity in the uniforms throughout the entire resort.”

“The staff loves it and we have had great feedback,” adds Susan Lovic, national sales director with Cintas. “We also picked fabrics that were lightweight for the climate, yet still professional.”

In fact, after spending the initial $20,000 prize, the hotel spent an additional $20,000 to complete the look. “The property has a lot of employees and we had to do most departments,” Lovic adds.

Most employees were given a pair of three shirts and two pants from the new line, and many front-of-the-house associates receive complimentary laundry service.

The new threads have helped a greater sense of pride emerge in hotel associates. “The new uniforms are very comfortable with excellent quality, which makes the staff feel proud to wear this hip, new designer-style look,” Samuels says. “The new look has also helped create a higher sense of quality, which is reflected in the product and service that we provide.”

“When you feel good about the way you look, your whole outlook for the day can change,” adds Cattaneo. “The big smiles on our associates’ faces say it all!”