Events help guests connect, relax and indulge
by Holli Maurer, Vice President of Operations/General Manager, Residence Inn by Marriott
At Residence Inn by Marriott, our brand is all about helping guests thrive on the road. We are mainly an extended stay hotel, and we target guests who are staying five nights or longer. It is extremely important that we make every guest have a unique experience in Prescott. And we accomplish this with many brand initiatives, including our Residence Inn Mix (formerly known as our evening social hour).
We offer three main events: It’s On, Off the Grill and a night to Mix It Up. All three events have the same goal of providing an ideal setting for mingling with coworkers, guests and our Residence Inn team. The guests bring the conversation, and we add some tasty food and beverage options to make their night perfect!
Our It’s On event helps guests start the week off right. We have light snacks on a rotating menu, including a crudité island, a variety of chips and dips and always some sweet and salty options. Each night, we always offer bottled water, an Italian soda station and a variety of wines and premier beers.
We want guests to get “fired up” on the Off the Grill night. Our team is outside each Tuesday night grilling and letting guests do the chilling – with plenty of cold beverages. We rotate our menu on this night, always offering a vegetarian option in addition to grilled chicken breasts, hamburgers, hot dogs, or sausages.
Wednesdays at the Residence Inn we Mix It Up. We have been fortunate enough to bring a taste of the local cuisine to the hotel by partnering with local caterer, Scott DeJoseph. A few times a month, DeJoseph brings food from his restaurant to our guests for a pop-in tasting. On alternating Wednesdays, we offer a sweet finale to the day with either a waffle sundae bar or a dessert bar offering.
By delivering special events three nights a week, we simply offer interesting experiences that encourage guests to connect with each other, the local area and the hotel team.