Dream Team: Hilton Garden Inn Repeats National Honor For Outstanding Guest Experience

Only the top 1 percent of Hilton Garden Inn hotels receives a coveted Brighter Together Award.

Doing it once is extremely challenging.

Doing it two years in a row is now something the team at the Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Rapids can say it’s achieved.

“Once is hard enough. I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years, and this is the first hotel I’ve had win once, let alone two years in a row. That’s how amazing they are,” said Jennifer Seifert-Brenna, who leads Lloyd Hospitality.

The Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Rapids was among eight out of 811 Hilton Garden Inn hotels in the U.S. to win the award, recognized in the third quarter of 2023. A hotel can only win once per year. Scores are based on those that achieve the highest combined score from these guest experience areas:

• Overall service
• Feel welcomed
• Problem resolution
• Cleanliness of room

“They just keep getting it done,” Seifert-Brenna said. “They are definitely a talented group of people. They’re constantly developing processes and implementing procedures that play off each of their strengths. They work together and get things done.”

The Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Rapids opened in 2021 after overcoming a serious of hurdles, from a derecho during construction to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think that got them thinking outside the box right away and it’s just become part of the culture,” Seifert-Brenna said. “They continue to do that. They experience the same challenges as everyone else in the industry, including labor, and that makes it harder to get national awards like this, but they just keep excelling.”

About half the leadership team and several hourly team members have been at the hotel since it opened, showing that both new and longtime members share the culture and mindset that resulted in the award.

“This was the first hotel Lloyd developed, owned and managed as part of Lloyd Hospitality, so they knew how important it was to perform, because we want our portfolio to be exceptional and award-winning,” Seifert-Brenna said. “We’ve had those conversations and they take it into consideration in everything they do.”

This competitive bunch also isn’t done yet, she predicted.

“It’s great that they won this award, but the next thing they said was they’re going for a three-peat next year. That’s key for them, constantly excelling. They just want to be the best.”