Excellence Recognized

Hyatt Place Blacksburg, VA

Sarah Riggs and her team earned the 2025 Hyatt Platinum Key Award, honoring top performance across the Hyatt portfolio in guest experience, quality assurance, training completion, and rate integrity.

Sleep Inn & Suites Clintwood, VA

Cassandra Mullins and her team were named a Choice Platinum Award Winner, ranking among Choice’s top-performing properties in guest satisfaction and brand performance, including a 9.31 R12 LTR score and a 12 of 386 rank among eligible Sleep properties.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte Matthews, NC

James Childress and his team received Apple Hospitality REIT’s 2025 Shining Apple Award, selected through a balanced scorecard measuring financial performance, market share, and guest service excellence.

Sales Blitz Winners

When focus meets follow-through, results speak. This quarter’s Sales Blitz challenged our teams to prioritize quality outreach and targeted growth, and the effort paid off. We’re proud to recognize our top performers who leaned in and led the way: Jason Rue of Hampton Inn Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront; Jenna Cagney of Courtyard Collegeville; and James Landrum of Hyatt Place / Residence Inn Blacksburg. Congratulations to each of you for representing Newport with discipline, energy, and purpose.

2026 Newport Leadership Retreat News

We’re officially 43 days out from gathering at The Ellie Resort Oceanfront in Myrtle Beach—and the countdown is on. Registration emails went out this week, and the event app is now live, so you can start exploring the schedule and key details. This year’s lineup is packed with standout sessions, meaningful experiences, and speakers we’re excited to learn from, and we’re grateful for the partners helping bring it all to life. In the coming weeks, we’ll continue adding FAQs, packing guidance, event details, and important updates. The app will serve as our primary hub for communication, so be sure to check in regularly. We can’t wait to be together in Myrtle Beach.

Community Round Up

February brought a little bit of everything across the portfolio: celebration, community, winter weather, and some truly memorable moments. The Hampton Inn Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront stepped out in style at the Rose Awards and gave us a breathtaking sunrise that felt like a love letter to the coast, while their team continued to shine behind the scenes, showing up every day for guests. We were also thrilled to welcome the very first guest at the brand-new Comfort Inn & Suites Orlando Sanford Airport — greeted the right way with thoughtful local goodies and that “you’re our first, so this matters” kind of hospitality. Up in Blacksburg, the snow delivered postcard-worthy scenes (and a certain pup in doggy boots made sure we didn’t take winter too seriously). In Brunswick, we’re celebrating sweet news with Lea at the Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites as she prepares to welcome a baby, plus a great night of live music at the Garden Grille and a proud moment for the team as their Director of Sales, Ruth, shared a meaningful Blue Angels gift. Jacksonville showed up for community impact with the Donna Run, Altoona brought the fun with a Cats & Cocktails Galentine’s event, and Cece kept things moving behind the bar with the kind of focus and flair that turns a simple drink into part of the experience.