Clarion owners go hands on, eliminate GM position

|tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

The owners of the Clarion Hotel on South Glenstone Avenue have restructured the hotel's management.|ret||ret||tab|

In a cost-cutting move, Morris Group Properties, owners of the hotel since June, eliminated the Clarion's general manager position Jan. 18. |ret||ret||tab|

Cindy Howell, who previously held the GM position, had worked at the hotel since 1993, when it operated as a Sheraton. She was named GM two months before Morris Group took control, and she served as sales director before that.|ret||ret||tab|

With no general manager, the owners are taking a hands-on approach to day-to-day operations. |ret||ret||tab|

"We're not replacing Cindy, we're taking on some of the responsibilities ourselves as owner, and we're delegating some additional responsibilities to the department heads," said Chris Lucchi, co-owner of the property with Jim Morris, founder of Morris Group Properties. There are six department heads and a staff of 100. |ret||ret||tab|

"We decided there was some duplication having local ownership and a manager of her caliber at the same time," Lucchi said.|ret||ret||tab|

Lucchi is vice president and director of operations for Morris Group and has unofficially assumed the Clarion's GM role.|ret||ret||tab|

Howell understands the reasoning behind Morris Group's business decision, and she is moving on. |ret||ret||tab|

"The bottom line is cost cutting. It happens," she said.|ret||ret||tab|

Howell said she is on the hunt for a new job, and she may stray from the hotel industry she has worked in for two decades.|ret||ret||tab|

"I've spent 20 years in the hospitality industry, and it's been terrific," Howell said. "If something happens in that line that's possible, but I think there are other opportunities that I can use the skills that I've developed."|ret||ret||tab|

Lucchi said it was tough to let Howell go, but the hotel did not have a position available for someone of her caliber.|ret||ret||tab|

Howell is not sure where she'll end up, but she would like to stay in customer service. She has no plans of leaving Springfield.|ret||ret||tab|

"I'm looking at a couple of areas, staying in Springfield," she said. "There are certainly a lot of opportunities in the area."|ret||ret||tab|

Morris Group acquired the Clarion Hotel last summer from national hotel owner Sunburst Hospitality Corp. of Silver Springs, Md. Morris Group owns five properties, four of which are in Branson: two Quality Inns, Ramada Inn and Tara Inn.|ret||ret||tab|

While there were no other staff changes in the restructuring at the Clarion, the hotel owners have made some physical changes to the site. |ret||ret||tab|

Most recently the breakfast restaurant, The Newsroom Coffee House Caf, was remodeled and high-speed Internet access was added to the hotel's meeting rooms and 40 business-class rooms. |ret||ret||tab|

Lucchi said unlimited Internet access is a complimentary amenity of those guest rooms.|ret||ret||tab|

A new fitness center is in the design stages, he added, and should roll out in four months.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]