NASHVILLE, Tennessee—David Norman is a happy hotel lifer. He started as a dishwasher when he was 15, became a GM at 25 and at 52 has one message about the hotel industry: It can be a tough business to make as a career, so make sure you know what you are getting into.
“This is a different business—it’s not for everybody,” Norman said during an interview at his Embassy Suites property located near the Nashville International Airport in Tennessee. “Some people get into it, have bigger aspirations and aren’t happy. There are so many facets starting with being open 24 hours a day every day. Your customers sleep here, they dine here. To be successful, you have to have heart … that little connection with people.”
The GM’s original ambition was to be a school teacher, but now he’s teaching in a different environment.
“A GM is constantly teaching people and creating a culture where people want to be a part of something,” he said.
Norman began his career at a Holiday Inn in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he became the GM by 25.
“I just like the business,” he said. “I like being around people.”
He ascended the leadership ranks early, becoming the hotel’s kitchen manager while in high school. But he soon learned one of the most valuable lessons in his career when he was demoted.
“The GM said he wanted me to go to college, so he wanted to eliminate the pressure of managing the kitchen,” Norman said. “I wasn’t completely happy about it, but I went along with it and went to Western (Kentucky University) to get a hospitality degree. It was the best thing I could have done, and I learned to take the advice of others when you’re young. Guys who know better than you know can tell you ‘you’ve got to do this to get to where you want to be.’”
On to a new challenge
Norman was recruited to Promus Hotel Corporation in 1987 to join a fledging brand called Embassy Suites. Promus was acquired by Hilton Worldwide—then called Hilton Hotels Corporation—on the last day of 1999.
His Promus career started as food-and-beverage director at the Embassy Suites in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Other stops along the way included: Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Jacksonville, Florida. Then he got the chance to get closer to home and took the job in Nashville—less than a two-hour drive south of Bowling Green.
Esna Hotel Owner is the majority owner of the hotel. Aimbridge Hospitality has a minority ownership stake and operates the property.
A challenging renovation
As GM of the 300-room property since 1999, Norman is facing the biggest challenge in his 37-year career: managing an $11-million renovation while remaining open for business.
“It’s the first one of this size … gutting the hotel and redoing it completely, that I’ve been a part of,” Norman said. “Trying to think it through to limit the impact on guest experience has been the biggest challenge.”
The hotel’s 11-story atrium currently includes a tarp covering the entire first floor area and makeshift walls to limit atrium access, block noise and somewhat contain dust. The renovation dictates having a temporary area for the brand’s mandatory evening reception and breakfast offerings. And, there’s plenty of noise for guests to endure. Norman’s approach to dealing with guests is to be empathetic and approachable.
“We make sure we have a lot of management presence out front to take heat off the front desk,” the GM said. “The guest service is easy. Let them speak their concerns to you. Listen to them, and address those concerns the best you can.”
Employees are also feeling the pressure of the renovation, which includes raising the height of the porte cochere two feet to creating a new front-office complex and renovating rooms.
“It’s tough to be here when this is going on,” Norman said. “We try to keep employees aware of the process. The main thing is to communicate … be out there with them, not hiding in the back office.
The renovation began in early May and is expected to be finished in early November.
Norman said he is particularly looking forward to the F&B experience when the renovation is complete.
“It will be a much larger offering than we have now,” he said. “It’s going to make an impact with the guest.”
All of that adds up to a hotel that is a strong competitor in its overall market, sub market and competitive set. Being part of a successful hotel doesn’t happen by accident, Norman said.
“It always comes down to service,” he said. “You know when you walk into a hotel if it has the right culture. You can feel it. Every hotel is brick and mortar. It’s the people that make the difference.”