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As part of a Hilton initiative, Quality Hospitality donates rooms to area doctors and nurses on the front lines of treating COVID-19

During this COVID-19 outbreak, Quality Hospitality wants to do its part to help those fighting the medical professionals fighting the virus on the front lines. Select properties are now donating rooms to area doctors and nurses serving our communities.

This donation is part of a larger Hilton and American Express initiative which will donate up to 1 million rooms to medical workers as a way to help doctors and nurses who are working long hours due to the virus.

Currently, Quality Hospitality properties participating in these efforts include Hampton Inn Winston-Salem Hanes Mall, Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Cary I-40 (PNC Arena), Hampton Inn & Suites Jacksonville Deerwood Park, Hampton Inn Columbia I-26/Harbison Blvd. and Homewood Suites by Hilton Lawrenceville Duluth.

“During this crisis, we have seen so many examples of medical professionals working in the most challenging circumstances, sacrificing their own needs for the greater good. They truly are heroes,” said Hilton President and CEO, Christopher J. Nassetta. “We are honored to extend our Hilton hospitality to them during this difficult time.”

Medical professionals who are part of the following organizations are able to book the rooms with no charge from April 13 to May 31, 2020:

• American Association of Critical Care Nurses
• American College of Emergency Physicians
• American Hospital Association
• American Nurses Association
• Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association
• Emergency Nurses Association
• National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
• Society of Critical Care Medicine
• Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants
• Society of Hospital Medicine

About Hilton: Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,100 properties with more than 971,000 rooms, in 119 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, Hilton welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2019 World’s Best Workplaces list, and was named the 2019 Global Industry Leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, more than 103 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy, plus enjoy instant benefits, including digital check-in with room selection, Digital Key, and Connected Room. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About Quality Hospitality: As a division of Quality Oil Company, LLC, Quality Hospitality manages eight nationally recognized hotels across the Southeastern United States. Visit qualityhospitality.net for more information.

Hilton Garden Inn Asheville Downtown wins Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge for second consecutive year

In the midst of March’s madness, Hilton Garden Inn Asheville Downtown team members volunteered to help the Asheville area community with the Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge.

The initiative, led by Eblen Charities, donates canned goods and non-perishable food items to students during spring break. Overall, thirteen Asheville-area hotels participated in the challenge, which included donating food and creating displays.

Out of all of the properties, Hilton Garden Inn Asheville Downtown won first place for the second year for their food raising and display efforts. In addition to helping out the community, the winning hotel also receives 30 tickets to the Southern Conference Men’s Championship Game where they are honored at center court with a trophy.

Hotel team members are excited about the impact they are able to leave in the Western North Carolina Community through these efforts.

“With the help of our team members, we are happy that children will be going home with food this spring break. We were able to contribute 3,239 items this year and our hearts are truly overflowing with joy,” said Chelsea Lewis, General Manager at the hotel.

The fundraising efforts were a slam dunk which they hope to continue for years to come.

About the Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge: In its third consecutive year, Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge, donates food to students during spring break while school is dismissed. Last year, the initiative was able to raise over a ton of food. To learn more about this cause, please visit https://www.eblencharities.org/hoops-against-hunger.php .

Quality Hospitality continues to deliver high standards of guest satisfaction

At the start of this year, Quality Hospitality is proud to announce all eight hotels have won the 2020 Loved By Guests Awards from Hotels.com. These awards recognize hotels which have highly-rated guest review scores.

To qualify, hotels are analyzed by the Hotels.com team on guest reviews and ratings from guests over the previous year.

“These awards are given to the “best of the best partners – those who go the extra mile to delight travelers,” said Rene Hardtke, Senior Product Marketing Manager.

In addition to this year’s distinction, several Quality Hospitality hotels also qualified for the awards in 2018 and 2019.

About Hotels.com: “Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation site. We’re passionate about travel. Every day, we inspire and reach millions of travelers across 90 local websites in 41 languages.” To learn more about the rewards program and the guest review process with hotel partners, please visit Hotels.com.

Quality Oil President Graham Bennett talks about company’s history, looking to the future

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — In a way, the name “Quality Oil” is a misnomer. Why? Because it’s a lot more than an oil company.

And it celebrates its 90th Anniversary next month as a Shell Oil distributor.

About a year after its founding, Quality Oil was bought by local businessmen Bert Bennett Sr. and his nephew, Joe Glenn Jr. But in the middle of the Great Depression, not many in Central North Carolina knew a lot about the Shell brand.

Bennett and Glenn knew they had to create some “buzz.” So they patented a service station design that would become an icon in Winston-Salem’s history.

They build eight shell-shaped stations across town. The only one still standing is at the intersection of Sprague and Peachtree streets on the city’s southeast side. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I don’t know about profitability, but the size was very limited,” said Company President Graham Bennett, the grandson of the building’s builder.

Because it was so small and mechanics had to service the cars outside, the little stations quickly became obsolete. So Quality Oil started building the more traditional service stations like the one in Lewisville where Graham started working when he was in the eighth grade.

“My father (Bert Bennett Jr., who co-led the company in the 1950s and 60s) taught me how to run out to the car, and that’s when we check the tires, the oil, washed the cars,” Bennett told me during a recent visit at company headquarters on Silas Creek Parkway. “We did everything back then.”

Quality Oil would grow to become one of the largest Shell Oil distributors in the United States.

Today, the company Graham Bennett runs consists of at least nine divisions:

• More than 50 Quality Mart convenience stores spread across North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee
• More than 75 smaller Quality Plus and GoGas stations
• The more traditional propane, fuel oil delivery and large tanker transportation services
• A real estate division that includes the large Brookberry Farm and Greenbrier Farm residential subdivisions in northwest Winston-Salem
• A hospitality division that includes eight hotels including the Hampton Inn near Hanes Mall and the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Asheville.

“We got into (the hotel business) by default,” Graham said.

In the mid-1970s, Quality Oil was working with a businessman who was helping it find service station properties primarily along interstate highways.

“But he was also in the Howard Johnson Hotel business,” Graham said. “He needed a financial partner. So we did one (a Howard Johnson Hotel) in High Point.”

Today, that hotel goes by the name “Hotel NC” and has a different owner. But in 1975 during the oil shortages, it helped Quality Oil diversify from gasoline and set the framework for the multi-faceted company you see today.

But oil is still the core business. And with so many car manufacturers starting to build electric cars, Bennett and his company are forced to look ahead.

“I think anybody who would say in the oil business that they’re not worried about fossil fuels would be shortsighted,” he said.

It’s why all new Quality Oil stations are “piped” or fitted for charging stations to make the installation of those stations quick and easy if and when the time comes.

Even so, these aren’t bad times to be in the oil business. Gas prices have held steady in recent months. (Can you remember the last time you paid more than $3 a gallon?) Supply isn’t as much of an issue since the United States has become more self-sufficient, not depending as much on oil from the Middle East.

But Bennett says volatility in the business is a given that’s been around almost since the company was founded nine decades ago.

He feels the keys to survival will include diversification and adhering to his father’s work ethic: “Respect for folks (the customers and employees) and walking in their shoes. It’s the backbone of any company.”

For more information on Quality Oil, click here.

Quality Hospitality is proud to announce all eight hotels have won the 2019 Certificate of Excellence Awards from TripAdvisor. These awards recognize hotels which have highly-rated guest review scores.

To qualify, hotels had to have a guest review score of at least four out of five stars for a full year. This designation is received by just 10% of listings on TripAdvisor, according to the company.

Several Quality Hospitality hotels also qualified for the Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame which means they maintained high traveler review scores consistently for 5 years in a row.

About TripAdvisor: “TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 760 million reviews and opinions covering the world’s largest selection of travel listings worldwide.” To learn more about the rewards program and the guest review process with hotel partners, please visit TripAdvisor.com.

After 10 years of being on the Hampton Inn Winston-Salem-I-40/Hanes Mall. To recognize her loyalty and great attitude, Fatty is named the 2018 employee of the year.

“Fatty immediately came into our family as an essential piece of us, and we can’t imagine working without her now. Her friendly attitude shines warmth onto everyone she encounters.”

Fatty exemplifies all of the Core Ideologies which represent the great Quality Oil Company values. These include:

• Doing it because it’s right
• Treating customers, vendors, and fellow employees as we would like to be treated
• Being financially responsible
• Being better today than yesterday

To learn more about Quality Oil Company or hotel employment opportunities, visit www.qualityoilnc.com.

After 10 years of being on the Hampton Inn Christiansburg/Blacksburg team as a Maintenance Assistant, Gary Davis is retiring. To recognize his loyalty and great attitude, Gary is named the 2018 employee of the year. 

“I always called him my “lifeline” because there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t call on him for,” says Kayla Orr, General Manager of the hotel.   

In his role, Gary did everything from shoveling for major snow storms to help guests get out of the parking lot to fixing several employees cars. He always cared for others in any way he could and showed the pride he took in his job.

His hard work and dedication to guests and fellow team members will be missed.

“As our maintenance assistant, you might see him helping to clean a room one moment only to find him jumping in to clean the lobby the next moment.  There wasn’t any job he wouldn’t do.,” said Orr.

Gary exemplified all of the Core Ideologies which represent the great Quality Oil Company values. These include:

• Doing it because it’s right
• Treating customers, vendors, and fellow employees as we would like to be treated
• Being financially responsible
• Being better today than yesterday

The Hampton Inn Christiansburg/Blacksburg will definitely miss his presence!

To learn more about Quality Oil Company or hotel employment opportunities, visit www.qualityoilnc.com.

Over the past year, Saudia White has cheered up guests and team members at Hampton Inn Columbia I-26/Harbison Blvd. This year, the property has decided to name her the 2018 employee of the year.  

Saudia has been part of the Quality Hospitality family since May 2018 after relocating to the area from New York. Coworkers love having Saudia on the team because of her positive spirit and energy she brings when she is in the room. 

“Saudia’s bubbly and outgoing personality is contagious!  She’s so fun to be around – it makes working with her such a pleasure.  We truly appreciate having her as part of our team!,” said Jaime Sellers, General Manager at Hampton Inn Columbia I-26/Harbison Blvd.

This year, Hampton Inn Columbia I-26/Harbison Blvd. is honored to choose Saudi to represent these values as employee of the year.

Each year, Quality Hospitality hotels choose an employee of the year that represents the greater Quality Oil Company values of :

• Doing it because it’s right
• Treating customers, vendors, and fellow employees as we would like to be treated
• Being financially responsible
• Being better today than yesterday

To learn more about Quality Oil Company or hotel employment opportunities, visit www.qualityoilnc.com.

When you enjoy the complimentary breakfast at Hampton Inn Atlanta/ Lawrenceville, one of the smiling faces that you will recognize is Debra Brown, Breakfast Attendant. Her positive attitude and dedication to both guests and the team is why she is named the 2018 employee of the year.

This past year was a difficult one for Debra, who faced a series of family illnesses. Despite the series of hardships, she approached each day with a positive attitude and a smile.  Debra continued to do an excellent job in her role and even went above and beyond, helping in other departments.

“During this whole time she not only did an excellent job in her department and helping in other departments but she always came in with positive attitude that just amazed all of us,” said Michael Swords, General Manager at Hampton Inn Atlanta/ Lawrenceville. 

Debra is a great example of positivity and encompasses the Core Ideologies of the Quality Oil Company family. 

Each year, Quality Hospitality hotels choose an employee of the year that represents the greater Quality Oil Company values of :

• Doing it because it’s right
• Treating customers, vendors, and fellow employees as we would like to be treated
• Being financially responsible
• Being better today than yesterday

To learn more about Quality Oil Company or hotel employment opportunities, visit www.qualityoilnc.com.

If you are walking through the halls of Hampton Inn and Suites Jacksonville Deerwood Park, you will probably see Florjan Gjura, a Houseman and Room Attendant. His cheerful demeanor and positive attitude is part of the reason why Florjan is nominated as 2018 employee of the year.

Originally from Albania, Florjan moved to the United States in 2007 and first began working at the hotel in 2008. After a few years away, her returned in 2016 in his current role. 

“Florjan has always been ready to jump in and help anywhere we need him!  He has a fun personality and isn’t afraid of work,” said Stephen Picklesimer, General Manager at Hampton Inn & Suites Jacksonville Deerwood Park.

Florjan is a great example of positivity and encompasses the Core Ideologies of the Quality Oil Company family.

His said that his favorite part of working with the hotel is “I love working with good honest people that don’t judge me, Hampton Inn and Suites is my family.”

Each year, Quality Hospitality hotels choose an employee of the year that represents the greater Quality Oil Company values of:

• Doing it because it’s right
• Treating customers, vendors, and fellow employees as we would like to be treated
• Being financially responsible
• Being better today than yesterday

To learn more about Quality Oil Company or hotel employment opportunities, visit www.qualityoilnc.com