Fred Cerrone, president of Day Hospitality Group, accepted the honor from Douglas G. Viehland, president of the American Hotel Foundation at a recent meeting in Atlanta

Company to Provide R & R for 5-Year Managers

An Atlanta-based hotel development and management company, Day Hospitality Group announced its Sabbatical Leave Program more than a year ago.  The unique benefits go to the general managers at its hotels. 

�The program will provide a time of rest and reflection for our key employees who have worked loyally for a period of five years,� said C. Peyton Day, CEO and Chairman of DHG. 

In fact, according to new DHG policy, after five years of company service, each general manager (GM) must take a sabbatical of 90 consecutive days with pay within one year of the his/her anniversary date.  The managers will be paid according to their regular pay schedules while on leave.  The sabbatical must include all accrued vacation and must be pre-approved by the company president 90 days prior to the leave. 

�When our children were young, I wished I could have taken time off to be with them, attend games and recitals, take a family vacation, or just relax,� said DHG President Fred Cerrone.  �I hope this sabbatical will provide time for our managers to do some of the things I missed.�

With nearly four years of service under his belt, Lead General Manager David Goetsch is already planning a cross-country trip with his two sons for his sabbatical in July 2000.  �Friends can�t believe that I�ll be paid to take three months off,� said Goetsch.

�We believe in balanced living in all areas of life,� said Cerrone. �The new policy rewards our loyal associates and facilitates the company�s culture.�

Both Day and Cerrone take great pride in promoting the culture of their company.  In addition to vision and mission statements, they wrote out a list of 20 value statements when they began their partnership in 1995.  The value statements, printed on what Cerrone calls a commitment card that is carried daily by each employee, set the tone for the company.  Statements include �setting worthwhile lifetime goals,� �employee empowerment,� and �clear communication.� 

Day Hospitality Group is an Atlanta-based, full-scale hotel management, development and consulting firm specializing in the limited-service lodging segment. Principals of the company are Peyton Day, Chairman, and Frederick W. Cerrone, CHA, President.  A franchise partner of Marriott International, Inc., the company manages the Midtown Fairfield Inn and owns and operates Fairfield Inns in Alpharetta, Buckhead, Kennesaw, and Perimeter Center, the  TownePlace Suites/Alpharetta and the SpringHill Suites/North Point.  The company also owns and manages a Fairfield Inn in Macon, GA and one in Charlotte, NC.