May 26–It was a muggy, gray Friday mid-afternoon, and Andrew Penland and Paul Mezick waited for an elevator in the lobby at Embassy Suites by Hilton Chattanooga Hamilton Place.

Suddenly Mezick, general manager of the hotel, spotted tiny smudges on the tile floor nearby.

A race against the elevator's arrival ensued. Mezick bent, dabbed and went after the floor with a napkin in hand.

Penland, general manager of the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse at the Embassy Suites, laughed.

That's just Paul, he said. No surprise.

Such attention to detail is among the reasons Mezick was recently recognized as one of the top managers among the 220-location hotel chain.

In 2015, Embassy Suites by Hilton Chattanooga Hamilton Place had a record-breaking year, hitting more than 20 percent revenue growth per available room, in a year — according to hotel watchgroup STR — which saw strong hotel growth across the U.S.

According to the group's research, U.S. hotel profits in 2015 surpassed those set back in pre-Recession 2007.

Hotel revenue topped $189 billion in the U.S. in 2015, with industry profits hitting $73 billion. That house profit figure is an all-time high.

Mezick said the Chattanooga hotel he manages — and which is owned by locally-owned Ken Defoor Properties — is seeing that positive bounce back. In 2014, the 203-room hotel on Shallowford Road just north of Hamilton Place mall was named Embassy Suites Hotel of the Year.

And at this point already this year, Embassy Suites by Hilton Chattanooga Hamilton Place is averaging 80 percent occupancy. The hotel hit 100 percent occupancy the last two Thanksgiving holidays in a row.

There's apparently no secret to the success.

According to Mezick, there's only hard work, meticulous attention to detail and an overall improving hotel market.

Mezick has been general manager at the Embassy Suites by Hilton since it opened in 2013, and from the start decided to be involved at a personal level in the day-to-day operations.

For instance, he personally hires front desk staff and trains new workers.

"That's a practice that I continue today," Mezick said. "I have not let that go."

Mezick is an industry veteran, but this is his first shot running a Hilton property. Some things come standard — certain aesthetics of a property, certain ways of doing things.

But Mezick introduced additional services: such as a MoonPie on every pillow when lodgers check in, and a free windshield cleaning for each customer vehicle overnight.

He believes being personally involved sets the tone for the entire staff, which translates into the customer experience.

"It's my hotel," said Mezick. "It's my house. The fish rots from the head."

Mezick also brags on the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse embedded in the hotel property, and said Penland's work also brings an added value to customers. Catered events at the hotel are handled by Ruth's Chris.

Mezick's cousin visited Chattanooga last week, and Mezick treated him to dinner at Penland's restaurant, "because it's the best in town."

Penland brought a wealth of experience to Chattanooga when he moved here from Nashville to take over the steakhouse. He operated one of the top five steakhouses in the U.S. in Nashville.

When Penland became general manager of the Ruth's Chris in Chattanooga, the restaurant was ranked 139 on TripAdviser out of more than 770 restaurants in the area.

Today, the Chattanooga Ruth's Chris is ranked sixth out of more than 770.

Penland said he's passionate about the work, and is also personally involved in staff training. He said running the steakhouse side is more than merely delivering food and service.

Restaurants are often the setting for big, personal celebrations, family events or even reconciliations and reunions.

Penland said his restaurant has even served up the last meal for terminally ill diners.

"You make memories that last a lifetime," he said. "You never know where somebody's been, what they're going through."

Both Mezick and Penland said support staff at the hotel and restaurant are key to success.

"That's the biggest asset, in my opinion," Penland said.

At 3 p.m. on any given day, a front desk clerk at the Embassy Suites rolls out a tub of iced bottled water. On the eve of just the latest Ironman Chattanooga event, Mezick said Chattanooga's rising designation as a destination city doesn't hurt, either.

"Chattanooga's on the map in ways that it wasn't before," he said.

Contact staff writer Alex Green at [email protected] or 423-757-6480.