Q&A With Sara Milligan: Living HVMG's Be Excellent Culture
Corporate Director of Operations Sara Milligan
reflects on her career journey, the meaning of HVMG's "Be Excellent" culture,
and the mindset that drives high performance across the company.
You've been with HVMG for many years. Can you walk us
through your career path and how you arrived in your current role?
Sara: I started in 2009 at the Embassy Suites in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the Front Office Manager, then quickly moved into the Assistant GM role, which I held for about six years. From there, I became the GM at the DoubleTree Lexington, and after two years, I moved to the Embassy Suites Troy, where I served as GM for eight years and spent part of that time as an Area GM.
A few months ago, I transitioned to the Corporate Director
of Operations role. Before HVMG, I spent about ten years with a tourism
organization in North Dakota called the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. I
held a variety of roles there, from front office to reservations to Director of
Sales.
HVMG's culture is built around two words: "Be
Excellent." What does that phrase mean to you?
Sara: For me, it's really a way of life, not just
at work, but personally as well. It's about choosing your attitude, staying
positive, and pushing through whatever adversity you're facing. Over the years,
I've noticed that people who really resonate with HVMG's culture are the ones
who already have that mindset. They're the "nothing is insurmountable" kind of
people, and when they find this company, they become lifers.
Matt Woodruff's Excellence Celebrations also really
resonated with me. They made it feel like a great catchall, something everyone
can understand and live out.
Is there a moment or story that demonstrates what Be
Excellent looks like in real life?
Sara: One example that really stands out was when
Chad Thompson, Max Woolworth, and I were sent to one of our assets in New
Jersey. It had been closed for some serious work, and we were told it needed to
reopen by any means necessary before a scheduled quality audit.
For about seven to ten days, the three of us worked
nonstop with a few team members. We maxed out three credit cards at Home Depot,
put rooms back together, worked with local entities to ensure safety, brought
Hilton brand standards up to par, and made sure all the technology worked. It
was an enormous amount of work that should have required a big team, but we had
the right attitude. That drive absolutely comes from our culture.
To someone outside the industry, it might sound like
you weren't set up for success. How does HVMG support teams during
high-pressure moments like that?
Sara: We were in constant communication with
senior leadership, especially Richard Jones. That level of involvement and
support is the norm here. Anytime you need something, they're there, whether
it's a Sunday night or a Friday night.
There are countless situations where we're asked to go
get something done, but it's never "good luck with that." Corporate is always
right there with us.
Has your perspective on culture changed now that
you're in a corporate role?
Sara: I think I now see how much effort goes into every decision, and how seriously leadership considers the impact on GMs, directors of sales, the financials, and even work-life balance.
When you're at the hotel level, you don't always see
those conversations. But now I hear them, and it's pretty cool to know that
they genuinely care about what people think. They don't just say that; they
live it.
HVMG leaders often say that General Managers are the
"CEOs of their hotels." How did you keep your team connected to the culture
when you were a GM?
Sara: For line-level associates, culture looks
different. Most of them have multiple jobs. They may not fully understand who
HVMG is, but they absolutely know how they're treated.
Your team picks up your attitude, good or bad. As a GM,
you're always "on," and if I was having a bad day, I'd close my door briefly so
I wouldn't impart that negativity onto the staff.
To instill Be Excellent at the hotel level, you treat
people with respect, stay positive, and make sure they understand the benefits
that HVMG provides: fair pay, annual reviews, a fantastic benefits package,
PTO, and even 401(k) eligibility for part-time employees after six months,
which is rare in our industry.
We also cover culture in orientation, and when Matt
visits for Excellence Celebrations, the energy of those sessions really brings
it home.
For those who haven't seen one, what exactly happens
during an Excellence Celebration?
Sara: It's about guest service, but it's more than
that. Matt starts by talking about HVMG's impact on the team and the impact
associates have on guests. He explains the idea of the "invisible guest,"
meaning someone who has a neutral experience. For the hotel, neutral is zero;
we want them to rave about us.
He uses really clear language that resonates with
everyone, even associates who may speak English as a second language. He also
incorporates the well-known Pike Place Fish Market example about "being there,"
"playing," and creating joy in the experience.
After that, we talk about survey incentives and
recognition programs. It's fun, energizing, and usually lasts about two and a
half hours. Some hotels do it more often than others, depending on turnover and
guest-service scores.
What else do you think people should understand about
HVMG's culture?
Sara: Excellence in performance is a huge part of
it. Nobody here is okay with mediocrity. When you're a high performer
surrounded by other high performers, you all push each other to get things
done.
A great recent example is the heavy transition work we
did with a particular ownership group. Their expectations are very analytical
and high touch, so the budget submittal was a massive undertaking. Every
person—sales, commercial strategy, operations—worked tirelessly together to get
it done.
That kind of synergy doesn't just happen. It's a product of culture, and it's really cool to be part of a group where everyone is aligned on doing whatever it takes.
