The Omni hotel was bustling one recent afternoon as a packed charter bus pulled into the porte-cochère on South Lamar Street. Guests filed off like ants into the lobby, while a hotel engineer changed the propane tank in one of the modern outdoor gas lamps. Bellmen hauled luggage off the bus, and desk attendants greeted the guests. A touch-screen map in the lobby allowed guests to view all the amenities on the property.
The guests, in town for a convention, are the type of people Camille Gilmore, a National Account Executive at SH Worldwide, looks to serve. Her job is to find the perfect meeting space for her clients. She recently toured the Omni and was very impressed, particularly with the sky bridge to the Dallas Convention Center.
Other features impressed Gilmore, including the hotel’s 1,000 guest rooms and expansive ballrooms. The hotel also has solar panels, uses recycled water, and buys from local farmers markets. All of these features contributed to a Silver LEED certification for the building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The certification comes from an independent, third-party that verifies the building is environmentally sustainable. On top of that, the Omni has redefined the Dallas skyline with its computerized LED lighting façade.
“It’s got all the bells and whistles,” Gilmore said.
The hotel opened on Nov. 11, 2011, just two years after the groundbreaking. The city-owned hotel was financed through the sale of $500 million in municipal bonds. The Omni manages the hotel and is paying back the city of Dallas for its investment.
Nils Stolzlechner, general manager of the Omni Dallas, is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the hotel, which includes managing a staff of nearly 600 and signing off on all the new hires. The hotel will eventually ramp up to a staff of about 700 employees.
“The hotel has far exceeded our best expectations,” Stolzlechner said.
The Omni has partnered with the local H.I.S. BridgeBuilders program to find some of its new employees. The program allows individuals who have a GED or a high school diploma to participate in a four-week employment training class. Steve Owen, Jr., director of communications of H.I.S. BridgeBuilders, said the training includes topics ranging from how to represent yourself using social media, to conflict resolution when dealing with a superior or an upset customer. Each participant is comprehensively screened to determine unique living, transportation and childcare situations, to ensure their employment opportunity is a suitable fit.
The program is free to all accepted participants. Thanks to a grant administered by the Texas Workforce Commission, the program receives money from the Self Sufficiency Fund to pay for training for individuals receiving Texas Assistance for Needy Families benefits. For more information, go to www.hisbridgebuilders.com.
“This grant allows us to take people who are truly needy and want to get back on their feet,” said Justin Banta, grants and development specialist at BridgeBuilders. “It helps them find a job and get off food stamps.”
Stolzlechner starts his day meeting with the breakfast crew at 7 a.m. Next, he walks the property and checks in with meeting planners before his 8:30 a.m. meeting with the sales team to discuss new business opportunities. At 9 a.m., he meets with all the managers for a state of the union in their respective departments.
After the managers meeting, Stolzlechner takes a few hours before lunch to catch up on paperwork, respond to emails and review guest comments. He also spends time talking with employees and guests. At around 4 p.m. he makes his follow-up rounds for the day and checks in on the conventions.
“Once you have the right team in place and have them trained you can streamline the operations,” Stolzlechner said.
Since its opening, the hotel has had a variety of conventions, from helicopter enthusiasts to the American Library Association (ALA). This was the first time the ALA has had a convention in Dallas since 1989.
The Omni must go out and bid on large conventions years in advance. Stolzlechner said the goal is to book about 35 conventions at the hotel over the next ten years. The Omni also works with other hotels in the area to bid on these unique conventions.
Leslie Roe, an employee at the hotel gift shop “Collections,” pointed to merchandise that caters to convention guests. There were helicopter toys, paperweights and desk supplies on display.
The gift shop also has local art, which it sells on commission. There is a kiosk that enables guests to purchase art from some of the same 150 artists whose unique pieces hang in the hotel rooms.
Stolzlechner may call it a day around 6 p.m., but lately he and meeting planners have had dinners that can run as late as 10 p.m. They frequent the restaurants in the hotel, including Bob’s Steak & Chop House, which has recently been completely booked on the weekends.
The Owner’s Box, the sport’s bar in the hotel, has been so busy that they have had to turn individuals away due to the 378 person occupancy constraint. With TVs and projectors that cover every wall, the space lends itself well to entertain those looking to watch the game or enjoy a drink at the bar after a long day at a convention.
More information about the Omni Dallas, including job openings, can be found at www.omnihotels.com.
