Renovated Crowne Plaza caters to businesses

In the midst of a $15 million facelift, the Crowne Plaza in downtown White Plains has locked onto two reliable business strategies: provide attractive amenities for the out-of-towners and build loyalty among community leaders, organizations, businesses and socialites.

The task of keeping a business together after a recession is tough, but Crowne Plaza management believes the hotel industry is making a comeback and it plans to stay ahead of the curve with the hotel”™s renovations.

“We”™re almost back to recovery from the financial crisis and this year we will have made well over $1 million more than last year,” said Scott de Savoye, Crowne Plaza general manager.

Scott de Savoye stands in the Crowne Plaza”™s lobby, where he said the new color scheme reflects the hotel”™s sophisticated yet warm and inviting ambience.

The Crowne Plaza, owned by the InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, draws people from all walks of life. With many options for lodging, de Savoye said his company must keep the prices competitive to attract more than just your average overnight lodgers.

“We give deals to corporations that give us hundreds and thousands of dollars, and we give discounts to large groups,” de Savoye said. “In the hotel business, occupancy is what determines our success. We accommodate anywhere between 300 and 600 people on any given day. On the weekdays we get more businesses and on the weekends we get more socialites. We”™re both funky and functional. It”™s not a stuffy or pretentious place. It”™s a very business-centered place.”

The renovations provide for new amenities such as a brand new 42-inch flat screen television, carpet, furniture, bedding, drapes, bathroom fixtures, mini refrigerators in every guest room and suite, upgraded executive lounges with food services throughout the day and a second fitness center. The Crowne Plaza is an increasingly important space for local companies and organizations to convene.

“We get mostly business leaders from IBM, PepsiCo, MasterCard and Heineken doing a lot of business here,” de Savoye said. “Some of their executives and business guests come, too. And the Rotary Club uses our meeting rooms every week. White Plains is a great business travel destination.”

The hotel refurbished 17,000 square feet of meeting space and 6,000 square feet of ballroom space to create a cozier setting in which companies and organizations can host events and luncheons. With the option of collapsing and expanding the rooms with moving dividers, the ballroom is also used for events and community get-togethers.

The Rotary Club of White Plains has relied on the Crowne Plaza to host its weekly luncheons for 20 years. The updated services and improved quality of food at the hotel add perks for businesses conducting meetings in a more leisurely and comfortable space.

“We do a fair amount of business at the Crowne Plaza,” said Georgene Mongarella, former president of the White Plains Rotary Club. “They”™re always booked and have other companies there, but we usually take a portion of the ballroom every week. If they”™re overbooked, we just go downstairs to the smaller rooms. James Constantino, the banquet manager, has done a wonderful job with the food and we couldn”™t be happier.”

The Rotary Club spends about $1,400 on weekly luncheons, Mongarella said. In the past, they have invited about 100 to 300 people to fundraisers and paid a fee of $75 to $85 per person, which can generate anywhere from $7,500 to $25,500 per event for the hotel.

The renovations at the hotel have kept 150 people employed, with about 60 percent of the workers from New York state and about 30 percent from Connecticut.