Local Voices
Crowne Plaza Boston-Newton Hosts Marines Before Deployment
CROWNE PLAZA BOSTON-NEWTON HOSTS 157 U.S. MARINES BEFORE DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN
NEWTON, Mass. (March 12, 2014) – For the newly appointed General Manager Sheila Hayden, March 12th was a typical Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Boston-Newton (320 Washington Street). In the quiet hours of the evening, Erseila Muka, front office manager, got a call from World Airways looking for overnight rooms to accommodate a few hundred Marines on their way to Afghanistan… some for the first time, some returning for a second tour.
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After verifying and approving the request, the hotel’s team jumped into action, making sure all vacant rooms were spotless and ready to receive 157 U.S. Marines for a good night’s sleep and a full breakfast before leaving to serve in Afghanistan.
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Hayden, Muka, Omar Roldan (chief engineer), an evening shift engineer, and two front desk agents all worked tirelessly and on their own time cleaning rooms to make sure all the rooms were “inspection ready” for their special guests’ arrival. At midnight, three buses pulled up to the Crowne Plaza Newton with 157 Marines, ready to eat a midnight meal at Social Restaurant & Bar, the hotel’s restaurant. Some of the employees worked straight through for a 24-hour shift to ensure the guests were taken care of before they departed before noon the next day.
Social Restaurant & Bar's two owner/partners, Jeff Denecke and Bill Costa, were on hand to arrange for a midnight meal for their guests. Social Executive Chef Jarred Hargreaves came in and worked with the restaurant's front of house manager, bartender and server, all volunteering their time to give the Marines a hearty meal; since the large group was unexpected, the restaurant team got creative and developed new menu items just for this large group of guests, with the last diner leaving around 3 a.m. In the morning, the Marines awoke fed and refreshed, ate a hearty breakfast at the Crowne Plaza’s lobby restaurant, and departed very pleased with the hospitality they received from the entire team of the Crowne Plaza Boston-Newton and Social Restaurant & Bar.
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