Managing two hotels is a balancing act for General Manager Loris Menfi.
Menfi manages both the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter and the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, a position she's held for seven months. The hotels, each owned by Host Hotels & Resorts, are located across the street from each other.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the Rivercenter was finishing up its multimillion-dollar renovation while the Riverwalk closed temporarily.
Menfi wasn't around for the renovation or when the Riverwalk closed, but she was there when it opened its doors again in March 2021, which is when the Rivercenter hosted the NCAA Women's Tournament.
This is also the first time Menfi has served as a dual general manager, she said, adding she finds the experience gratifying.
"Essentially you have two of everything," she said. "During the pandemic, we've had to consolidate operations, and what we've really focused on is a lot more synergies between the two hotels."
The properties have also benefited from cross training and cross utilization of associates "to manage through peaks and valleys of business," she said.
"If we have employees who are trained in multiple positions and are trained to work at either hotel, it gives us greater flexibility," she said.
What's different about the Riverwalk versus the Rivercenter?
Riverwalk is the smaller of the two properties. It has more of a boutique feel, more intimate. It's literally right on the Riverwalk. We have these beautiful balcony rooms with picturesque views of the Riverwalk and the cityscape.
Rivercenter is our convention hotel. It's 1,000 rooms, over 70,000 square feet of events space. It's connected to the mall. It's much more hustle and bustle and, like I said, just completed a transformational renovation.
What do you like about the hospitality industry?
Hospitality in general, it's really fun, it's a great place to be. It offers a lot of opportunities and personal growth and development and just a variety of challenges, which help make us all stronger.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned during your time so far as dual general manager, and what advice do you have for hoteliers as we start to come out of the pandemic?
It's about being resilient, positive and patient. Also celebrating the wins and green shoots that you do see so you can continue to keep the staff motivated and sharing whatever wins are out there because they definitely are worth celebrating.
We're starting to see a lot more good news versus bad news, and we're excited that although we're not out of the woods, we're starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.