New Dual Branded Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton™ Shreveport/ Bossier City Announce New Staff Additions

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The dual branded Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by HiltonTM Shreveport/ Bossier City have announced several staff appointments - (left to right) Sandra Haynes, director of sales; Ben Martinez, assistant general manager; Ray Ferland, general manager. Credit: Homewood Suites.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - The dual branded Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by HiltonTM Shreveport/ Bossier City owned and operated by RT Bossier Hotel Partners, LLC., today announced that Ray Ferland has been appointed general manager of the new dual branded hotel located at 2015 Old Minden Road.  The hotel is currently under construction and scheduled to open in December 2012.  The Hilton Garden Inn boasts 177 rooms, and the Homewood Suites by Hilton features 114 suites.  As general manager, Ferland will direct all areas of the hotel's operations, including guest services, sales and marketing efforts, and hotel administration.

"Based on Ray's outstanding record in hotel management, we are confident that he will be instrumental in ensuring the success of this new dual branded hotel," said Ken Thompson, Senior VP of Dimension Development Company, Inc.  "Ray will be a strong asset to this new property as we gear up for its opening."

Prior to joining the dual branded Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM Shreveport/ Bossier City, Ferland was the general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott on the Louisiana Boardwalk, and also served as general manager of the Holiday Inn Bossier from 1993 until the closing in June 2011.  Ferland is a graduate of Providence College in Providence, RI with a degree in Business Administration.  He is on the Board of Directors for the Shreveport/ Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau and the Shreveport Bossier Hotel and Lodging Association, as well as the planning committee for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, held annually in Bossier City. 

Sandra Haynes has also been named director of sales for the new dual branded hotel. Before coming to the Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM Shreveport/ Bossier City, Haynes was director of sales and regional director of sales and marketing for properties under the Hampton Inn®, Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM, and Holiday Inn brands. 

In addition, Ben Martinez has been named assistant general manager.  Martinez, a certified extended-stay specialist, has held leadership roles at both the Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM New Orleans and most recently, the Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM Savannah, Georgia.

Situated just minutes from Barksdale Air Force Base, the dual branded Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM Shreveport/ Bossier City will provide the amenities to ensure guests have everything they need whether traveling for business or pleasure.

Hilton Garden Inn® is there to support each guest on his or her road to success, and it starts the moment the guest walks through the doors. Guests can start their day with a full cooked-to-order breakfast from the Garden Grille and Bar® and end it with one of Hilton Garden Inn's signature Garden Sleep System® beds.  Other amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, 24/7 business center, and free WiFi in all rooms.  Hilton Garden Inn® has everything you need to be successful at more than 520 locations worldwide.

Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM provides travelers amenities and services that maximize their travel budget, including complimentary internet, daily full-hot breakfast, and evening dinner and drinks Monday-Thursday*. In addition, Homewood Suites' 300+ all-suite hotels boast fully equipped kitchens, separate sleeping and living spaces, a complimentary grocery shopping service** and recreational options such as a fitness center, pool and sports courts - all amenities that enable travelers to be at home and make life on the road more about life and less about the road.

The hotel will also feature five meeting rooms offering more than 8,500 square feet of flexible space and an on-site guest laundry facility.

Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton^TM Shreveport/ Bossier City participates in Hilton HHonors^®, the only hotel rewards program that offers Points & Miles^® and No Blackout Dates.