Hilton Turns to Newport’s Savannah Team to Learn What Exceptional Guest Service Looks Like

Hilton Garden Inn Savannah Airport selected for brand research after consistently outperforming peer hotels in service, guest recognition and overall stay experience

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — October 6, 2026 — What does exceptional hotel service look like today? At the Hilton Garden Inn Savannah Airport, managed by Newport Hospitality Group, it comes by way of a front desk associate making a late-arriving traveler feel genuinely welcome. It’s a housekeeper taking pride in a spotless guestroom. It’s a breakfast team remembering a guest’s preferences. It’s an airport shuttle driver starting or ending someone’s trip on a positive note. And it’s a team of employees being empowered to solve problems rather than simply pass them along.

Those everyday interactions produce measurable results, and Hilton corporate is taking notice.

Recently the brand selected this property and its team to participate in a brand research study examining the routines, behaviors, leadership practices, and culture behind strong stay-experience results. The hotel was targeted due to the strength and consistency of its guest-experience performance scores.

For Wayne West III, president of Newport Hospitality Group, this recognition is a shining example of the management company’s “Living Hospitality” culture that is put into practice every day.

“Exceptional hospitality is not created by a score. Rather, the score is the result of hundreds of interactions taking place throughout the hotel every single day,” West said. “What Angela and her team have built in Savannah is a culture where people understand that taking care of each guest is personal. They celebrate great service, they hold themselves accountable when something falls short, and they continually look for ways to get better. Having Hilton recognize those efforts and want to learn more about what is happening at this hotel is something our entire organization is extremely proud of.”

Performance That Stands Out

The Hilton Garden Inn Savannah Airport outperforms its peer group in Overall Cleanliness, Service Quality, Breakfast and Room Quality. One of its most significant strengths is its Hilton Honors guest recognition. The hotel’s Honors Appreciation score is 74.8%, 9.4 points above its peer group. Honors Delivery stands at 79.4% compared with a 70.2% peer benchmark, while Honors Recognition is 78.8% versus 73.3%. In addition, its Fitness Center score is 92.3% compared with 78.5% for its peer group, while Public Areas, Technology, and Restaurant scores all exceed peer benchmarks.

HGI Savannah Airport General Manager Angela Agan said those numbers reflect something much more important than simply meeting performance targets.

“Hospitality cannot feel scripted,” Agan said. “Processes give us consistency, but our employees also need to know they have permission to genuinely take care of a guest. I want our team to understand that memorable service matters and that the little things they do are being noticed. When someone does a great job, we celebrate it. When we fall short, we address it. Recognition and accountability have to work together.”

That philosophy is woven into the hotel’s daily operation.

Guest feedback is reviewed regularly rather than waiting for a monthly performance discussion. When employees are mentioned by name in Hilton stay experience surveys, online reviews, guest messages, or handwritten comments, those interactions are recognized. The hotel has created employee contests around positive guest mentions to reinforce the connection between individual actions and the overall guest experience.

At the same time, managers monitor response times and coach employees when service expectations are not met. Guest feedback is treated as an operational tool, with recurring comments viewed as trends that may require action rather than as isolated complaints.

Agan said she remains highly visible in the operation, walking rooms, reviewing cleanliness, following up on maintenance issues, monitoring guest feedback, and communicating directly with guests.

“I think the team sees that guest experience matters to me personally,” Agan said. “Hospitality is everyone’s responsibility. It does not belong only to the front desk or to Newport management and ownership. Every employee has an opportunity to influence how a guest feels about their stay.”

Living Hospitality at the Property Level

Agan credits Newport with providing the leadership structure, operational resources, and accountability that enable the property to maintain high standards while giving its leaders the freedom to create a culture that works for their individual hotel. She said their approach to Living Hospitality is producing results across the guest journey. Service Quality stands at 87.1%, compared with 85.0% for the hotel’s peer group. Overall Cleanliness is 86.8% versus 85.9%, and Breakfast is 78.8% compared with 76.7%.

The hotel also reports a lower Problem Incidence score than its peer group and a higher Problem Resolution score, underscoring the team’s focus not only on preventing issues but responding effectively when they occur. Hilton’s research is designed to look beyond those numbers and better understand the behaviors and routines associated with strong Stay Experience performance.

“In this business, hotel managers are often contacted when something is wrong,” Agan said. “To have Hilton reach out because they want to understand what our team is doing right means the world to us.”
West said HGI Savannah Airport’s performance is precisely why Newport views the selection as much more than participation in a research project.

“This is recognition of the people behind the performance,” West said. “Great hospitality does not happen at the corporate office. It happens at the property, one guest and one interaction at a time. Angela and her team are demonstrating what Living Hospitality is intended to be, and we could not be prouder to see their work recognized by Hilton.”

Agan said the ultimate compliment would be knowing that lessons learned in Savannah could someday benefit guests elsewhere.

“We are just one hotel, but if something our team has learned or developed here can help another property create a better experience for its guests, that would be an incredible reflection on our team,” she said.

About Newport Hospitality Group

Newport Hospitality Group, based in Williamsburg, Va., turns hotel operations into measurable growth by aligning precise execution with a unified commercial strategy. With decades of experience leading branded and independent hotels, including partnerships with Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Wyndham, Choice Hotels, and Best Western, Newport helps owners grow with clarity, control, and purpose. Guided by its Living Hospitality philosophy, the company believes hospitality begins with people and is amplified by purpose, where performance is built on integrity and relationships last.

Media Contacts:
Barb Worcester, PRPRO
[email protected]

Kirsten Mosco, Newport Hospitality Group
[email protected]