AHLA's American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute Publishes Hotel Novel

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. October 14, 2008

LANSING, MI, August 29, 2008. In a departure from its traditional textbook publishing, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute has published a novel about the hotel industry, written by a former hotel company executive.

'Saving the St. George' follows the adventures of retired Marine Edwin Christian, who inherits the elegant but aging Hotel St. George from his grandfather. Edwin discovers that the hotel, once the gem of the city, has fallen on financial hard times. He has to make some tough operating decisions while juggling the needs of the hotel's dedicated staff, the outrageous demands of his society-hound sister, the disapproval of his older brother, and suspiciously-timed visits from the health department and the building code inspector.

Add to that the mystery of a dead body in a guest room, exotic dancers roaming the halls, and a whole range of colorful and sometimes shady hotel guests, and you've got a hotel story sure to keep readers turning pages.

"You'll love this book. 'Saving the St. George' captures the human events that make the hotel business fascinating," said Joseph McInerney, CHA, president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

"Not only is 'Saving the St. George' a fun read, it's also an excellent primer for those entering the lodging industry, both high school and college students, to learn how a hotel really operates," said Mari Behrendt, EI's vice president, academic programs.

'Saving the St. George' author Greg Plank is a 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry. His career has included positions from busboy to general manager to hotel company president with organizations including Sheraton, Ramada, Travelodge, Hawthorn Suites, Country Hearth Inns, and Suburban Lodges of America. He is currently president of WorldWide Team Management Inc., a Georgia-based consulting firm that works with hotel suppliers, chains, and individual properties to increase market share and launch new initiatives.

"All of the incidents in the book happen in hotels. I thought that hotel students and hotel employees should know who exciting our business is. Having been in the business for so long, I always thought it would be great to have a hotel and some characters in common with the many people I've worked with and met," said Plank. "Some day, maybe people from different parts of the country will find themselves working together, and they'll have the Hotel St. George as a common experience. That's the kind of thing that builds relationships and understanding in the hotel business."

'Saving the St. George' is available from the Educational Institute for $16.95; $11.95 for AH&LA members. To order, call 800-752-4567 or 517-372-8800; outside the U.S. and Canada, call 407-999-8100. Or visit www.ei-ahla.org or order online.

Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Educational Institute's mission is to support AH&LA by becoming the preferred provider to the lodging industry, hospitality schools, and related hospitality industries both domestically and internationally by developing and providing quality resources to train, educate, and certify hospitality professionals.