THE HOTEL EXPERTS Steve Stearns 258 East Tall Oaks Circle Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 (561) 775-4990 SteveSt50@aol.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Areas of ExpertiseSteve Stearns and Skip Stearns along with highly specialized hospitality associates at THE HOTEL EXPERTS (THE), offer experience as attorney case consultants and in providing unbiased expert testimony. In guiding counsel through discovery, depositions and case strategy, submitting detailed opinions, and offering unbiased deposition and trial testimony both for and against hotel properties, owners, operators, franchisors and individual litigants, THE has successfully served the plaintiffs and defendants of, among others:
THE HOTEL EXPERTS has an extensive background in on-property and corporate hotel management. Additionally, THE’s expertise may be applicable to franchising, the cruise industry, racetracks, casinos and other gaming operations, restaurants and recreation industries. Cases in which THE has contributed include contractual disputes, wrongful deaths, premises liability, slip, trip and fall incidents, scalding and other personal injuries. Specific areas of expertise include:
Operating Standards
Steve Stearns currently serves as SVP at the largest provider of operational surveys for the hospitality industry in the world. Since joining the company in 1991, Steve has conducted, marketed, supervised and expanded the company’s services including the drafting of operating standards for numerous hotel brands representing varying standards of quality. In previous hotel management roles over 20 years, Steve was principally responsible for executing and rewriting standards of operation. Skip Stearns, as VP, Director of Franchising for Omni Hotels, supervised the development of the company-wide standard operating manual, trained management executives in its contents and supervised execution of standard operating procedures in all licensed hotels. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS add extensive qualifications and experience as management executives scripting standards, training, teaching and monitoring for performance.
Steve Stearns’ lengthy SVP role at the largest international provider of hotel operational surveys has helped him gain fluency in product standards at all levels of hotel quality from budget to luxury, from limited service to full-service and complex resorts. Steve’s previous hotel management experience of over 20 years provided hands-on knowledge of product standards at the most senior and complex unit levels. Skip Stearns also maintains product survey experience in his current consulting practice, and has previously served as the exclusive provider of product and service inspections for the Bahamian government. Skip, as VP, Director of Franchising at Omni Hotels, participated in establishing company-wide product standards, trained all management levels in these standards and was charged with overseeing their enforcement throughout the franchise division. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS broaden the knowledge and experience base offered by Steve and Skip.
Steve Stearns has over 30 years of field experience drafting, supervising, and executing safety and security standards. Steve has also served, chaired and supervised safety committees. As a hospitality industry consultant for over 15 years, Steve’s responsibilities have included assessing, rewriting and consulting currently accepted safety and security practices in the hospitality industry. Skip Stearns, in supervising the development of hotel and corporate standards operating manuals, also drafted and approved standard procedures to assure customer and employee safety. Skip continues to evaluate life safety and security practices in his current consulting role. Litigation consulting experience in over 100 cases since 2002 has also provided Steve, Skip and their associates with invaluable insights into a range of personal injuries, wrongful deaths and other complaints related to guest and employee safety and security.
Steve Stearns, from 1967 to 1990, drafted and supervised emergency procedures relating to snow, ice, flooding, wind, tornadoes, fire and other disasters. Steve’s experience in California and Florida also gave him first-hand knowledge of preparing and responding to earthquakes and hurricanes. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS also have experience drafting, teaching, drilling and supervising emergency procedures performance.
In 1991, Steve Stearns introduced integrity audits to his consulting practice. His work, in this field where there is limited professional support, has led to many improvements in integrity assessment, effective documentation for the legal termination of wrongful employees, and has saved hundreds of thousands in lost revenue in hotels and related industries. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS also bring hands-on experience in the realm of integrity and the resulting needs for counseling or termination.
Steve Stearns, serving at various levels of hotel management from 1967 to 1990, was an active interviewer of direct and indirect employees. Currently, Steve writes and coaches guidelines for hiring qualifications and practices for many global clients. Skip Stearns practiced field level hiring as a field manager from 1977 through 1982, then as a corporate executive from 1982 through 1996. As a member of the corporate executive committee of Omni Hotels, he participated in the development of company-wide position descriptions and supporting orientation and training programs for employees at all levels. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS possess even greater experience with candidate assessment, hiring standards and termination practices.
As hotel General Manager and consultant, Steve Stearns has has trained and supervised the training of field personnel for over 30 years. In his current senior consulting role, Steve has evaluated hospitality employees in the performance of their duties at a wide variety of hotel companies and independent hotels, recommended improvements, trained, delivered workshops and seminars, and drafted operating standards for the likes of Disney among other reputed service providers. Skip Stearns trained and supervised corporate training for all management level executives at Omni Hotels from 1988 to 1996. As hotel industry consultant, he continues to train employees to establish and attain objectives with respect to customers and owners, and he trains owners to serve the needs of their employees. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS have distinguished themselves with academic and industry certifications while creating, training, applying and supervising hospitality standards.
Skip Stearns spent the first 13 years of his hotel career directly in sales & marketing field and corporate roles for Dunfey, then Omni Hotels. As VP, Director of National Sales for four years, he led the reorganization of Omni’s national sales offices, drafted company-wide sales contracts and introduced remote booking capability to the hotel industry. As consultant, Skip remains actively involved in the analysis of hotel and corporate sales & marketing organizations and practices and in problem solving for increased revenues. Steve Stearns likewise began his career in sales & marketing, and he performed, supervised and consulted the marketing function for more than 40 years. THE HOTEL EXPERTS’ associates offer varying degrees of experience as teachers of sales & marketing and supervising of such disciplines.
As VP, Director of Franchising for Omni Hotels, Skip Stearns has participated in the drafting of Uniform Franchise Offering Circulars, negotiated terms, authored and served as signatory on license agreements. He also reviewed and contributed to the development of management agreements. Skip maintained responsibility for licensor adherence to contract terms and for licensee compliance to contract terms and standards of operation and product contained therein. Steve Stearns, from 1974 to 1990 in his capacity as hotel General Manager, has vast experience as the primary supervising performer of management contract terms. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS possess valuable experience as supervisors and executors of franchise and management contracts.
Skip Stearns served in the two most senior franchising positions for Omni Hotels from 1987-1996. He has since consulted to franchisees in his consulting practice. Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS have also held leadership roles in hotel franchising and supported franchisees and students through consulting and teaching.
As a hotel manager, Steve Stearns had oversight responsibility often for multiple restaurants in each hotel. As consultant, he continues to be in close contact with practices typical of restaurant, catering and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage functions. Skip Stearns also has knowledge in these areas as a drafter and overseer of hotel food and beverage operating standards. THE associates boast substantially more knowledge in specialized areas related to restaurants, food and beverage services.
Associates of THE HOTEL EXPERTS have specialized experience supervising and training in the service of alcoholic beverages. Familiarity with dram shop practices and certified trainers of recommended alcohol service programs offer credible direction and testimony.
THE HOTEL EXPERTS’ experience and knowledge base is not limited to Steve and Skip Stearns. THE has a library of operating standards from various hospitality companies and textbooks used in the teaching of university level students enrolled in hotel and hospitality-related business programs. Further, THE frequently enlists the services of non-employee experts Dennis Berkowitz, John Hogan, Rob McIntosh and Henry Tebbe whose CV’s appear on our website under the “Experts” link. These associates also expand THE’s geographic accessibility. Dennis is a hotel-trained food & beverage specialist who currently owns a multi-unit restaurant group out of San Francisco. Rob, based near Boston part-year and near Tampa in the snowy months, is a distinguished hotel and resort manager who also served as a senior corporate executive and franchisor with Omni Hotels. In New Orleans, Henry is a career hospitality human resources professional whose CV delivers hiring, standards development, training and termination experience. Phoenix-based John combines the best of hotel field experience, academic achievement, hotel school instruction, hotel industry service and publishing accomplishments. THE HOTEL EXPERTS endeavors to assure that attorney clients are matched with the expert most appropriate to the litigation consulting needs and unbiased opinions and testimony specific to each plaintiff’s or defendant’s case needs. Integrity is unshakeable at THE HOTEL EXPERTS. As consultants, THE is prepared to advocate for all clients. As report writers and testifying experts, THE will, at all times, require exposure to all relevant materials and evidence. Opinions and all forms of testimony shall be impartially delivered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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