HYATT Regency Saipan today, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, is celebrating its 41 years of service, commitment and gratitude to the CNMI community. In October, the hotel and the Commonwealth government, through its Department of Public Lands, signed a new 40-year land lease agreement.
Hyatt Director of Rooms Rosalyn Quintanilla
The management and the workforce of Saipan Portopia Hotel Corp., the company that owns the local Hyatt, can’t be grateful enough to the CNMI government and members of the local community for their continuous support and long-lasting friendship, Hyatt Saipan general manager Nick Nishikawa said.
He said this year’s anniversary celebration could be the most emotional — and the happiest.
Just two years ago, he added, “we were kind of worried [about] whether we could get an extension or not.”
And last year, Hyatt could not fully celebrate its 40th anniversary due to the restrictions and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic amid the uncertainty over its land lease contract with the CNMI government.
“Of course, we wanted to celebrate but at the same time we were kind of concern about whether we could continue operating or not,” Nishikawa said.
After several months of back-and-forth negotiations, Hyatt and DPL signed a new land lease agreement at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2021 at the hotel’s Miyako Restaurant.
“So this year we can enjoy and celebrate truly from our hearts because we have a good reason to celebrate. Everybody is happy. Our staff, their family and relatives,” Nishikawa said.
He noted that it has been 13 years and six months since he became the sixth general manager of Hyatt Regency Saipan.
Significant decline
He arrived on island in 2008 when the CNMI’s economy was in a bad shape. Two years earlier, Japanese Airlines pulled out of Saipan, causing a significant decline of tourist arrivals from Japan, then the CNMI’s main tourism market.
Nishikawa said his predecessor told him, “We should never go down further.”
The tsunami in Japan in 2011 further weakened the Japanese tourism market, but Nishikawa said business picked up in 2012, 2013, 2014 and the early part of 2015 when the CNMI saw a significant increase in tourist arrivals from a new market, China.
However, two typhoons slammed into Saipan in Aug. 2015 and Oct. 2018, and Delta Airlines’ decision to end its Japan-Saipan flights in May 2018 further depressed visitor numbers from Japan.
“So we have been up and down like in a roller coaster ride,” Nishikawa said.
And that was before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the tourism industry and the local economy in March 2020.
Despite the many and ongoing challenges, Nishikawa said “we will be here, good days and bad days.”
“We have a good relationship with the local community,” he added, “and we want to maintain that good relationship.”
Through the years, Hyatt has been a supporter of many community projects, activities and programs that include the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the annual charity golf classic, the Saipan marathon, among other events.
“Whenever there is an opportunity, we participate and sponsor community projects,” Nishikawa said.
Hyatt is likewise committed to expanding the island’s local workforce, he said.
“We partnered with the trade school [now known as the Northern Marianas Technical Institute] to help us train locals for jobs previously held by guest workers,” he added.
Nishikawa said he has worked with many hotels around the world, but he has spent the most years with Hyatt Regency Saipan.
“This is my second home. I like Saipan. I like the people here, I like the people who work with me. I appreciate all the people who support me, work with me, laugh and cry with me. I appreciate them very much. Sometimes we get angry together but we’re like a family. We are family.”
Nishikawa reiterated Hyatt’s gratitude to the CNMI government for giving the hotel another 40 years.
He would also like to thank the governor, the lt. governor, DPL, other CNMI officials, and members of the local community for their continuous support.
“I am thankful to the people whose faces I see every day. I appreciate them very much. Without their support, we could not be here today,” Nishikawa said.
‘We take care of each other’
Hyatt Director of Rooms Rosalyn Quintanilla, who oversees housekeeping, the front office and security department, has been working with the hotel for 28 years now.
Quintanilla, who is from Guam, said Hyatt has provided her with opportunities that allowed her to grow in her career.
“Management provides training to the employees. We’re like one family here. We take care of each other,” she added.
“So when things happen, you know that somebody is there to help you. That is the one thing that keeps me going. We do things together. We help each other,” she said.
As a Hyatt employee, Quintanilla said, “I care, I am passionate with my job, and I do things not just because I have to, but also because I want to do them and I want to make sure that those who we cater to are happy and have a good experience.”
Front desk manager Vangie Sablan, who has been with Hyatt for 20 years now, was a 17-year-old high school student when she became a trainee at the hotel.
At first, she thought working in a hotel was not for her. “I wanted to become a teacher, but when I started to train here and was introduced to the hotel industry, I fell in love with it,” she said.
“I think it matched my personality because I like talking to guests. I am good at talking to them, feeding them and making sure that their stay here is pleasant and enjoyable.”
She added, “Working here throughout those years I’ve gained skills and knowledge, so I’m still here. Hyatt helped me discover my career path. So when I finished high school, I started working here part time, and then while going to college I eventually became a full-time employee.”
Sablan became a team leader in the hotel’s recreation area, and then an assistant manager before becoming a front desk manager.
“This is where I built my career. Hyatt helped me figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she added.
Food and beverage attendant Maribel Casella has been with Hyatt for 20 years now. “I am so happy and proud to work for Hyatt. Hyatt is where I found a family. We care for each other. And if you have a problem, you can tell them and they are always there for you,” she said referring to the hotel management and her co-workers.
“This is the company that gives you equal opportunity,” she added.
The Hyatt Regency Saipan’s management and staff pose for a photo in the hotel lobby.
