Feb. 24, 2003 - Yancie Toran came to Harrisburg last September with a mission -- to revive the floundering Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Harrisburg. 

The hotel at 23 S. Second St., which underwent major renovations and became the Crowne Plaza in 2000, has a troubled past. It's been the Harrisburg Hotel, a Holiday Inn and a Ramada. For a while, it was owned by the city. 

ING Realty has owned the 10-floor, 261-room hotel since 1999. Last September, ING switched the management from New Jersey-based Crestline to Tishman Hotel Corp. of New York. 

Before Toran's arrival as the new general manager, the Crowne Plaza had been averaging about a 50 percent occupancy rate. That wasn't surprising in an industry hard hit by the travel slowdown after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she said. 

Toran projects an average occupancy rate of 70 percent this year, although she cautions that if the economy worsens or the United States goes to war in Iraq she might have to adjust that estimate down a little. 

The biggest challenge facing the Crowne Plaza is overcoming "a reputation in Harrisburg and in this area of not being a quality hotel," Toran said. "I believe it was because of the service." 

Toran, who has worked for Tishman for five years, said she was assigned to Harrisburg "to turn around this property." 

Toran's last assignment was as a manager at the Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort and Country Club on 481 acres in Puerto Rico. 

A Houston native, Toran, 40, also has worked at the Caneel Bay Resort on the island of St. John for Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, and at the Four Seasons hotels in Houston and Dallas. 

Since her arrival in Harrisburg, hotel staff have been retrained, and the Crowne Plaza's marketing strategy has been fine-tuned. 

"It's going to be a high-end or luxury [hotel]. We're going to specialize in service," she said. 

Toran, who likes to greet guests in the lobby as they arrive, envisions attracting to the Crowne Plaza visitors with business at the Capitol, celebrities appearing locally, corporate executives and tourists seeking weekend getaways. 

The 10th floor of the hotel offers an additional level of security, privacy and concierge service for VIPs. That's where the two-bedroom governor's suite, with a deck overlooking Market Square, can be found. 

Toran hired a French chef, Galal Moin, to upgrade menus for the State House Restaurant, the lounge and the hotel's room service, catering and banquet operations. 

She added an awning with a sign at the hotel's Chestnut Street entrance to welcome people not staying at the hotel to the lounge and restaurant. 

The lunch crowd grew from one or two tables to an average of 40 to 60 guests with the resurrection of the popular luncheon buffet for $8.95, Toran said. 

Dinner business also has picked up, with close to 100 reservations for Valentine's Day, she said. 

"I can tell you that our clientele within the community is returning, and it's nice to see that," Toran said. "We appreciate seeing that." 

The newly renamed Harrisburg Caucus Lounge, with its signature port holes looking out on the deep end of the hotel's indoor swimming pool, features live entertainment on special occasions and holidays. 

Toran's long-term goals include bringing a salon into the hotel to offer hair cuts, manicures, pedicures and massages and reopening the rooftop restaurant with scenic views of Harrisburg. 

Tim Shellenberger, Crowne Plaza marketing and sales director, has met with representatives of the nearby Hilton Harrisburg & Towers to see how the two hotels can help each other. 

"If we team up together, we can bring more business here," Toran said. 

Barry Dively, director of sales and marketing at the Hilton, said an improved Crowne Plaza benefits both properties. 

"If they increase the service level and quality, it attracts more business . . . and it keeps business downtown. They don't have to go across the river to Camp Hill," Dively said. 

The Crowne Plaza also can provide rooms for the overflow from conventions at the larger Hilton, he noted. 

This year, some of the bands at the Millenium Music Conference based at the Hilton stayed and played at the Crowne Plaza, Toran said. 

Shellenberger described the relationship between the two hotels as "friendly competition." 

Toran admits she didn't know much about Harrisburg when she learned she would be moving from Puerto Rico and considered central Pennsylvania a somewhat "remote" location. 

"When I got here, I was pleasantly surprised. Second Street has been developed very well," she said. "We let our customers know there are things to do here. There are places to go. . . . There's a lot to bring people to Harrisburg." 

Downtown promoters hope Toran can make a difference at the hotel. 

"I think Yancie has brought a breath of fresh air to the Crowne Plaza," said Fred Clark, former head of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District. 

Clark pointed to the hotel's renewed marketing efforts and live entertainment offerings in the lounge, both of which "makes our downtown more vibrant." 

Toran, who exudes corporate professionalism, is confident she can accomplish her mission. 

"The hotel is beautiful. I think it just needed the right management company," she said. 

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