Ready for Every Role. Prepared for Every Guest.

At Omni Fort Lauderdale, approximately 650 associates contribute to the guest experience across food and beverage, rooms, engineering, security, spa and other operational areas. Supporting a property of that scale requires more than a consistent look. It requires reliable systems and services working behind the scenes to help teams stay prepared.

As the new hotel approached opening, its leaders needed a partner that could support different departments, work schedules and operational requirements without adding more complexity for managers to oversee.

Cintas helped Omni create a connected program spanning Managed Apparel+, Purchase Apparel, Garment Dispensing, floor mats, towels, aprons and other services. Together, these solutions support day-to-day readiness across the property while allowing hotel leaders to keep their attention on associates and guests.

“Uniforms are paramount,” said Ted Cushman, Director of Food and Beverage. “The guest experience starts essentially when they see the first employee. Seeing an associate in a fresh, crisp uniform sets the tone for the type of experience they’re going to have.”

The Challenge

Supporting a large operation without adding more to manage

Different teams at Omni Fort Lauderdale operate in different environments.

Culinary associates may begin work early in the morning, move between preparation and guest-facing settings or need a clean garment during a shift. Stewarding teams perform demanding work behind the scenes. Hotel leaders must also coordinate the ongoing availability of towels, aprons, floor mats and other essentials that support daily operations.

The property’s planned Uniform Room did not have enough capacity to serve every associate through a single distribution model.

“There wasn’t going to be enough space for all associates to have their uniforms in the current Uniform Room,” Cushman said. “In this property, space is at a massive premium.”

Sending apparel home with associates would have placed additional responsibility on them while making consistent garment care and presentation more difficult to manage.

“There’s nothing worse than finishing up sometimes a ten-hour shift, working five or six days a week, and having to go home to wash the uniforms, iron the uniforms and get them ready,” said Cristian Mosquera, Executive Chef.

Omni needed a flexible program that could support its people, fit within the property’s space constraints and simplify the operational work behind associate readiness.

The Solution

Connected services built around the property

Rather than putting every department into one program model, Cintas helped Omni align services with the needs of each team.

The Cintas-managed program supports:

• Culinary associates through Chef Works apparel and Garment Dispensing
• Stewarding teams through a Managed Apparel+ program that includes garment collection, laundering and replenishment
• Operations teams through floor mats, towels and aprons
• Purchase Apparel and Uniform Room for housekeeping, banquets, front office, loss prevention, managers and pool attendants.

“We really have the hybrid option,” said Andrew Stradtner, Director of Operations. Omni Fort Lauderdale uses the Garment Dispensing solution for culinary apparel, Managed Apparel+ for stewarding and engineering, and a traditional Uniform Room for banquet, housekeeping and front-of-house team members. This hybrid apparel program provides flexibility to outfit every associate with the solution that works best for their role.

The broader Cintas relationship also helps Omni consolidate several day-to-day needs through one partner, connecting apparel readiness with other essential products and services used throughout the hotel.

Readiness on Demand

Clean apparel when the day begins

Garment Dispensing provides convenient access to clean apparel without requiring associates to take those garments home for laundering.

Associates can retrieve their uniform before their shifts and return it through the system after use. This is especially valuable for culinary associates who may begin work before a traditional uniform room would be available.

“The biggest benefit is we don’t get any calls at 5 a.m. saying, ‘I forgot my uniform,’” Cushman said. “Employees are able to get right to work. There’s no delay in being able to work and, as a corollary, there’s no delay in being able to service our guests.”

Mosquera compares that readiness to mise en place, the culinary practice of having every necessary ingredient and tool prepared before service begins.

“Garment Dispensing is like our mise en place,” he said. “It gets done for us instead of us having to do it.”

The system also supports moments when an associate needs to change during a shift. A chef may spend several hours preparing food. If a garment becomes soiled during preparation, the associate can access a clean replacement before entering the guest-facing environment.

“If they’ve been working for two or three hours and get a little dirty, in five minutes they can be in a new uniform and be in front of the guests,” Mosquera said.

Supporting Associates from Day One

The program helps new hires access their uniform soon after joining the team.

Rather than waiting for garments to be purchased after an associate arrives, managers can enter the necessary information and prepare the associate for work.

“From the day they start, they look professional and presentable,” Mosquera said. “If they happen to go outside into guest-facing areas, they’re ready from the first day.”

Removing the responsibility of laundering participating garments can also improve the daily experience for associates.

“The uniform program helps the staff feel like we care for them,” Mosquera said. “Something as simple as having the uniforms ready for them means a lot.”

An Extension of the Omni Team

Support through opening and beyond

Cintas worked with Omni to plan and implement the program as the new hotel prepared to open. That included helping establish the Uniform Room, identifying a viable location for the Garment Dispensing equipment and coordinating the transition to ongoing service.

“The team here for the uniform room came in, they knew what they were doing, and they had a plan,” said David Davila, Director of Rooms. “It was less of a burden on us and something we didn’t have to worry about, so we could service our guests and focus on getting the operation off the ground.”

The partnership continued after opening through onsite support and direct access to Cintas representatives.

“With everything we went through in the beginning, there was never a no,” Mosquera said. “It was, ‘Let’s work through it. Let’s find a solution.’”

For Omni’s leadership team, that responsiveness helps make Cintas feel like part of the hotel operation rather than an outside provider.

“Each representative with Cintas, through both the Uniform Room and the Garment Dispensing machine, has been an extension of our team,” Cushman said.

The Impact

Fewer operational distractions. More focus on guests.

The Cintas program gives Omni Fort Lauderdale a coordinated way to support associates and operations across varied departments.

Participating associates can access clean apparel when they need it. Managers have fewer uniform-related issues to address internally. Garment Dispensing helps the property use limited space more effectively. Floor mats, towels, aprons and other managed services support additional needs throughout the hotel.

Together, these solutions help relieve operational pressure behind the scenes.

“We have the rest of the hotel to worry about, and Cintas really blends seamlessly into our team,” Stradtner said. “It allows us to focus on what we need to focus on, which is the guest. Cintas takes care of the back end, and we take care of the front of house.”

For Mosquera, the experience has reinforced his confidence in both Garment Dispensing and the complete Cintas relationship.

“I wasn’t a believer at the beginning, but now I’m 100% a believer,” he said. “Every promise that has been made has been delivered. Working with Cintas has been impeccable for us.”

Simplify What It Takes to Keep Your Property Ready

From Managed Apparel+, Purchase Apparel, Uniform Room and Garment Dispensing, to mats, towels, aprons and other essential services, Cintas can help support your teams and simplify the operational work behind the guest experience.

Explore Cintas solutions for your property.