It has been 956 days since my written offer from Highgate Hotels to return to NYC was breached, at the former Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel.
It is clear now that Natalie Rizea (née Bogen) & her bestie, Merav Segev, wanted me back for one reason: to entice the core front office team into returning, altogether smiling, so they might prop-up a limping hotel (ab)using its skeleton staff for just a while, wringing every last drop of value from an aging, neglected product.
Soon after CPTS’ post-pandemic reopening/my firing, Highgate & their real estate investment pimps at Argent Ventures declared bankruptcy. tHeY jUsT cOuLdN’T mAkE iT wOrK!!1
After inflicting much trauma upon 1605 Broadway (and the team therein) over 2 grueling years between 2022-2024, they had cleverly found a way to scrub the IHG/Holiday Inn flag off the building, which it had flown for over 36 years. Their novel strategy was called, “Willful Neglect.”
I’ll say this – I am glad the hotel now flies a 100%-American flag, from Hyatt. (the Holiday Inn/Crowne Plaza franchises were sold off to Intercontinental – “yew sound liek yar frum London!” – Hotels, back in 2007.)
And hey, Argent was uniquely shitty to rise turd the occasion. For those who don’t know: they became obscenely wealthy by leveraging their “ownership” of the “air” above Grand Central.
Using “ONE COOL TRICK,” they were legally allowed to hustle NYC’s MTA out of MILLIONS annually, over the course of a few decades. Super! At least we know who to rage at when Park Avenue finally caves in…
All that is to say: I would very much like to return to my work family @ CPTS (now HRTS – which kinda transliterates to “hearts.”)
The last time when I was really happy (at work, anyway) was in the winter of 2019. My work family had just named me “Manager of the Year,” as the first capsids of the Wuhan Batvirus were landing on our shores.
In the interim, I have matured spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically.
G-d grabbed my attention and gave me a good Quaker shakin’
So, look, I think it’s pretty obvious I’M NOT FKN CRAZY. Am I irritated? You betcha!
Am I gonna keep embarrassing the Powerful Turds That Be, (Smellin’)? YOU KNOW IT!!
I think, the best thing for us all, is to come to a table together and tawk about how we can put the past behind us, so I can stop throwing YOUR feces 💩 right back at you, you Shitty Texas Hotel Conglomerates, you!
As a friendly reminder, the celebrated, Wiki-style knowledgebase I developed (https://cpts.space/ – user: cpts / password: 4849) remains in existence. I still pay for its hosting & annual domain registration! Because I am proud of it, along with everything else We The People accomplished in Times Square, pre-pandemic. I simply need Highgate Hotels to Make Good on their obligations (to me) so that I can update this valuable resource, return from exile to support my team, and finally cease embarrassing myself & my abusers abusers via The Interwebs.
Hakuna My Tatas
plus ALL the Extra-Most Bestest,
~Grant Ryan Faber