Karen HanaVeteran Caribbean hotel industry professional Karen Hana has been appointed General Manager of one the newest hotels in the Choice Hotels International Caribbean portfolio on the island of St. Maarten. Hana, who was most recently Executive Director of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, takes charge of the recently renovated Alegria, a distinctive 78-room resort on the southern coast of St. Maarten. Alegria joins Choice Hotels' Ascend Hotel Collection, a global portfolio of independent boutique-style hotels and resorts. A graduate of The Hague Hotel Management School in the Netherlands, with 22 years of experience working in the St. Maarten tourism sector, Hana - a Dutch native - grew up and worked in Mexico and the Caribbean. She has extensive experience working at resorts ranging from all-inclusive to timeshare, from boutique hotels to large chain hotels. Hana welcomed the opportunity to make a difference in the island she now calls home, explaining that the hotel has benefited from a thorough refresh. Hana reported that the response to the hotel has been encouraging. "With new bedding, new amenities and with the Ascend Hotel Collection, guests are just thrilled," she said.