Ecker was most recently the Director of Rooms Division for the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. While there, she successfully reversed declining service scores and implemented processes that significantly increased revenues without compromising quality.
Longtime W Hotel Washington manager Ed Baten has left the District for fairer shores — the beaches of the Caribbean to be exact — and W parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts has hired a new general manager from within the company. Baten oversaw the $90 million renovation of the W Washington, D.C. and was named among the Washington Business Journal's 40 under 40 in 2010. He's leaving W to take a job managing the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in the Bahamas. W Hotel Washington has appointed Oliver Servat as its new general manager. Servat comes to D.C. from the W Paris-Opéra, where he was the opening GM. The Toulouse native has been with Starwood Hotels for a decade, serving in various positions with Meridien hotels, including as the director of Le Meridien Etoile, Meridien's flagship property and the largest hotel in Paris.
Guthrie joins the sales & marketing team at Park Hyatt Washington with a vast knowledge working for Hyatt Hotels, having most recently served for five years as Director of Sales at the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill.
Registration is now open for this year's Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) MEET National, the meeting and event-planning industry's leading show. HSMAI's MEET National, which is focused on Meetings, Events, Education and Technology, is scheduled for Sept. 4-5, 2013, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) congratulates Penny Pritzker on her confirmation today as the 38th Secretary of the Department of Commerce following an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 97-1 by the U.S. Senate.
Hill was an integral part of the hotels opening team in 2005, where he held the position of assistant general manager and room’s division director, a position he held until his recent position as director of sales and marketing for the hotel. In his sales and marketing role, Hill was responsible for increasing hotel revenue and market share. “Charles has a great understanding of the property and its customers and has done an outstanding job through recent renovations to increase profit margins while continuing strong team member loyalty and customer satisfaction,” said Ratcliff. Recent hotel makeover included design elements to brighten the ambiance and update amenities providing a fresh, modern environment including the hotel’s lobby and manager reception area.
Herman and 300 other top lodging professionals gathered to voice issues facing the U.S. hotel industry today, including asking Congress to create travel policies welcoming international visitors to boost the U.S. economy
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) applauds President Barack Obama for his nomination of Penny S. Pritzker, chairman and CEO, PSP Capital Partners and Pritzker Realty Group, and co-founder and chairman, Artemis Real Estate Partners, to the be the 38th secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. The association also commends the nomination of Michael Froman, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics, to be the next United States Trade Representative.
Dan McKeon has been named Resident Manager of the JW Marriott Washington, DC. In his new role, Mr. McKeon reports directly to Satinder Palta, general manager, and functions as the strategic business leader of the hotel’s day-to-day operations. Mr. McKeon comes to the luxurious downtown hotel from the eastern region executive team where he served as the vice president of sales and marketing, providing leadership for over two hundred managed hotels. With over 24 years at Marriott International, Mr. McKeon began his career as a catering houseman at the Washington Marriott in Washington, DC. Over the years, Mr. McKeon has held various director level positions supporting the sales and marketing efforts of various hotels including the Marriott New Orleans and Washington Marriott Wardman Park.
Nearly 300 hoteliers from across the country are on Capitol Hill today as part of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) 2013 Legislative Action Summit (LAS). In nearly 200 appointments with key members of the House and Senate, delegates are sharing personal and industry-wide views on the impact of several key issues on their businesses. These include sequestration and its effect on domestic and international travel, and promotion of broad-based immigration reform, which includes the JOLT Act and other provisions to ensure increased border security and greater access to temporary workers.
Modus Hotels, the Washington, D.C.-based owner and operator of lifestyle hotels and Alex. Brown Realty (ABR), a Baltimore, Maryland-based real estate manager, have acquired the 75-room Normandy Hotel for $16 million, or a cost of $213,000 per key. ABR Chesapeake Fund IV, a value-added real estate fund sponsored by ABR, invested in the venture.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) 2013 Legislative Action Summit (LAS) will feature keynote remarks from prominent voices engaged in the current policy discussions in Washington: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).
Capella Hotels and Resorts and Capella Washington D.C., Georgetown's ownership, D.C. based, Castleton Hotel Partners I, LLC celebrated the unveiling of this latest elegant addition to the capital city on April 3rd, 2013. Guests who attended the opening were part of a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the hotel from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with welcome remarks from Horst Schulze, Chairman and CEO of Capella Hotels and Resorts and Bruce F. Bradleyof Castleton Hotel Partners I, LLC, the hotel owners. After the welcome remarks by Schulze and Bradley, guests were invited to inscribe their wishes and messages on lighted lanterns placed around the hotel to herald the opening of the property. To symbolize the property as open, Schulze and Bradley cut a colorful floral garland specially prepared by MultiFlor Inc. Guests were also treated to personal tours of the property and tastings of signature dishes courtesy of The Grill Room's Chef Jacob Esko.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has put its full support behind the Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act reintroduced today in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Joe Heck (R-NV) and Mike Quigley (D-IL). The JOLT Act will be a key topic during the AH&LA Legislative Action Summit (LAS), April 23-24, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
With nearly 14 years at Marriott International, Mr. McCulloch began his career as a sales manager of the iconic Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. Over the years, McCulloch has held various director level positions supporting both individual hotel and area sales efforts including: director of sales at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, area director of sales at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront and Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor and the director of sales and marketing at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. Throughout these roles, he has gained experience leading the direct sales efforts for all of the brands across Marriott’s portfolio.
Aaron Wright has been named the Director of Operations of the Washington Marriott, a hotel situated at 22nd and M Street NW in the District’s West End neighborhood. Mr. Wright joins the hotel from the Bethesda Suites Marriott where he held the position of Director of Hotel Operations since April 2011. With nearly 15 years at Marriott International, Mr. Wright began his career as an intern at the Wilmington Delaware Downtown Courtyard gaining experience in all operational departments. Upon graduation, Mr. Wright joined the Philadelphia Airport Marriott as the assistant restaurant manager. Over the years, he has held multiple management positions including dual assistant general manager of both the Renaissance SouthPark and Marriott SouthPark hotels in Charlotte, N.C.
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, and Concord Hospitality announced today that construction of the 182-room Cambria Suiteshotel inWashington, D.C. has begun "skyward." As opposed to a traditional groundbreaking event, the "sky break" marks the start of hotel construction skyward above newly constructed retail at CityMarket at O, a mixed-use development one block from theWashingtonConvention Center. The all-suite hotel features spacious, larger than standard hotel rooms, a rooftop pool, fitness center and outdoor urban oasis terrace with open green space featuring sweeping views of the U.S. Capitol and the national monuments.
Katherine Lugar, the new president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, wants to be a bold advocate for the U.S. hotel industry. During a conference call Wednesday, Lugar said it’s important to build strong lines of communication between the association and its members.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) today named Katherine Lugar, executive vice president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 17, 2013. Lugar will take over for long-time CEO Joseph A. McInerney, who announced last year that he would be stepping down.
Harry Javer has been named chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) Fund Development Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the Annual Giving campaign, the group’s primary fundraising vehicle. Javer is founder and president of The Conference Bureau and the co-founder and producer of the annual Lodging Conference, now in its 19th year. He has been in the event business for 30 years, including senior management positions at The Learning Annex, One Day University, and Rock n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. A strong supporter of AH&LEF, for the last 12 years The Lodging Conference has sponsored scholarship recipients to attend to attend the conference.