Highgate Hotels and FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated are pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff David as Managing Director for the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City. The iconic landmark tower located on 42nd and Broadway in Times Square, that originally opened in 1906, will debut as an updated 330-room and suite lifestyle boutique hotel for the upscale corporate and leisure traveler. With his five star pedigree spanning twenty years in hospitality management, and as recent winner of the prestigious ‘Hotelier of the Year Award 2012’, David will lead the hotel through an initial repositioning phase before its reopening in early 2014.
David brings with him an extensive background in the luxury market. Having launched his career at one of the world’s most recognized properties, the Four Seasons Regent Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, David built a solid foundation of expertise in this sector. His growth continued with a move to the Four Seasons Boston where he functioned as an integral part of the management team that elevated the property into the only 5-Star, 5-Diamond hotel in New England.
After nine years at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, David managed independent hotels and was later recruited by the Los Angeles-based Viceroy Hotel Group, a lifestyle hospitality brand known the world over for stylized properties across a range of markets. As a fundamental part of this team for almost six years, his tenure at properties in Palm Springs, California, Snowmass, Colorado and Anguilla in the British West Indies provided extensive exposure to the inner workings of these luxury hotels in the brand’s portfolio.
Most recently as the General Manager of the Viceroy Anguilla, David was a key player in opening and operating of this $550 million flagship property. His efforts here were recognized when he won the coveted title of ‘Hotelier of the Year 2012’ at the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Associations (AHTA) Annual Tourism Gala in December 2012. David also managed the historic Viceroy Palm Springs in California, traveling regularly between the two destinations. David later transitioned from his post in Anguilla and Palm Springs to oversee the 2009 opening of the Viceroy Snowmass, a $200 million ski-in, ski-out facility that he guided through an on-time, under budget launch.
Additionally, David has served as the Food and Beverage Director at Rosewood Hotel’s and Resort’s Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, as well as General Manager of several distinct luxury New England properties including the famed Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and The Chanler at Cliffwalk in Newport, Rhode Island.