MCLEAN, Va. - Embassy Suites Hotels and Sierra Land Group, Inc. are pleased to announce the appointments of four individuals to the management team of the Orlando - Lake Buena Vista South hotel. Dennis Hale will lead the team as general manager; Lisa Crosby will serve as director of sales and Kim Wetzel and Tiffany Merced will round out the hotel's sales team as senior sales managers. With extensive experience working with both the Embassy Suites brand and in the hospitality industry at large, this management team will successfully bring Embassy Suites' unique full-service, all-suites offering to the Osceola County area.
"We are eager for the Orlando - Lake Buena Vista South property to open its doors to visitors later this year," said Jim Holthouser, global head of Embassy Suites Hotels and full service brands, Hilton Worldwide. "We are confident that we have the right team in place to lead this hotel to a successful opening and to consistently deliver the strong value proposition and customer satisfaction for which Embassy Suites is known."
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Hale is a seasoned hotel executive with a 26-year track record in hotel operations and brand management. For the past twelve years, Hale has served as general manager of the Embassy Suites Orlando North in Altamonte Springs. A graduate of the University of Memphis, Hale joined Embassy Suites as the assistant general manager for the opening team of Embassy Suites Memphis and has previously held general manager positions for Embassy Suites hotels in Phoenix, Arizona, San Rafael, California and Des Moines, Iowa. He has also held positions at Harrah's Entertainment and John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. |
 Lisa Crosby |
Crosby made the move to Florida from Massachusetts, where she most recently opened Embassy Suites Boston-Waltham. She has been with Embassy Suites for three years and brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to the team. She is currently working towards her Certified Hospitality Sales Professional and Certified Meeting Professional designations. |
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In her role as senior sales manager, Wetzel will handle the association market at the new Orlando - Lake Buena Vista South property. Wetzel joins Embassy Suites from the sales department at Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel & Convention Center, where from 2004 to 2012, she rose from sales assistant to senior sales manager. Prior to her tenure at Caribe Royale, Wetzel spent seven years at Trans World Airlines as a cabin attendant/flight service manager. She has a degree from Southwest Missouri State. |
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Merced most recently worked at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando, where she has spent the past 6 years in various roles within the sales office. She has also held positions at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resort in Miami Beach, the Roney Palace Beach Resort and the Rubell Beach House Bal Harbour. Merced has an associate's degree in business administration from Johnson & Wales University. She is a member of The Center for Association Leadership and the Society of Government Meeting Professionals, National Capitol Chapter. |
"We have assembled a stellar team whose leadership, professionalism and passion for customer service will contribute to making Embassy Suites Orlando - Lake Buena Vista South a successful property," stated Eric Rosenbaum, vice president of Sierra Lodgings, Inc., a subsidiary of Sierra Land Group. "These individuals are fully committed to making sure every guest, meeting planner and attendee has a first-class Embassy Suites experience, and will inspire their employees to do the same."
The 300-suite, 11-story hotel is being built by Hardin Construction at the corner of State Road 535 and Kyngs Heath Road in Kissimmee, Florida. Developed by Sierra Land Group, construction began in April 2011 and the hotel is scheduled to open in September 2012. The hotel will house 40,000 square feet of meeting and prefunction space, making it one of the largest Embassy Suites, in terms of meeting space size, in the country. The space includes ballrooms, boardrooms, two outdoor terraces and pre-function space. The hotel is expected to employ approximately 130 team members upon completion.
The hotel will also feature all of the signature amenities standard at any Embassy Suites hotel, including a lush atrium, free cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, a complimentary two-hour Manager's Reception* each evening, two-room suites with a separate living area, private bedroom, and wet bar fitted with a microwave, mini-fridge and coffee maker. Suites will also be equipped with two flat-screen high-definition televisions. In addition, the property will offer complimentary fitness and business centers.
To make reservations, travelers can visit embassysuites.com or call 1-800-EMBASSY.
*Service of alcohol subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age.
Contact:
Maggie Giddens
+1 703 883 5346
Maggie.Giddens@hilton.com
Lisa Harrison
+1 212 805 8019
Lisa.Harrison@emanatepr.com
About Embassy Suites Hotels
Embassy Suites Hotels, one of Hilton Worldwide’s ten market-leading brands and one of Parents magazine’s 10 Best Hotel Chains for Families of 2012, gives guests more during every stay. The full-service, upscale brand offers spacious two-room suites, free cooked-to-order breakfast and nightly Complimentary Evening Receptions with appetizers and beverages. Both leisure and business travelers looking for an approachable, upscale experience feel right at home in the brand’s inviting atrium environment. Embassy Suites Hotels has 211 properties across the Americas and nearly 35 more in the pipeline. For more information, visit www.embassysuites.com, and connect with Embassy Suites at www.embassysuitesmediacenter.com, www.facebook.com/embassysuiteshotels and www.twitter.com/EmbassySuites
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit
www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at
www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide,
www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide,
www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide,
www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and
www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
