Spire Hospitality is bolstering its leadership team amid growth, plus Auberge Resorts Collection has named key team members:
Spire Hospitality grows team to accommodate growth
Spire Hospitality, a nationally recognized third-party hotel management company specializing in creating value for its hotel investors while also delivering exceptional guest experiences and providing an outstanding place to work, has expanded its senior leadership team to accommodate portfolio growth in 2021.
“Our goal is to be the best at what we do,” said Chris Russell, CEO, Spire Hospitality. “Adding this talented group of hospitality professionals to our company will make us even better. In an industry where attracting high-quality leadership has always been a challenge, Spire continues to adapt and overcome by consistently delivering an outstanding work environment, culture of service and results.”
This year Spire has added five new management contracts to its portfolio of nearly 30 full-service and select-service hotels, and non-branded resorts across the U.S. Most recent additions include the Villa Florence Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square and the Hilton Garden Inn in Fremont, CA. The pipeline for growth is healthy for Spire.
Spire has appointed the following executives to its management team:
- Stephanie Box to VP, operations
- Roger Barrantes to regional director, sales and marketing
- Dustin Soper to social media manager
- Teri Serrano to regional director, human resources
Stephanie Box, VP, operations
With more than 20 years of industry experience, Box has worked with several brands, including Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Starwood. She worked at Pillar Hotels and Resorts as regional director, operations and VP, operations, and then joined Aimbridge Hospitality as VP, operations, where she oversaw more than 110 hotels. Most recently, she served as SVP, operations for Highgate Hotels overseeing 123 hotels. During her tenure, she worked on several transitions and repositioning of hotels to drive performance.
Roger Barrantes, regional director, sales
Nearly 25 years ago, Barrantes began his career in hospitality at the Juan Santamaria International Airport with major international airlines. Following his relocation to San Diego, he joined The Travel Company as a sales coach in 1996. Shortly thereafter, Barrantes joined American Express Global Business Travel (AEGBT). In 2004, he joined Hilton and developed high-performance teams, providing results for multiple Hilton full-service brands in urban and resort destinations in the U.S. and internationally. In 2012, because of his commitment to deliver optimal performance, he was recognized with the prestigious Hilton Worldwide Circle of Excellence—Director of Sales of the Year Award for United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dustin Soper, social media manager
Soper began his career in social media and marketing working for a number of country music artists, including Reba McEntire and Shania Twain, and one of the top social networking apps in the country. He joined the DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville Downtown in June 2016, where he launched his hospitality career as social media manager and was recognized by Hilton as Hilton’s Top Interactive Team Member for 2017 winning a Hilton Travel with Purpose Grant to help with the property’s humanitarian efforts around Nashville. He joined StepStone Hospitality in April 2019 where he led a highly successful social media and marketing campaign to showcase the newly renovated DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Nashville. Soper drives results through social media engagement, auditing e-commerce channels and implementing strategic initiatives and re-designing and updating websites to ensure they are relevant.
Teri Serrano, regional director, human resources
Serrano is an experienced human resources professional with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry. She has more than 20 years of experience in human resources, including roles as VP, people services; regional director, human resources; and director, risk management. She most recently served as the area director, human resources at Access Hotels and Resorts.
Auberge Resorts Collection promotes and appoints two team members
Auberge Resorts Collection has promoted and appointed two key team members as it plans for strategic growth in Mexico. Lauren Carr Morado, who has been with the Auberge Resorts Collection family since 2018, has been promoted to senior area director, sales & marketing, Latin America. With more than 16 years of hospitality experience, the brand welcomes Laurie Guidry as area director, sales, Mexico. Carr Morado and Guidry will play essential roles in the 2022 openings of the brand’s two newest resorts in Mexico, Etéreo in Riviera Maya and Susurros del Corazón in Punta de Mita, while elevating the continued success of the brand’s presence in Los Cabos with award-winning properties Esperanza and Chileno Bay Resorts & Residences. In their new positions, Carr Morado will build off her tremendous results in Los Cabos by setting up Etéreo and Susurros del Corazón for long-term success in advance of and upon opening, and Guidry will strategically manage the sales team and bookings to ensure an elevated guest experience that highlights the unique offerings of each location.
Carr Morado’s promotion stems from her success within the brand during the past three years. She has built strong teams at both Los Cabos properties, which have seen success under her supervision. In this new position, she will lead all sales and marketing efforts for Auberge Resorts Collection’s continued growth in the Latin American region. Before joining the brand, she spent six years as director, sales and marketing at Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos and five years with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in leadership positions in Washington, DC, and Newport Beach, CA. Carr Morado started her career with Marriott in Boston, New York City and Washington, DC.
A native to Louisiana, Guidry joins the brand from The J Collection in New Orleans, where she drove the success of the sales and marketing team with a specialty in financial operations, leadership and consistent brand messaging to secure bookings and ensure meaningful guest experiences. Prior to settling down in her hometown, she spent six years in California polishing her broad skill set at Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, eventually departing as director, group sales. Guidry will utilize her experience, managing 17 luxury properties and overseeing two openings, by spearheading sales from the Southeastern and Southern U.S. target guest markets for all Mexico resorts.