Roy Donald Crane brings extensive Front Office experience to his new role at Turtle Bay Resort.  Previously he was director of rooms for the Westin St. Francis, an 1195-guestroom hotel managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts and located in San Francisco.  His responsibilities at the property included overseeing and managing Front Office systems, the St. Francis Health Club, a Business Center and a substantial parking garage operation.  His efforts helped garner the property Mobil Four Star and AAA Four Diamond ratings, and a Conde Nast Gold Award.

Crane was also director of rooms operations for CordeValle Golf Club, a semi-private club featuring 45 villas, a full service spa, and multiple food & beverage options among other amenities.  CordeVilla is located in San Martin, California. 

Prior to this, Crane was resident manager for Claremont Resort & Spa, a 279-guestroom property located in Berkeley, California, and before this was project manager for the signature property, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa of Farmington, Pennsylvania.

Roy Crane has also held senior-level management positions at the Atlantis Resort and Casino in Nassau, The Bahamas, and for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts on the islands of Maui and Kauai in Hawaii, and in Monterey, California.

He is a graduate of Angelo State University of San Angelo, Texas, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.
 

Benchmark Hospitality also appointed Milton R. Husted director of revenue management for Turtle Bay Resort.  A seasoned professional, Mr. Husted brings a diverse background to his new position at Turtle Bay Resort.  As director of revenue management, Husted will be responsible for growing transient guest revenue through strategic yield management, striking a delicate balance between group and leisure business, and launching highly marketable resort packages designed to attract leisure travelers from the mainland US and Asia. Milton Husted has been with Benchmark Hospitality since 2000 in positions of increasing responsibility at The Founders Inn of Virginia Beach, Virginia.  These include revenue manager, front office manager and front desk supervisor.  During this period he also served as Benchmark's corporate task force support for front office operations, overseeing Turtle Bay Resort, Virginia Crossings Resort in Richmond, Virginia, and the Resort at Ludlow Bay, which Benchmark managed at the time. Prior to Benchmark's assuming the management of The Founders Inn, Husted was employed at the property by Interstate Hotel Corporation as front desk supervisor, laundry manager and public area supervisor.  Husted's employment background includes a variety of professional positions in

Roy Donald Crane -- Milton R. Husted -- Norman Higashi

He is a graduate of Liberty University, with a Bachelors degree in Pastoral Ministries, and is completing a Masters in Business Administration program in Marketing and Human Resources at Regent University of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Also Benchmark Hospitality has appointed Norman Higashi director of banquet services for Turtle Bay Resort.

Mr. Higashi assumes his new position following the opening of the resort's new 9,340-square-foot Kuilima Balllroom, which offers stunning views of Turtle Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  The elegant new ballroom and Turtle Bay's Pacific Rim Conference Center feature more than 31,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including state-of-the-art meeting rooms, a second ballroom and a wedding pavilion.

A distinguished hotelier, Mr. Higashi brings well over a decade of Pacific Island resort experience to his new position at Turtle Bay Resort.  Most recently, he was executive assistant manager and food & beverage director for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts' property in Guam.  Although he was directly involved in the food & beverage operations for the 600-guestroom resort, he also oversaw all areas of the property and was responsible for the entire resort's financial performance.

Prior to assuming these positions in Guam, he was the hotel manager at Outrigger's OHANA Waikiki Tower, a 440-guestroom hotel located in Waikiki, Oahu.  Higashi served previously as the company's executive assistant manager and director of food & beverage for the Marriott Waikoloa Beach Hotel, a 550-guestroom ocean front resort situated on Hawaii's Big Island.

Before this, Mr. Higashi served in positions of increasing professional responsibility for the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel, the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki, the Hotel King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel, as well as additional properties throughout the Hawaiian Islands. 

The 880-acre Turtle Bay Resort is located on the North Shore of Oahu, home to some of the world's most exciting and legendary surfing spots.  Managed by Benchmark Hospitality, the resort's accommodations include a 401-room hotel and 42 luxury Beach Cottages.  Turtle Bay Resort is the only resort on Oahu with 36 holes of championship golf: the Fazio and Palmer courses.  Annually, the Palmer course plays host to the Turtle Bay Championship, a premier stop on the CHAMPIONS TOUR.

In addition to world-class golf, Turtle Bay Resort is rich in other recreation and resort amenities, including oceanside pools, an equestrian center with ocean and trail riding, a full-service tennis center and 12 miles of ocean-front hiking and biking trails.  An exquisite new spa and expanded meetings facilities recently opened to complete the resort's $60 million renovation and expansion. 

Benchmark Hospitality, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands, Texas, operates resorts, conference centers and hotels both domestically and internationally. 

Ken Ellens
KEN ELLENS COMMUNICATIONS
(201) 758-2864 / (201) 758-2865-Fax
[email protected]