McKenzie was recognized for his tenure in and his contributions to the hospitality industry in Arizona. McKenzie serves as past chair of a number of organizations including the Valley Hotels & Resort Association, Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau, Downtown Tempe Community and is a current member of the AzHLA Board of Directors. His career began in food and beverage in 1972 and McKenzie soon became a food and beverage director for the Sheraton Scottsdale. Less than five years later, he was promoted to his first general manager�s post at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort where he remained until the mid-1980s when he moved across the street in the same capacity at the Inn at McCormick Ranch (Regal McCormick Inn). 

After more than 15 years of honing his skills in Arizona, McKenzie took a brief hiatus from the state to re-open and manage the Portofina Inn & Yacht Club in Redondo Beach, Calif. McKenzie soon returned to the Grand Canyon State to manage Tempe Mission Palms Hotel where he�s been since 1989. In his tenure with the property, McKenzie has led the hotel through two franchise flag changes to its current independent status. 

The 303-room Tempe Mission Palms Hotel is centrally located in downtown Tempe near Arizona State University. The hotel provides the ideal blend for services and facilities for its leisure and business guests from dining and recreational options to accommodations, business services and meeting facilities. Tempe Mission Palms also features the Mission Grille which serves up award-winning regional cuisine, an extensive wine list and uparalleled service in an elegant setting. For more information on the property, please visit www.missionpalms.com.

Tempe Mission Palms Hotel is one of more than 30 independent, upscale and luxury hotels, resorts and golf clubs in the United States managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. The company, headquartered in suburban Denver, Colo., features a portfolio of more than 7,000 guest rooms, 10 golf courses and 11 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Houston, Denver, Dallas, San Diego, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Portland, Palm Springs, Maui and Lake Tahoe. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

Kristin Yantis Mettler
Malen & Mettler
(775) 831-4422
[email protected]