Hotel Online
News for the Hospitality Executive

.

advertisement


Warren "Waddy" Francis Appointed General Manager at
Ladera Resort, St. Lucia, West Indies


May 20, 2009, Soufrière, St. Lucia, West Indies - Ladera has appointed Warren W. Francis, Jr. as the new General Manager for the quintessential open-air resort, set high above the dramatic Pitons and overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Mr. Francis, best known as "Waddy," comes to Ladera with several decades of experience managing some of the world's best hotels, including numerous leading properties in the Caribbean.  
  
Prior to Ladera, Mr. Francis served as the Interim General Manager at Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour in the Bahamas.  Yet, throughout his professional career, Mr. Francis has had the opportunity to experience an array of Caribbean cultures while managing luxury resorts in such coveted locales as the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Mustique, Antigua, Bermuda, and St. John. Along with his wife, Gillian, and their two young daughters, Piper and Palmer, Mr. Francis looks forward to making St. Lucia their next tropical home, albeit this time at 1,100 above sea level.
  
Mr. Francis launched his hotel career in 1985 after earning a Master's degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University in New York. After serving for one year as Assistant Manager at Caneel Bay in St. John, he set sail for Bermuda and subsequently signed on as Senior Assistant Manager at Coral Beach & Tennis Club, the island's most exclusive property.  Mr. Francis went on to hold a number of hotel management positions throughout the Caribbean and Central America, including the Managing Director's slot at Antigua's Mill Reef Club & Properties (where he met and married his British wife Gillian), General Manager of The Cotton House in Mustique, GM of The Palms in the Turks and Caicos, and GM of PSV Resort in the Grenadines.
 
"My family and I look forward to calling St. Lucia home and to joining the warm and welcoming staff that has made Ladera a must-experience for every discerning traveler," says Mr. Francis. "I feel very fortunate to manage a resort that I have admired for so many years.  Ladera has long distinguished itself as one of the best in the world.  It will be my pleasure to work with Ladera's team to maintain that prestigious standing."
 
Ladera Resort is located in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. It is uniquely situated at 1,100 feet above the sea, near the port town of Soufrière. Ladera's 26 suites and six villas were intentionally built without a fourth wall, yet were designed to be both sheltered and completely private, while providing spectacular views of the volcanic Piton Mountains.  Dasheene, Ladera's award-winning open-air restaurant, serves innovative renderings of West Indian and international cuisine in this breathtaking setting.  For more information, visit www.ladera.com.

Ladera was once part of Rabot Estate, one of Soufrière�s oldest cocoa plantations. In 1982 it was transformed into a unique resort. Built of Caribbean timbers, local stone and terracotta tiles, it is unique in design. All rooms are "missing" a fourth wall, with no windowpanes or sliding doors to obscure the views or dull the natural sounds of the nearby rainforest. Guests can slip into their beautifully landscaped private plunge pool and enjoy the rhythmic trill of the tree frogs.

 
.
Contact:

Ladera Resort
PO. Box 225, Soufriere
St. Lucia West Indies
www.ladera.com

Gayle Conran
Tel. 212.447.1010
[email protected]

 

.
.
Also See: The Landings St Lucia, One of the Largest Resort Projects in the History of St. Lucia, Selects RockResorts to Operate the 231 Suite Development / July 2007
Raffles Hotels & Resorts Signs Agreement with Point Hardy Development Company to Manage Raffles St Lucia, West Indies / March 2007
..
.
..

 

.

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.OnlineSearch
Home | Welcome| Hospitality News | Classifieds| One-on-One |
Viewpoint Forum | Industry Resources | Press Releases
Please contact Hotel.Onlinewith your comments and suggestions.