MONTVALE, N.J. (July 13, 2010) — Dolce Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of 28-year hospitality professional Connie Hagston as director of sales and marketing for the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, Calif., which joined the Dolce system this month.
 
Her responsibilities at the 1,200-acre, 439-room, historic golf resort and conference center include developing a seasonal resort strategy and driving group and leisure room-nights. She comes to Silverado from The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa in Sonoma, Calif., where she was responsible for $20 million in overall sales.
In that role, Hagston oversaw the sales and catering department, maintained two Web sites, developed a leisure strategy and served as community liaison with local organizations and Sonoma Valley wineries. Among her accomplishments, she devised a strategy that boosted wedding events by 252 percent and banquet revenue by 132 percent.
 
From 2000 to 2004, Hagston was director of sales and marketing for the 502-unit Renaissance Atlanta Downtown Hotel, where she was responsible for 60,000 group room nights and was department liaison with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. She served the 521-room Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel in Atlanta from 1994 to 2000, first as senior sales manager, then director of group sales.
 
Hagston began her career in 1981 as sales coordinator at The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colo., and went on to hold sales positions of increasing responsibility at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, from 1985 to 1987; The Grand Kempinski, Dallas, from 1987 to 1992; and Stouffer Nashville in Tennessee from 1992 to 1994.
 
Among her honors, Hagston was named Sales Manager of the Year in 1999 and recognized with Marriott’s prestigious Chairman’s Award and Golden Circle Award in 1998.
 
Hagston, a native of Canon City, Colo., is a 1981 graduate of Blair Business College, Colorado Springs, where she received an associate’s degree in business. She formerly was a member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Professional Convention Management Association, Meeting Professionals International, the Association of Meeting Professionals and the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives.
 
Silverado, a California landmark for more than 140 years, began its life as a private estate and was converted into a contemporary resort featuring a 15,000-square-foot executive conference center, two championship golf courses, 16,000-square-foot spa and two signature restaurants, surrounded by Napa Valley’s more than 200 wineries.
 
Silverado’s 6,685-yard South Course and the 6,900-yard North Course, situated on 360 rolling acres, both were designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and offer numerous water features, elevation changes and routing through oak, pine and redwood trees.
 
Silverado Resort is a 12-time winner of Meetings & Conventions magazine’s Gold Key Award and has been presented the Pinnacle Awards 10 times by Successful Meetings magazine.  Its two-level conference center features 15 flexible function rooms, each named after a prominent Napa Valley winery, and 5,200-square-foot, divisible Silverado Ballroom.
 
Outdoor function space includes The Arbor, a 4,200-square-foot brick patio adjacent to the conference center; The Fairway Deck, a 4,290-square-foot terrace overlooking the South Course’s 18th hole that can accommodate groups up to 400; and The Grove, a meeting area within the forest that can accommodate groups up to 1,500 for parties, barbecues and weddings.
 
About Dolce Hotels and Resorts
Dolce Hotels and Resorts, a privately held operator of 27 upscale hotels, resorts and conference hotels in North America and Europe founded in 1981, is majority-owned by Broadreach Capital Partners. The company, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., employs approximately 4,000 worldwide. Additional information is available at www.dolce.com.
 
Dolce’s portfolio includes properties in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, California, Ontario, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany.
 
As a leader in the meetings industry, Dolce hosts some 30,000 events and 4 million group clients globally every year.  The company’s founder pioneered the conference center concept and Complete Meeting Package, both now embraced as standards by the International Association of Conference Centers.
 
The company’s vision is to create inspiring environments that bring people together, and its mission is to delight its guests, challenge its associates, reward its owners and serve as a role model in its communities.