MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Nov. 4, 2011 -- Mark Kirsch, a White Lodging employee for the past three years is the new General Manager at the Residence Inn by Marriott in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.  "It's an honor to be promoted to this competitive downtown hotel, and to continue to grow with White Lodging," commented Kirsch.

Kirsch brings with him more than 20 years of hospitality industry experience. Most recently he was the General Manager at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott located northeast of Louisville.  In his two years in this position, his hotel exceeded all key area goals, including guest satisfaction scores, and in 2010 the hotel finished third in the SpringHill Suites brand for staff service overall.

"We look forward to having Mark's experience at the helm at the Residence Inn Louisville Downtown, and I'm sure he will come through for us where we need him most," said Regional Vice President Dave Montrose.

Kirsch joined White Lodging in 2008 as the General Manager at the Residence Inn by Marriott Northeast Louisville. Prior to this he worked with the Columbia Sussex Corporation in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky at the Corporate Operations Manager.  In this position, he worked with Marriott, Starwood and Holiday Inn brands to ensure quality assurance and also gained experience with hotel renovations and rebuilds.

Starting in the industry as a line level employee at the Marriott Grand Cayman Resort in the British West Indies in 1988, Kirsch moved up the ranks to become the Banquet Manager responsible for overseeing all business meetings and social events.

Between 1996 and 2000, Kirsch was working at the east Louisville, Kentucky Marriott, first as the Director of Food and Beverage and then as Executive Housekeeper.  He then moved to Savannah Georgia where he was the Rooms Division Manager at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront and was responsible for the front office, housekeeping and engineering departments.

"The Residence Inn Downtown Louisville has an incredible operations team," Kirsch said. "Our goal is to compete for one of the top hotels in the brand in 2012."

White Lodging Services Corporation was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. White Lodging is a fully integrated hotel ownership, development, and operations company – a recognized leader that has defined and cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid- to large-scale hotels across the country. Their current portfolio consists of over 157 hotels in 19 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group, and Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com or call 219-472-2900