DENVER – February 1, 2012 – Leigh Hitz, president of Stout Street Hospitality, recently announced that Jim Finnegan was promoted to general manager of Magnolia Hotel Denver and the hotel also hired Jasper Verlaan as its new director of sales. Finnegan most recently was the general manager of the company’s 145-room Magnolia property in Omaha, Neb. Verlaan relocated to the United States after working in the hospitality industry in The Netherlands.
 
Finnegan brings nearly 25 years of hotel operations experience to the Magnolia Hotel Denver. He joined the company in 2009 in Omaha and immediately impacted the property by increasing its gross operating profit by more than 40 percent in his first year. In Omaha, Finnegan also was responsible for significant increases in quality assurance inspections, guest satisfaction indexes and associate satisfaction scores.
 
Before joining the company, Finnegan worked for a number of hotel companies in corporate, multi-unit and general manager roles. He’s worked with a selection of independent hotels in San Diego, Phoenix and Denver as well as brands such as La Quinta and Best Western International.
 
Finnegan received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Creighton University. He’s been an active member of the hospitality communities in which he resides including serving on the board of directors for the Omaha Metropolitan Hospitality Association and the Nebraska Hotel & Lodging Association.
 
Finnegan is relocating to Denver with his wife, Nicole, and their triplets Shelby, Kelly and Shamus.
 
Verlaan joins Magnolia Hotel Denver after working in hospitality sales and operations in The Netherlands. He most recently handled national corporate sales for Sandton Hotels group, a boutique hotel company that manages more than 20 properties in Western Europe. While at Sandton he was responsible for oversight of corporate, government, consortia and travel agent sales for the company. He also played an integral role in the company’s new business acquisition strategy overseeing hotel transitions when properties were brought into the collection.
 
He holds a degree in international hospitality management from CHN University in The Netherlands and has a certificate of international business studies from the University of Maastricht. Verlaan is fluent in Dutch and German, and also speaks Spanish and French.
 
The 246-room Magnolia Hotel Denver is located in what was formerly the American National Bank Building. The property was restored to reflect its original appearance with terra cotta details and a replicated corner clock adorns this 13-story landmark edifice built in 1910. The hotel, which opened in 1995, is located in the heart of downtown Denver with easy access to the Colorado Convention Center, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, shopping and entertainment along the 16th Street Mall, as well as many other local attractions and businesses.

About Stout Street Hospitality
Magnolia Hotel Denver is managed by Denver-based Stout Street Hospitality, a privately held hotel management and development company, operating upscale boutique hotels catering to the sophisticated traveler. The company focuses on development, management, acquisition, re-branding, new construction and conversion of existing independent hotel properties. The core product line consists of award-winning, independent boutique hotels under the Magnolia brand that offer a style unlike that of trendy or branded hotels. The company currently operates hotels in Denver, Colo.; Dallas, Houston, and Bryan, Texas; and Omaha, Neb., and is exploring other markets for additional growth opportunities.  For more information, visit www.stoutstreethospitality.com