SHELTON, Conn. – – February 13, 2017—Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading third-party management company and hotel developer, today announced that Trevor Stratton has been appointed general manager of the 138-room Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island, and will oversee an upcoming upgrade to the hotel’s rooms and public spaces.

Stratton returns to the hotel following two years as the director of operations for the 200-room, full service Westin Jekyll Island, where he was responsible for pre-opening hiring and training and day-to-day post-opening operations. In its first year of operation, Westin Jekyll Island exceeded brand standards for guest engagement and was ranked number two in the market by Trip Advisor. Under his leadership, the Hampton Inn consistently earned guest satisfaction scores in the top 15 percent of Hampton Inn properties worldwide. Stratton began his career at New Castle as the personnel manager for the Racine Marriott. Prior to moving into operations, he was the company’s area director of human resources.

“Trevor’s background in human resources makes him an outstanding leader for his team members and an empathetic guest advocate,” said Chase. “Renovations are always disruptive, no matter how carefully they are staged, and Trevor’s pre-opening experience at the Westin, coupled with his people-centric approach to operations made him the only choice to lead this property.”

“This Hampton Inn is in the enviable position of having a superior beachfront location and an established culture of enveloping our guests and associates in the brand’s Hamptonality,” said Stratton. “I’m looking forward to ensuring that our smooth operation and happy, friendly service do not diminish while we update our hotel.”

Stratton holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and is a Certified Service Excellence Trainer.