A twenty-year veteran of the luxury hospitality industry, Clayton joins Kor Hotel Group with significant operations experience through senior management positions with leading international hotel groups. Most recently he was Senior Vice President of Operations for Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he was responsible for the group's Asian and European properties, as well as the entire portfolio's Food & Beverage and Spa divisions. He was also instrumental in developing processes to further build and differentiate the Mandarin Oriental brand. 

"Nicholas holds extensive senior management experience at key international properties," said Korzen in announcing the appointment, "including five years at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and over ten years with Ritz-Carlton. This background, along with his demonstrated success in impacting revenue growth and developing strong customer service cultures, will be of tremendous benefit to Kor as he oversees expansion efforts for the company's growing portfolio." 

Clayton commenced his professional hotelier career while still attending the University of Texas, Arlington, where in 1987 he earned a Bachelor's of Business Administration, Finance degree. While at the university, he occupied various management positions at the Four Seasons Resort and the Mandalay Four Seasons Hotel, both in Las Colinas, TX. Following graduation he joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company's Phoenix property. Within a year, he was promoted to Executive Assistant Manager of Rooms for their Houston hotel, and the following year he joined the pre-opening team of the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco as Resident Manager. 

In 1991, Clayton was awarded his first General Manager position at the 550-room Ritz-Carlton, Mauna Lani in Hawaii, launching a ten-year-plus run as General Manager for several significant Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts in key international destinations. During his tenure at Mauna Lani, he developed and implemented sales and marketing strategies that substantially increased the property's revenue. Quickly recognized for his exceptional leadership skills and professional potential, the company assigned him to their property in Marina del Rey, CA. Within the following year, Clayton had developed a focused management team effective enough to claim number-one improvement rankings for the hotel in both finance and quality measurements. Building on this remarkable success, he was appointed Director of Operations for Ritz-Carlton's Australia properties and assigned to restore profitability of their two five-star hotels in Sydney. 

In 1998 he became Managing Director for the Ritz-Carlton Millenia in Singapore, a 610-room hotel with several fine dining restaurants, extensive banquet facilities and a full-service spa. Leading a team of 750 associates, he implemented total quality management that improved market share for the property and elevated guest satisfaction ratings. As a result, the hotel was frequently recognized both regionally and internationally for outstanding customer service and overall quality. In 2001, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group appointed him to Senior Vice President, Operations. 

About Kor Hotel Group 
The Kor Group is a privately held real estate investment, development and management firm that is redefining the concept of home with its distinctive hotel and residential properties. Kor Hotel Group, the hospitality division of Kor, holds a diverse property portfolio and manages both its own assets and non-owned hotels under third-party management agreements. Properties include Viceroy Santa Monica and Viceroy Palm Springs, Avalon Hotel and Maison 140 in Beverly Hills, Tides in South Beach, Chamberlain in West Hollywood, The Jefferson in Washington D.C., Campton Place in San Francisco and Ikal del Mar on Mexico's Riviera Maya. A new Resorts & Residences division unites Kor's hotel and residential expertise with ground-up broad-scale projects both nationally and internationally. Currently under development are two residential resort complexes in Miami, Viceroy Icon Brickell and Viceroy South Beach, two on Mexico's Riviera Maya, Viceroy Riviera Maya and The Tides Playa del Carmen, as well as Kor's initial overseas venture, Viceroy Anguilla in the British West Indies. A timely integration of Kor Hotel Group's residential and hotel development visions, these projects represent the next evolution of the Kor mission.

Kor Hotel Group
Kimberli Partlow, 323-930-3890
[email protected]