(Washington D.C.; August 23, 2011)— The Fairfax at Embassy Row , a Luxury Collection Hotel, welcomes a new leadership team, with Stephen Johnston taking the helm as general manager and Alexandra Byrne as director of sales and marketing.

“The Fairfax at Embassy Row has been one of America’s grand hotels since first opening its doors in 1927,” stated Steve Henderson, senior vice president operations for Pyramid Hotel Group. “We are confident that this appointment of Stephen and Alexandra will continue to enforce The Fairfax at Embassy Row’s reputation as one of the finest hotels in Washington D.C., as well as enhance the property’s relationships with our discerning guests from around the world.”

Johnston comes to The Fairfax at Embassy Row from The Back Bay Hotel in Boston, (formerly under the name of Jury’s Boston Hotel), where he served as general manager for nearly eight years. Johnston oversaw the opening of the hotel in 2003 and later managed the rebranding process when it changed to The Back Bay Hotel; which included all sales, marketing and public relations tactics. Prior to this, the Dublin-born hotelier was vice president of revenue of Jury’s Doyle Hotel Group, where he developed revenue management strategies for more than 30 hotels in Ireland, UK & USA. Earlier in his career, Johnston was the general manager special projects for Jurys Doyle Hotel Group, and successfully handled the integration of Ireland’s two largest hotel companies.

A graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology with a degree in Hotel & Catering Management, Johnston is currently relocating with his family to the Washington D.C. area.

Until recently, Byrne was the general manager for nine years of The Churchill Hotel in Washington D.C.  Prior to this role, Byrne was the director of sales and marketing; with a keen knowledge of the embassy market, she adeptly managed the sales and reservation department teams to serve and meet the needs of these guests. Additionally, Byrne successfully repositioned the hotel from the Sofitel Washington DC to the independent property that The Churchill Hotel remains today.  Byrne also had served as director of operations, as well as the executive housekeeper at Sofitel Washington D.C.

Byrne is a graduate of the Institut de Management Hôtelier International (IMHI) in Paris, which was jointly administered by Cornell University. Here she earned her MBA in the hospitality industry, with a double major of sales and marketing and also human resource management.  She received her undergraduate degree in business management from Institut des Etudes Economiques et Commerciales (INSEEC).  While her native tongue is French, Byrne is fluent in both English and Spanish.

The combination of wealth of experience and proven success that both Johnston and Byrne possess in their roles is guaranteed to provide guests of The Fairfax at Embassy Row with memorable experiences in the Nation’s Capital.

For more information or to make a reservation, please visit: www.luxurycollection.com/fairfax

About The Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Opening in 1927, this 259 room hotel has long been known as the premier luxury hotel for business and leisure travel in Washington, D.C.  Located along “Embassy Row” in the lively DuPont Circle neighborhood, The Fairfax is convenient for frequent or first-time visitors to the area. The Fairfax can accommodate up to 250 guests for a lavish wedding or event in The Ballroom. Additionally, The Fairfax offers flexible, state-of-the-art meeting spaces perfect for groups of 10-250. For more information, please visit: www.luxurycollection.com/fairfax

About Pyramid Hotel Group
The Pyramid Hotel Group, founded in 1999, is a Boston-based full-service hotel company that owns, manages and asset manages hotels and manages hotel construction/renovation projects.  Pyramid Hotel Group currently has a portfolio of more than 62 hotels under management and asset management throughout the U.S.  For more information about Pyramid Hotel Group, visit the company’s website, www.pyramidhotelgroup.com