NORWALK, Conn., October 18, 2011—HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the nation’s fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, today announced several general manager promotions, transitions and appointments resulting from the acquisition of four hotels earlier this year.

• Thomas Economos was appointed General Manager for the Sheraton Dallas North, a 309-room hotel acquired by HEI in May, 2011.  Previously, he was the General Manager of the Le Meridien Dallas.
• Jennifer Richards was appointed General Manager of the Le Meridien Dallas, filling the position vacated by Thomas Economos.  Richards served as the General Manager of the Hilton Indianapolis North since 2009.
• Rich Byrd joined HEI as General Manager, Hilton Indianapolis North.
• Ken Peduzzi was appointed General Manager of the Sheraton National Hotel, in Washington, DC, a 417-room hotel acquired by HEI in May, 2011. Prior to this assignment, Peduzzi was the General Manager of the Marriott Hunt Valley.
• Shannon Keaney was promoted to General Manager of the Marriott Hunt Valley.
• Tim Lusher joined HEI as the General Manager for the Westin Pasadena, a 350-room hotel acquired in June, 2011.
• Gordon Luster was appointed General Manager of the Marriott La Jolla, a 360-room hotel acquired in July, 2011. Prior to this assignment, Luster was the General Manager of the Hilton Mission Valley.
• Hector Moreno joined HEI as General Manager of the Hilton Mission Valley.

 

Thomas Economos	Jennifer Richards	Ken Peduzzi	Gordon Luster

“These appointments and promotions reflect the incredible career opportunities available to talented hospitality professionals at HEI.  Our strategy of seeking out assets where we can leverage the experience of our multi-disciplinary owner/operator platform is creating growth opportunities for our people and our company,” said Ted Darnall, chief operating officer.  “All of these general managers have outstanding track records of creating exceptional guest and associate satisfaction, while positively impacting the hotel’s financial performance; the kind of performance that is HEI’s hallmark.  I have every confidence that these individuals will continue to enhance our reputation for hotel management excellence.”

Rich Byrd
Prior to joining HEI in May, Byrd was the 2009 Marriott General Manager of the Year, overseeing the Indianapolis Marriott North where the property earned first and third place guest satisfaction scores in 2009 and 2010.  Throughout Byrd’s 28-year career in hospitality, he has consistently delivered outstanding guest satisfaction results while simultaneously enhancing or restoring hotel profitability.

Shannon Charles Keaney
Keaney joined HEI in 2010 from Starwood Hotels and Resorts where he was director of food and beverage at the Sheraton Parsippany, N.J.  There he earned top honors for meeting planner quality scores and achieved the highest associate satisfaction scores for Host-owned hotels.  Keaney comes from a strong food and beverage background having been an executive chef before transitioning into hotel management with Wyndham International.


Timothy Lusher
Lusher joined HEI from Starwood Hotels and Resorts where he capped off his 13-year tenure as general manager of the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, CA.  There he managed the property through a complicated restructuring and prepared for a $25 million renovation, while maintaining service levels and financial performance.  Throughout his 27-year hospitality career, Lusher’s hallmark has been complex assignments, including simultaneously managing Westin and Clarion properties during the recent economic downturn.

Hector Moreno
Prior to joining HEI, Moreno was the senior director of hotel operations for the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, responsible for $63 million in annual room revenues for the 1,500-room complex.  While there, he oversaw the opening of two hotel towers and a $1.3 million soft goods renovation.  With nearly 20 years in the hospitality business, Moreno has held senior management positions with some of the industry’s leading brands, including Hilton, Wyndham, Sheraton and W hotels.

About HEI Hotels & Resorts
HEI Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., is a leading hospitality investment firm that acquires, develops, owns and operates full-service, upper upscale and luxury hotels and resorts throughout the United States under such well-known brand names as Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Embassy Suites, and Hilton.  For more information about HEI, visit the company’s website, www.heihotels.com.