FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – October 11, 2012 – Kevin Speidel has been named area managing director for Hilton Worldwide Hotels & Resorts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to Ted Ratcliff, senior vice president, operations US Eastern region for Hilton Worldwide.  A 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Speidel most recently served as managing director for two of the Waldorf Astoria brands historic resorts, Casa Marina and The Reach, in Key West, Florida.

In his new position, Speidel will directly manage the day-to-day operations of the 598-guest room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina as well as coordinate hotel operations between five management properties in the area, which include Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina; Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort; GALLERYone, a DoubleTree Suites by Hilton; Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach, a DoubleTree by Hilton and Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale.

“Kevin has demonstrated his passion to motivate and deliver excellence at all levels of the organization, said Ratcliff.  His strong leadership skills coupled with his knowledge of South Florida is a great asset to navigate multiple brands and properties in the area.”

Speidel began his career in 1987 at the Somerset Marriott as an intern, before he was promoted to assistant housekeeper at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.  In 1991, Speidel started his journey south as director of front office and services at the Marriott at Sawgrass before his first tour of duty at the Casa Marina and The Reach in 1993 as resident manager, a position he held until 1995.  From 1996 to 2003, he worked for Interstate Hotels Corporate where he held key management positions in Rhode Island, Hawaii, Pittsburgh and Miami before beginning his area director post at Casa Marina and The Reach in 2003.

Speidel was an honor roll recipient of Raritan Valley College in New Jersey, with an associate’s degree in hotel and restaurant management.  In addition, he attended East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania.

He is married to Jori Vandervoort and has two children Reece, four and Megan, two.

He is a member of a number of hospitality organizations including Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association State Executive Committee Director, President FRLA Monroe Chapter, MCHS Culinary Advisory Council and Marketshare Key West Fantasy Festival.  He has also served as a board member of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Convention Visitors Bureau, the Miami Hotel and Motel Association and Brickell Area Association.

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 640,000 rooms in 91 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visitwww.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide atwww.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide,www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide,www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide,www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide andwww.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.