Two Roads Hospitality’s Thompson Chicago, the city’s top luxury lifestyle hotel located in the heart of the Gold Coast, announces the appointment of Onal Kucuk as general manager. Kucuk brings close to two decades of hospitality experience in a variety of hotel properties including multiple luxury lifestyle brands in different markets. Kucuk’s versatile operational background with his transformational leadership style grant him a unique perspective on the industry.
After obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management at Bilkent University in his native city of Ankara, Turkey, Kucuk moved to the United States to further his education. His choice of Chicago proved to be a pivotal decision in his career. Since completing his MBA from the Stuart Graduate School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Kucuk has gone on to work at a number of Chicago-area hotels and has called the city home for close to 15 years. Kucuk’s hospitality experience also comprises properties outside of Chicago, including San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta and Phoenix.
In 2014, Kucuk began his journey with Two Roads Hospitality at Hotel Lincoln as general manager, which was honored as one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Chicago Tribune during his tenure there. He then continued his path as general manager at another Two Roads Hospitality hotel, The Camby, Autograph Collection in Phoenix. “As we are seeing our industry trends shifting towards independent lifestyle boutique hotels, Two Roads Hospitality has been at the forefront of feeding the curiosity of today’s fiercely individual traveler,” he says.
With his new position, Kucuk is excited to return to the city where, he says, “everything started for me.” Opened in October 2013, the 247-room Thompson Chicago effortlessly blends understated elegance with a bit of an edge to business and leisure travelers alike. “Chicago market has been and will be a very competitive market. I will continue to strengthen Thompson Chicago’s and Thompson brand’s position in the city,” says Kucuk. “I’m looking forward to working with our team members uncovering tailored moments from day through night across our four key signature pillars: holistic wellness, world-class culinary, ground-breaking fashion, and thought-provoking arts and entertainment.”
