William Smith, Director of Finance For The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando.
Lorena Chappell was most recently director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center of Georgetown, Texas. William Smith brings 31 years of experience in hotel finance to his new position at The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando.
THE WOODLANDS (HOUSTON), TEXAS – Benchmark, a global hospitality company, has named Lorena Chappell director of sales and marketing for Hotel Contessa, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located on the Riverwalk in historic San Antonio, Texas. Troy Mathews, general manager, made the announcement.
"It is with great pleasure that I welcome Lorena to Benchmark and to our hotel,” said Mr. Mathews. “She comes to us with vast knowledge of the Texas hotel market, and important leadership skills and experience in sales and marketing, which will be of great value to our property."
Lorena Chappell was most recently director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center of Georgetown, Texas. Prior to this she was director of sales and marketing for W San Diego.
Ms. Chappell has previously held leadership positions in sales and catering for several luxury properties, including The Houstonian Hotel of Houston, Texas, and properties within the InterContinental, Four Seasons and W Hotels brands.
A native of Guatemala City, Guatemala, Lorena Chappell attended Universidad Rafael Landivar in Guatemala City. She is relocating to San Antonio.
Benchmark appoints William Smith Director of Finance For The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando
Benchmark has also named William Smith director of finance for The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, a new Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located near Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Bill Lee, general manager, made the announcement.
"It is a pleasure to welcome William to our resort and to Benchmark,” said Mr. Lee. "His extensive experience in hospitality accounting and finance is particularly relevant to The Grove and its many facets. Blending his knowledge in those key areas with his specialization in aligning financial and operational goals makes him the ideal candidate to join our team.”
William Smith brings 31 years of experience in hotel finance to his new position at The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, an expansive all-suite property that opened its first phase in March 2017 and is poised to launch additional guest suites and amenities, including an on-site water park, in early 2018. William most recently was director of finance for The Betsy Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. He previously held the same position for Eden Roc Miami Beach, Wild Dunes Resort and Club of Isle of Palms in South Carolina, and earlier for Longboat Key Club and Resort in Florida. Prior to this he served as controller for hospitality management companies and individual hotels.
William Smith holds a Florida Community Association Manager license. He resides in the Orlando area.
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