HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts (HotelREZ) announced the appointment of Ursula Rhode, the former COO at Genares, as Executive General Manager for North America.
Ursula Rhode, a senior executive with more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, is a well-known figure in travel and the hotel distribution sector. The former Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Genares Worldwide Reservation Services, Rhode has been recognized by the HFTP (Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals) as one of the Top 20 Women in Technology in 2014. Rhode started her career at United Airlines and has, over the years, assumed several senior executive positions in top travel technology companies including Lexington Services and Pegasus. After the acquisition of Genares in 2014, Ursula joined Sabre, to handle the migration of Genares to Sabre. A former Board Member of HEDNA (Hospitality Electronic Distribution Network Association), Rhode will now join HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts, a leading global hotel representation company headquartered in the UK.
Acting as Executive General Manager for North America, Ursula Rhode will be working to increase HotelREZ's portfolio of independent hotels represented on the Global Distribution Systems under its own HO chain code, as well as secure increased business for the company's newly launched private label GDS chain code solutions, and web services division which includes the REZbooker responsive booking engine, web site development and complimentary services. Rhode will head a growing HotelREZ US team, where she will be working alongside former Genares colleagues, Ray Sims, VP of Business Development for the Americas, and Esmeralda Mata, Hotel Relationship Manager. Together with her team, Rhode will also be responsible for seeking out new partnerships within the US.
Mark Lewis, CEO and Founder of HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts, stated: "We are very pleased to welcome Ursula to HotelREZ, her experience and knowledge within the US hospitality industry are invaluable and together with the rest of the team she will prove instrumental in our continued focus on the American market. In over 13 years HotelREZ has grown to become one of the leading hotel representation services in the world, offering independent hotels and chains the competitive edge they need to keep up with the ever changing and challenging travel market. Our approach to the US market is about providing not just top-level hotel technology, but offer real value-add services, such as a caring, pro-active attitude to account management, a targeted demand generation, including easy access to global consortia, flexible payment structures and exceptional support services. Our international outlook and demand footprint provides hotels with the opportunity to utilize Sabre's technology backbone whilst driving incremental revenue through our HO chain code and global alliances."
Ursula will be based in Southlake, Texas but will travel extensively across the USA to service HotelREZ customers and partners.
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