South Florida’s resort and private club, The Boca Raton, appoints three luxury hospitality leaders in newly-created positions designed to enhance the member and guest journey. Lori Kiel joins as chief commercial officer, Allison O’Connor as vice president of hospitality experience, and Corinne Heyl is promoted to vice president of hotel operations, overseeing all Harborside hotels.
“As we continue to enhance The Boca Raton’s reputation for exceptional experiences, we are committed to taking a fresh approach to leadership—one that sets new standards in the luxury hospitality industry,” Daniel Hostettler, president and CEO of The Boca Raton, said in a statement. “These three inspiring executives are pivotal as we build upon our rich legacy and look towards achieving our mission of 25 Forbes Stars by 2025.”
Lori Kiel, chief commercial officer
With more than 30 years of hospitality experience, Kiel joins The Boca Raton to lead the sales, revenue and marketing teams into new levels of commercial optimization. Most recently, Kiel spent 15 years at Kessler Collection as chief commercial officer. Her strong background in brand positioning, financial acumen, commercial strategy, analysis, leadership, and technology makes her a dynamic asset to the executive team. Kiel has a strong presence in the hospitality industry, including serving on the HSMAI sales advisory board and HSMAI revenue management advisory board. This year she was appointed chair of the HSMAI Foundation.
Allison O’Connor, vice president of hospitality experience
A seasoned hospitality leader, O’Connor joins The Boca Raton in a newly developed role where she will ensure a flawless experience for guests and Club members with what she describes as a “focus on feeling.” O’Connor will tap into her more than three decades of experience to craft and execute a meaningful hospitality philosophy with strategies to enhance every touchpoint across the property. A past board member of the International Luxury Hotel Association, O’Connor spent 21 years at Marriott International including 17 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, growing the brand's footprint globally and helping conceive Ritz-Carlton Reserve (an exclusive collection of remote Ritz-Carlton resort experiences) and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Corinne Heyl, vice president of hotel operations
A luxury hotelier with an eye for detail, Heyl joined The Boca Raton in 2021 as general manager of the adults-only, lakefront Yacht Club hotel. Shortly after, she was named general manager of the all-suite Tower in 2022 following a $65 million transformation that included the introduction of the Tower Suite Collection. With her keen luxury mindset and oversight of the guest experience team, Heyl now leads operations for all Harborside hotels: Yacht Club, Tower, Cloister and Bungalows. Previously, Heyl spent over a decade managing high-end boutique hotels within Relais & Châteaux, a collection of gourmet restaurants, resorts and villas. Positions included general manager of Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island, where she led the team to attain a Forbes Five-Star distinction, and general manager of Blantyre in the Berkshires, Mass. She also spent six years as general manager of The White Barn Inn in Maine, following tenures at hotels in Germany.