Hotels across the country—and in Cancun, Mexico—have appointed new general managers in recent weeks. Here are some names to know.
The Ann Savannah
Leigh Anne Staden is the new general manager of The Ann Savannah in Georgia.
Staden most recently was opening general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott Hilton Head Island. Throughout her career with leading hospitality groups including LBA Hospitality, Schulte Hospitality, and Buffalo Lodging Associates, she has overseen multi property operations, managed complex revenue strategies, mentored rising leaders, and consistently delivered strong GOP performance.
Caravan Court
Valencia Hotel Collection appointed John Thomas general manager of Caravan Court, the eighth property in the Valencia Hotel Collection, set to debut in Arlington, Texas, in spring.
Thomas held progressive leadership roles at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio and Hotel Sorella City Centre in Houston. He later was general manager of Lone Star Court in Austin. Most recently, Thomas led Texican Court in Irving, Texas.
Cotton Court
Valencia Hotel Collection also appointed Jessica Hall general manager of Cotton Court in Lubbock, Texas.
Hall most recently was director of sales and marketing at Cotton Court for the past five years. She previously held the role of Director of Sales at Spirit Ranch Wedding and Event Venue and Overton Hotel & Conference Center, bringing a strong track record of leadership and market expertise to the new appointment.
Hotel Forty Five
Joseph “Joe” Pankrath is the new general manager of the 94-room Hotel Forty Five in downtown Macon, Ga.
Pankrath’s career includes senior roles at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort and JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, where he was opening executive chef. Early in his tenure with Marriott, he was executive chef at the 750-room Marriott Water Street. Following his time with Marriott, Pankrath returned to his hometown of Rochester, N.Y., to work as director of food & beverage at Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, where he directed restaurant, banquet and operational strategy across the property.
In 2023, Pankrath joined Mainsail Lodging & Development as executive chef at Luminary Hotel & Co., Autograph Collection in Fort Myers, Fla. During his tenure, he played a key role in concept development, kitchen design and operational refinement across several Mainsail properties, including task force support in the Caribbean and Georgia.
JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa and Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort
Both the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa and the Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort are now under new leadership with the appointment of Juan Carlos Calderon as the new complex general manager.
Calderon spent more than two decades serving and advancing through the Marriott portfolio and held various positions including multiple general manager and executive leadership positions.
Most recently Calderon was hotel manager at the 1,000-room Marriott Marquis Houston. Before this, Calderon was general manager at the Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Westlake Solana and then at the Marriott Dallas Downtown. Other positions over the past 20+ years with Marriott include director of restaurants, director of room operations, area director of operations Midwest full-service hotels, area director of operations western region select service hotels.
Palmer House
Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago, appointed Andrew Finn general manager.
Before joining the team, Finn was the general manager at Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport beginning in 2023 and Illinois’ Hilton Rosemont, A Hilton Hotel from 2017 to 2022. Finn also was the hotel manager at Palmer House from 2015 to 2017.
Originally from Ireland, Finn moved to the U.S. and immediately began his career with Hilton Chicago at Irish pub Kitty O’Sheas, where he was part of the original opening team brought from Ireland. He is a current board member of the Murphy Lake Association and previously held board positions in the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association and Chicago Loop Association.
Sarasota Modern
Oliver Hospitality has appointed Chris Delgado general manager of The Sarasota Modern in Florida.
Delgado joins Oliver Hospitality following nearly two years at AvantStay, where he led end-to-end hotel openings in Nashville, including the launch of The Gilmore. He previously served on the opening team as general manager of the Cambria Hotel Nashville Midtown and began his career with a seven-year tenure at Omni Hotels & Resorts, where he held leadership roles including assistant director of rooms and director of front office.