HQ Hotels & Residences, the newly launched lifestyle hospitality brand spearheaded by sbe Chairman and CEO, Sam Nazarian, has appointed Mike Metcalf as president of HQ Hotels.
With more than 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Metcalf joins the HQ Hotels team from Crescent Hotels & Resorts, where he served as COO, executive vice president, senior vice president, operations and vice president business development over his 18 years with Crescent. Throughout his tenure he had a strong focus on the company’s expansion and development.
As VP of business development, the company purchased eight hotels in 18 months and he was instrumental in the portfolio growing from 28 hotels to more than 110. As COO, Metcalf had a strong priority on operational excellence, property financial performance and client relationships. Metcalf had direct oversight of full service hotels, premium focused service hotels and premium golf resorts. Crescent currently comprises more than 110 hotels across the USA, Canada and the Caribbean.
“Mike joins HQ Hotels at a pivotal stage of its launch ahead of the first HQ hotel openings in Montreux, Switzerland and Detroit, Mich.," Nazarian said in a statement. "His extensive background in hospitality at every level and his business acumen makes him the ideal choice for HQ and we are delighted to have him at the brand’s helm.”
Metcalf’s experience includes many years spent as general manager of the original Delta Orlando, an 900-room hotel at Universal Studios; as well as general manager of the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.—ahead of Crescent being hired to manage the property. Similarly, he has spent 15 years with ITT Sheraton with positions in operations, sales and marketing, finance and corporate staffing across the U.S. and Canada, with an additional six years consulting across multiple projects in Hawaii, Los Angeles, New York, Florida and the Caribbean handling bank workouts, asset management and underwriting loans.
“As the HQ brand launches globally, my focus will be to source new deals, develop brand standards, and ensure we deliver on the HQ brand promise to guests, employees and owners alike," Metcalf said. "We’re creating a unique and global hotel experience specifically targeting Gen Z and Millennial travelers. In particular, we see the savvy Latin American travel demographic as integral. With a major portion of the brand experience driven by activations conceptualized at our bars and restaurants, our hotels will be known for their entertainment value with iconic F&B partners including Disruptive Restaurant Group, and the largest premium quick service restaurant brand Everybody Eats.”