Miami, FL (30 May 2018): Investors, Owners, Developers, Consultants, Hotel Executives and Government Tourism Officials recently gathered together in Miami to discuss the current and future state of the Caribbean hospitality industry. During the summit, the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), the leading source for global hospitality expertise, in partnership with the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) took time out to celebrate and recognize a young leader who has already made a big impact in the Caribbean.
Saul Nunez Tirado received the honorable 2018 Rising Star Award Caribbean and was acknowledged by industry leaders in the Caribbean during the plenary session at CHRIS.
Saul began his career at 8 years old working in his parent’s restaurant as a dishwasher. He got his first start in hotels in the Entertainment Department, working his way up to Rooms Division and being part of the pre-opening team for 5 different hotels. Today he is the General Manager of the beautiful Zoëtry Montego Bay Jamaica for which he has just accomplished the milestone of getting 4 diamonds by Triple A awarded to his hotel.
Saul’s goal was to become a General Manager by age 33 and he accomplished his goal at 32 years old. When asked about his passion for hospitality, Saul exclaimed, “I love that there is no routine job in hospitality. Every week you have the opportunity to correct an issue. Every day you have the opportunity to create memories for a guest. I love creating memories for people.”
Ricardo Bravo, AMResorts Regional Vice President of Operations, Latin America/English Caribbean who nominated Saul for the award had this to say about him, “Saul is an exemplary leader, adapting to different cultures and leading by example with a positive attitude and emotional intelligence during the most challenging moments. It has always been a pleasure for me to be his immediate supervisor, as he is not only a remarkable professional, but also an extraordinary human being.”
ISHC Chairman John Fareed who presented Saul with the Rising Star Award Caribbean commented, “It is with great excitement that we recognize a young and talented individual so passionate about our industry. Saul is a great example to us all. We would like to thank CHRIS, the Judges Panel and sponsors for their support in making this possible.”
This is the eighth year ISHC and CHRIS have collaborated to recognize young, talented leadership in the Caribbean. Finalists for the award included Carlos Garcia, Executive Assistant Manager of the InterContinental San Juan and Samuel Pizarro, Security Director of the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Juan Hotel and Casino, two impressive young leaders in the Caribbean. The esteemed Judges Panel included:
- Jorge A. Apaez, COO, IHG
- José Carlos Azcárraga, CEO, Grupo Posadas
- Kenneth M. Blatt, COO, CPG
- Ian Carter, President, Global Development, Hilton
- Frank J. Comito, CEO/Director General, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
- Diane Edwards, President, CAIPA
- MaryLynn Elizondo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Marriott International
- John J. Issa, Chairman, SuperClubs
- Dave Johnson, President & CEO, Aimbridge Hospitality
- Eugenio Macouzet, SVP & Managing Director, RCI
- Xavier Mufraggi, CEO, Club Med
- Berthia Parle, General Manager, Bay Gardens Hotel
- Karolin Troubetzkoy, Executive Director, Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts, and President, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
–ENDS–
About ISHC
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants is truly The Leading Source for Global Hospitality Expertise, represented by over two hundred of the industry’s most respected professionals from across six continents. Collectively, ISHC members provide expert services in over fifty functional areas and have specialized skills in virtually every segment of the hospitality industry. ISHC is dedicated to promoting the highest quality of professional consulting standards and practices for the hospitality industry. Candidates undergo a rigorous screening process, ensuring that all ISHC members have a reputation of integrity and are qualified by their experience, training and knowledge to develop and express sound judgment on industry issues. Additional information about the organization, along with a directory of ISHC members, is available on the ISHC website at ishc.com.
For more information, contact Lauren Marshall, Director of Membership & Marketing.
Email: lmarshall@ishc.com
Phone: +1.678.735.9453
About Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS)
Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) is the Caribbean’s most important hotel and tourism investment conference. The conference immediately follows a second important event, the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference. The back-to-back nature of the two events provides a venue for the hotel investment community that is interested not only in the Caribbean, but also in Latin America, to conduct their business while in Miami. CHRIS and HOLA are produced by Northstar Travel Group in association with Burba Hotel Network (BHN).
About Northstar Travel Group (www.northstartravelgroup.com)
Northstar Travel Group is the global leader of business intelligence, information, data, research, digital marketing services and events for senior-level professionals in the travel, meetings and hospitality industries. The Northstar portfolio includes; Travel Weekly, Travel Weekly China, Travel Weekly Asia, TravelAge West, Business Travel News, The Beat, Travel Procurement, Web in Travel, Phocuswright, Burba Hotel Network, Successful Meetings, Meetings & Conventions, Meetings & Conventions China, Incentive, Association News, Sports Travel and 75 annual events in thirteen countries including leading events such as ALIS, HICAP, Phocuswright, TEAMS, Web in Travel, and Mountain Travel Symposium. Northstar is also the majority shareholder in Inntopia. Northstar Travel Group is owned by EagleTree Capital and is based in Secaucus, NJ, with offices in New York, NY; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Winston-Salem, NC; Stowe, VT; Edwards, CO; Glen Ellyn, IL; Costa Mesa, CA; and global offices in Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai.
About Burba Hotel Network (BHN)
BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With over three decades of experience, more than 150 events completed to-date, and in excess of 100,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become “must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business, and to learn about the latest trends. BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; ALIS Law in Los Angeles; ALIS Summer Update; Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Singapore; Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai; Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London; and HotelsWorld in Sydney. The BHN website at www.Burba.com is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world. BHN is a division of Northstar Travel Group.