HRI Lodging's Gina Chimeno Wins Hyatt's Director of Sales of the Year Award

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. February 25, 2014

NEW ORLEANS, LA - February 24, 2014 - Hyatt French Quarter Director of Sales and Marketing, Gina Chimeno has earned the 2014 Director of Sales of the Year award in the franchise hotel category during Hyatt's annual “iLead” sales meeting, announced Brett Forshag, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for HRI Lodging, manager of the property.

Nominations for the award are heavily weighted on feedback from Hyatt's Global and Americas brand sales teams, who take into account which sales professionals made the greatest impression and who had gains in revenue growth, achieving hotel goals and the growth of year over year brand booked business, said Forshag.

Chimeno, a 20-year veteran of New Orleans' hospitality industry, joined HRI Lodging in 2012 during the hotel's $20 million renovation and rebranding to Hyatt French Quarter. Since then, she has led the hotel's sales team in booking more than 53,000 room nights and $12 million in revenue.

Prior to joining HRI Lodging, Chimeno worked a number of years with Marriott, beginning as a sales manager for the Courtyard by Marriott New Orleans. After leaving Marriott briefly in 2002 for a position as convention sales manager for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chimeno became the associate market director of sales for Marriott Hotels of New Orleans and led a team of 14 sales professionals to Global Market Sales Team of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Her most recent position was as Marriott's area sales leader.

“This national award represents an affirmation of Gina's commitment to upholding the standards of the Hyatt brand and of HRI Lodging,” Forshag said. “We are extremely proud of her recognition as one of the best sales leaders of the Hyatt brand,” he added.

“Gina has been a valuable force in hotel's transition and brand change; we are all extremely proud of Gina's accomplishment,” said Larry Daniels, Vice President/General Manager Hyatt French Quarter.

Hyatt awarded HRI Lodging its Best Conversion award last year for the company's renovation of the Hyatt French Quarter, which was originally constructed as the D.H. Holmes department store and later converted to the Chateau Bourbon Hotel in 1995 by HRI Properties. Renovations included upgrades to the hotel's guest rooms, exterior, lobby, landscaping and pool and deck area decor. The room count rose from 251 to 254, many with balconies overlooking Bourbon Street, the French Quarter or courtyards.

About HRI Lodging

HRI Lodging, LLC (HRIL) is one of the 50 largest hotel management companies in the U.S. with a current portfolio of 17 hotels and resorts spanning the continental U.S. By building alliances with major domestic and international investment firms, the organization pursues a dual mode growth strategy of managing independent, boutique properties as well as partnering with industry leading brands, including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood and Intercontinental Hotel Group. HRI Lodging is the hotel management division of New Orleans-based HRI Properties, a full-service real estate development company and a national leader in the adaptive reuse of historic structures. HRI's mission is: Revitalizing Cities by Creating Diverse, Vibrant and Sustainable Communities.

About Hyatt French Quarter

Hyatt French Quarter is located in the New Orleans French Quarter and adjacent to the city's Central Business District. The hotel offers 254 guestrooms with 12 foot ceilings, completely renovated in 2012. Many rooms include balconies that overlook the French Quarter, courtyards or Bourbon Street. The property offers more than 10,660 square feet of customizable function space located in one central area of the hotel's first floor. Hyatt French Quarter can accommodate meetings and/or events from 3 to 300 people with our 10 meeting rooms. The hotel is located at 800 Iberville Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, and is within walking distance of the Audubon Aquarium, Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, Royal Street shopping, French Market, Streetcars and the New Orleans Superdome. www.frenchquarter.hyatt.com.