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ASHEVILLE, NC – "Our big news is we just finished an interior roomsrenovations," says David McCartney, Windsor Hospitality Group's new generalmanager at their Asheville Renaissance Hotel. "We completely remodeled theguest rooms, including the soft goods and case goods. Additionally, weinstalled new 32-inch flat panel high-definition TV's in each guest room…therooms now have a stunning design and I say that with conviction."
In talking to McCartney, you get the feeling he always believes in what hesays. That is one reason WHG selected him for their newly-renovatedproperty. Over the last couple of years, the company has gradually made anumber of significant changes to this hotel. With the radical upgrades andupdates, WHG needed to fill its GM position with an effective leader whounderstands the area.
"I was raised as an outdoorsman…and did a lot of hiking and camping growingup here in the North Carolina Mountains. I spent all of my early school yearshere in Asheville," he says. "I graduated from Asheville High School." He thencontinued his studies at and graduated from the United States Air ForceAcademy, as did WHG Founder Patrick M. Nesbitt, Sr.
"I started in the hospitality industry in 1979 with a tour company inHendersonville called Globe Treks Tours…Part of the year, we took middleschool-age children on adventure camping and team-building trips where theyhad to rely on each other to cook and clean. We took them whitewaterrafting, climbing and hiking…Then the other half of the year, I planned andescorted group leisure travelers for tours of the Eastern United States,including the Washington, D.C. area, Williamsburg and Epcot in Orlando. I didthat for seven years and certainly learned a great deal about customer service."
Shortly after McCartney and his wife married, he transitioned from working intours to working in hotels specifically. "From doing all of my tour work, Ibecame accustomed to staying in hotels and loved it," he says. "A jobopened in the housekeeping department at an Atlanta-area Marriott and itseemed like a perfect fit for the kind of team atmosphere in which I like towork…From there, it seemed like a natural progression to learn about otherhotel management elements and hopefully contribute to the success of theplaces I have worked."
In the past 21 years, McCartney has held positions such as director ofservices, general manager, and director of operations & human resources atMarriott brand properties throughout the Southeast, in the Midwest and inNew Jersey. While at Charleston Marriott, he received the Manager of theYear Award. During his years at Newark Airport Marriott, he won the Directorof Services of the Year Award for the New York Region. Most recently, hewas general manager at Marriott's Shelter Cove on Hilton Head.
"This new opportunity with WHG does two things; it gets me back into theRenaissance brand within the Marriott Family. I like Renaissance because ofits distinctive style, culture and savvy service. The other reason is it returnsme to my hometown and close to my family."
Now that he is back home, McCartney's mindset is a valuable match to WHG'srefreshed Ashville Renaissance. He explains, "My management philosophy is tomake sure the staff with whom I work have everything they need to do theirjob, in terms of tools and resources. The next level is to celebrate successeswith the staff, such as their superior satisfaction scores and individual honorsand awards. If people have what they need to do their job, the hotel's success will follow."
McCartney adds, "I work with people, people don't work for me. The MarriottCorporation and Windsor Hospitality Group cultures are to take good care ofour associates, who will take good care of our guests. That fits my values, sothis synergy allows me to progress personally and professionally. That isprecisely the attitude WHG seeks in its leaders."
About Windsor Hospitality Group - Windsor Hospitality Group is the hoteldivision of Windsor Capital Group, Inc., the California-based commercial realestate acquisition, development and management firm. The WHG portfolioincludes 31 brand name hotels in commercial and cultural hubs throughout thecountry, including Greater Atlanta, Seattle and Detroit. It is the largestprivate franchisee of the Embassy Suites brand, which just won its third J.D.Power and Associates "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Upscale HotelChains" distinction. Through third-party management contracts andacquisitions, the Windsor portfolio will continue expanding in the comingmonths. Visit: www.wcghotels.com for more information.
E-mail paige@epiphanyprm.com for a high-resolution jpeg.
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