Wichita, KS (September 24, 2009) – LodgeWorks, the Wichita-based hotel development and management company that recently launched the AVIA collection of boutique hotels, has appointed new leadership for its fourth AVIA property, AVIA The Woodlands. David Brown has taken the helm as general manager and Suzanne Deliganis is now director of sales. The announcement coincides with the completion of the AVIA The Woodlands model suites, located in Market Street at 9595 Six Pines Drive #1100 and open by appointment only.
 Brown brings to AVIA The Woodlands over 20 years of management experience in the field of hospitality and operational management. Before joining the LodgeWorks team, Brown served as Choice Hotels International’s director of brand performance for its extended stay division. He began his career with the Marriott Corporation and then joined Summerfield Hotel Corporation as the general manager of two Summerfield Suites in the Atlanta area. Under his leadership during the 1996 Summer Olympics, one of the hotels earned the highest operating property profit in company history. Brown also served as a Regional Director for the company.
Deliganis adds over two decades of sales experience, a majority of which comes from the Houston area directly. Deliganis began her career as the associate director of sales for Continental Plaza Hotels & Resorts, where she was responsible for room revenue production from the U.S. and Canada for 32 hotels in Mexico. She later handled sales at such Houston area properties as the Wyndham Greenspoint, Houston Airport Marriott, Sheraton North Houston, Omni Houston, Hotel Zaza Houston and most recently the Alden Houston, a luxury boutique hotel located downtown.
In choosing locals to head their leadership team, LodgeWorks supports the AVIA Hotels’ philosophy of “living well on local time” and the brand promise to serve as gracious local host helping guests discover The Woodlands and the local community.
“With a large corporate base and the weekend draw of Market Street The Woodlands, we are working closely with corporate and community leaders to incorporate their input in our guest experience for AVIA The Woodlands,” comments Brown. “These local players – or AVIA Tastemakers as we like to call them – will help us tap into the best of The Woodlands, offering tips from the most popular locally-brewed beer to the most sought-after events in this upscale community.”
AVIA The Woodlands will follow the successful openings of AVIA properties in Savannah, Napa and Long Beach respectively, reinforcing its mission to create hotel experiences that strongly reflect, and are shaped by, the destination around them. With 70 rooms and suites, AVIA The Woodlands will anchor Market Street The Woodlands, an exclusive shopping and lifestyle enclave north of Houston, Texas. The outdoor mixed-use town center, which opened in 2003 as a joint partnership between Trademark Hospitality and KIMCO Realty Corporation, offers music, eye-catching art, a cozy wireless-enabled central park with fountains and a live performance stage to form a welcoming gathering spot for locals and visitors alike.
For more information, visit www.aviahotels.com.
About AVIA
AVIA is a new boutique hotel collection from LodgeWorks, L.P. of Wichita, Kansas. Launched in September 2007, AVIA infuses sophisticated, locally inspired designs and an imaginative service culture crafted to bring authentic moments of discovery to discerning travelers. LodgeWorks has teamed with accomplished boutique hotel designer Colum McCartan and other industry innovators to create the AVIA presence. Highlighted by local flavor and an air of discovery, the AVIA experience embodies “the art of living well” that is sought by savvy travelers. AVIA Savannah, the first of the collection, opened its doors in January 2009. AVIA Napa opened July 2009 and AVIA Long Beach opened in August 2009. AVIA The Woodlands is scheduled to open in late 2009. For more information, visit www.aviahotels.com.
About LodgeWorks
LodgeWorks, L.P., is a privately held hotel development and management company in the midst of an exciting portfolio expansion. Based in the American heartland, the LodgeWorks® team has a rich history as hospitality brand innovators with industry-leading guest satisfaction, sophisticated development acumen, and an experienced team that has successfully collaborated for more than 20 years. Among recent developments, the company has announced AVIAsm, a new boutique hotel collection with sophisticated, locally-inspired designs and an imaginative service culture crafted to bring authentic moments of discovery to discerning travelers. LodgeWorks is also introducing comfortable luxury to the upscale suite category with the innovative refresh of Hotel Sierrasm (previously branded Sierra Suites® Hotel). The new brand celebrates contemporary design and unexpected touches of luxury. LodgeWorks is also expanding its portfolio of owned and managed branded hotels including Hyatt Summerfield Suites®, Hyatt Place®, Aloft®, Hawthorn Suites®, and Hilton Garden Inn®. For more information, please visit www.aviahotels.com, www.hotel-sierra.com or www.lodgeworks.com.
About Trademark Property Company
Founded in 1991, Fort-Worth-based Trademark Property Company has developed or acquired nearly $1 billion worth of retail and mixed-use space. Trademark is currently the most active mixed-use developer in Texas and one of the premier mixed-use developers in the country, having completed nearly six million square feet of retail and mixed-use development/redevelopment projects. For more information, please visit www.trademarkproperty.com.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Images of AVIA Hotels are available upon request.
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