Mankarios comes to Starwood after serving as chief executive officer of Foresthills Hotels & Resorts of Dallas, a company he founded in 1999. Foresthills ceased operations last week. Mankarios also brings his executive management team from Foresthills to the St. Regis division of Starwood, including: Andy Anderson, vice president of sales; Scott Blair, vice president of finance; George Fong, vice president of engineering and construction; Michael Matthews, vice president of marketing; and Kenyon Price, director of operations.
The former Foresthills team has managed a number of luxury properties including the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas; the Lanesborough in London; the Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles; the Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico; and the Palazzo Arzaga in Verona, Italy.
Barry S. Sternlicht, chairman and chief executive officer of Starwood, states that Mankarios and his team will be charged with growing the St. Regis brand through acquisitions, conversions of existing hotels and management contracts.
There are currently nine St. Regis hotel properties that feature more than 2,500 rooms, including facilities in New York, Rome, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington D.C., Bejing and Aspen. In addition, the St. Regis Shanghai and the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Southern California recently opened their doors. New St. Regis hotels are also being developed in Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco.
Starwood's Sternlicht reveals that the company plans to convert several of its existing hotels to St. Regis properties including the l Gritti Palace in Venice; the Hotel Cala di Volpe and Hotel Pitrizza resorts in Costa Smeralda, Sardinia; and the Imperial in Kuala Lumpur.
Bob Cotter, Starwood's Chief Operating Officer, adds, "Within our Luxury Collection portfolio there exist as many as 10 properties worthy of the St. Regis distinction bringing to 20 the number of St. Regis hotels within the next two years. We expect, with the leadership of Atef and his team, to expand to 40 or more luxury St. Regis hotels and resorts over the next five years."
Mankarios, a native of Egypt, has more than 30 years in the hotel business and has also worked for Sonesta International Hotels and Four Seasons Hotels.
He was named CEO of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in 1989 and left the firm in 1998. Shortly thereafter, he formed the Foresthills firm. Mankarios and his team will operate out of offices in Dallas, while the development and ancillary services operations of the St. Regis division will be based at the company's corporate headquarters in White Plains.
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John Jordan
John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.
