Yates' assignment from Westmont Hospitality, which manages the 177-room hotel, is to turn it into an upscale boutique property for sophisticated travelers. "Scooter has a proven track record in turning historic hotels into highly successful luxury properties," Paul Ramesdale, Westmont's vice president of operations, said.

Yates comes to San Antonio from Walla Walla, WA, where he was general manager of the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center. Built in the late 1920s, the Marcus Whitman was renovated, restored and expanded in 1999. Yates isn't new to Texas, having managed the Melrose Hotel in Dallas for nine years. He managed two renovations of the Melrose, which was built in 1924.

In San Antonio, Yates comes in at the tail end of the renovation. The Emily Morgan has new decor, carpet, drapes and fixtures. New amenities include in-room, high-speed Internet access, Jacuzzi bathtubs and cordless telephones. Meeting spaces and public areas also have been redone. Mitchell Carlson Stone Inc., a Houston-based architectural and interior design firm, handled the design work.