NEW YORK CITY-Loews Corp. has appointed Paul Whetsell president and CEO of its Loews Hotels Group, the company announced Tuesday. He’ll join Loews from Virgin Hotels, where he has been executive director.

At Virgin Hotels, he focused on guiding the company’s operations and shepherding property acquisitions. According to Jonathan Tisch, chairman of Loews Hotels and co-chairman of the board of Loews Corp., this is an area that Whetsell will focus on in his new position a well.

“With Paul’s tenure and experience in the industry, and now in is role as our new president and CEO,” Tisch said in a prepared statement, “we will continue to operate the unique properties in our portfolio, while also looking for additions to the company through acquisition, development and management.”

The experience Tisch references includes more than 35 years in the hospitality industry. In 1987, Whetsell founded the original CapStar Hotel Co., whose portfolio of hotels grew to over 110 hotels and $3 billion in assets. CapStar split into Meristar Hospitality Corp. and Meristar Hotels and Resorts in 1998, with the later becoming Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Whetsell stayed on as chairman and CEO of Meristar Hospitality Corp. until the company was sold in 2006; he served as chairman and CEO of Interstate Hotels & Resorts until 2003.

Of his most recent appointment, which will be effective January 17, Whetsell said that he was “extremely excited” to be joining the Loews Hotels team. “Loews has a long tradition of owning and operating high quality hotels and delivering great guest experiences," he said, in a prepared statement. "Working in partnership with Jon, our objective is to further develop and grow the brand while delivering superior financial operating results."