Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center is proud to announce the selection of Michael J. Damion as general manager, and Judy Esterbrook as director of sales and marketing. The pair will lead pre-opening and opening efforts of the highly anticipated hotel.
Located in downtown Denver’s beloved Colorado National Bank building, Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center provides guests with a modern experience in one of Colorado’s most historic buildings, originally construed in the early 1900s. The hotel will feature 230 guestrooms, nine of which are suites; 6,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; a fitness center; and Range, an original concept restaurant and bar, serving locally-purveyed cuisine inspired by the Rocky Mountain West.
“Michael and Judy each boast years of experience in the hospitality industry, and are seasoned experts when it comes to successfully opening and managing full-service hotels and acclaimed restaurants,” said Navin Dimond, CEO and president of Stonebridge Companies, owner of Renaissance Denver Downtown. “We are thrilled to bring them aboard for this exciting project.”
A 25-year hospitality veteran, Damion will oversee all operations, business development and guest relations at Renaissance Denver Downtown. Most recently, Damion was general manager of the boutique Hotel Latham in the popular Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C. Here, Damion managed the 133-room hotel, as well as the Five-Star Citronelle Restaurant, located within the property. Prior to that, Damion had a decade-long tenure with Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, managing various luxury boutique properties throughout the country.
Of note, Damion was general manager and led the restoration of the Hotel Monaco Baltimore, located within a historic, early 20th century building, and the subsequent reintroduction of the new property to the city – a role that very much parallels that of his new position at the Renaissance Denver Downtown. Over the course of his career, Damion has successfully led numerous hotel openings, achieved top quality and service rankings and maintained and increased profitability. Damion began his career with Marriott and is pleased to make a return to the Marriott brand as general manager of the Renaissance Denver Downtown.
Also a seasoned industry expert, Esterbrook has a proven track record of developing and implementing successful sales and marketing initiatives. As the director of sales and marketing for the Renaissance Denver Downtown at the Colorado National Bank, Esterbrook will lead the Renaissance team in implementing revenue-generating practices that exceed competitive sales objectives, as she has for numerous hotel properties throughout the Denver area. Prior to joining Renaissance, Esterbrook served as director of sales and marketing for Embassy Suites Denver Downtown, and was named 2012’s Embassy Suites Director of Sales of the Year for her contribution to the hotel’s successful launch. Throughout her career, Esterbrook has worked amongst the leadership teams of renowned brands such as Marriott, Vail Resorts and Hilton. During her tenure with the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown, Esterbrook was recognized as 2009’s Director of Sales of the Year.