ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (August 5, 2013)?- Jean-Paul Nel has been named General Manager of Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort. In this position, he will oversee the overall operations of the iconic 450-room property on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
A 30-year Marriott veteran, Nel most recently served as Area Vice President for the UK North region, which is a part of Marriott Europe. Prior to this, he held the position of Vice President of Operations for UKIMEA (United Kingdom, Ireland, Middle East, and Africa), where he oversaw all operational aspects of the region and played a key role in the development pipeline of new hotels.
Mr. Nel’s International experience is extensive from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. In 1996, he served as General Manager of the Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel in Greece, and was responsible for the overall operations of this 314-room hotel in the heart of the city center. He played an instrumental role in the reopening of the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in 1995, and prior to that, he worked at the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel, which was the first International hotel for the company. Nel began his career in food and beverage as a trainee and went on to serve as Restaurant Manager at the iconic Twin Bridges Marriott, which was Marriott’s first hotel in the U.S. as well as the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, VA. He also held the position of F&B Director at the Torrance Marriott South Bay in Torrance, CA before moving to London in 1989 for his first International assignment. His hospitality industry experience also stems from his tenure at Marriott Corporate Headquarters, where he spearheaded the opening of numerous hotels including the Atlanta and New York Marriott Marquis properties.
“I am pleased to welcome Jean-Paul to Frenchman’s Reef and Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort,” said Andrew Houghton Area Vice President, Caribbean, Marriott International. “His extensive hospitality background and tenure with Marriott, coupled with his leadership experience will be instrumental to the continued success of the resort. We are certain that under his guidance, Frenchman’s Reef will further leverage its positioning as a leader in the hotel industry and the Caribbean.”