Martin Hoellrigl has been appointed general manager of GALLERY One, a DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to Ted Ratcliff, senior vice president, operation for Hilton Worldwide. Hoellrigle will oversee the operations of the 13-story, 231 guest suite resort, located on the Intracoastal Waterway, just two blocks from Fort Lauderdale beaches, effective immediately. He most recently held the position of director of operations at Hilton Sharm Waterfalls Resort in Egypt, a position he held since 2009.
After graduation from an Austrian tourism school and a food and beverage apprenticeship in 1991, Hoellrigl showed his passion in various food and beverage divisions of Europe and California. The Los Angeles Times later wrote about his “International flair and artistry”. He built his career in Germany and later in Anaheim, California where he first joined the Hilton family through the student exchange program in 1995. Hoellrigl had the opportunity to liaise with some of the most respected names in France, like L’H?tel le Bristol Paris and the team at Hilton Suffren next to the Eiffel tower before returning to the US. In 1999, he served as senior sous chef at Restaurant Pinot Provence, in Costa Mesa, Orange County before joining Surf and Sand Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach, California, as executive chef. In 2001, Hoellrigl concluded his culinary curriculum as Chef de Cuisine at the baroque and awarded restaurant, Palais Daun Kinsky in Vienna, Austria, where he was nominated newcomer chef of the year by Gault Millau and named chef of the year by Lifestyle magazine.
After receiving additional certificates and diplomas in food and beverage management, international wine sommelier, financial controlling, marketing, public relations, he worked as food and beverage manager at the Salomon Rothschild family owned Das Schloss an der Eisenstrasse and also led the pre-opening and opening of the award winning hotel, Balance Resort Stegersbach in Austria, in the F&B division. In 2006, Hoellrigl took on his first hotel manager role at Hotel Post, Schl?ssl, Gartenhaus and later assistant and interim general manager at the Grand Hotel Europa for the Rome based Palenca Luxury hotels until 2008. He rejoined Hilton in 2008 at Hilton Kuwait Resort as director of food and beverage where he remained until transferring to Egypt.
A native of Austria, Hoellrigl has visited 42 states in the US, Mexico and Canada and several countries in the world. He speaks three languages fluently, communicates in some others and holds several certificates in hotel management from Cornell and Hilton SHINE development program. Hoellrigl is married to Sasha Pearl and they have two children, Oskar Blaise and Skyler Jay.