Gene Verett
Gene is Hotelier with domestic and international experience spanning over 25 plus years. A leader known as a quick thinker, sharp business mind, incredible eye for talent and ability to recruit such talent, crafting strategic business plans, sales and marketing plans to achieve business objectives. Gene’s success in the hotel industry is attributed to the fact that he started at the bottom and progressively rose through the ranks, all the way to a CEO.
Gene began his illustrious career as a Front Desk Agent and Concierge at the Sheraton Manhattan in New York City for ITT. He was quickly promoted to Reservations Manager for the Sheraton NY and Sheraton Manhattan complex in NYC with over 2400 rooms. He reorganized the entire department and made it more efficient and productive demonstrating his organizational skill and leadership.
His success was noted and he was appointed as Director of Reception and Uniform Services where he oversaw a team of over 300 union employees. The appointment gave him an opportunity to showcase his diplomatic skills, sharp business mind and ability to accomplish operational goals while reducing employee turnover.
He was later promoted to Guest Experience Manager for the NY complex, where he was part of a TQM team, which developed and implemented strategies for every department at the properties. He was instrumental in improving departmental profits and the customer experience.
His accomplishments lead to his appointment as a GM of a Sheraton Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware. He was entrusted with a property that was ranked at the very bottom of all the Sheratons at the time of his appointment.
He oversaw a $50 Million renovation of the hotel as well as lunching a pilot program a new program called IBU (individual business units. He crafted a plan for turning his hotel around and made sure that it was executed. By the time he left the Sheraton Wilmington was ranked among the best hotels in the company.
Gene’s greatest accomplishments were achieved when he was recruited by Homestead Studio Suites, which was owned by GE Capital at that time. He started as a GM at the Shelton, CT property where he won many awards in his first year (GM of the year, Hotel of the Year, Top NOI property and Highest Costumer Service Scores).
His accomplishments were so impressive they lead to his promotion a year later to Area Manager, where he oversaw hotels in CT and Boston. He quickly earned respect for his ability to recruit and develop top performing General Managers, as well as Top performing hotels.
Upon the purchase of the company by Blackstone, Gene was promoted to Regional Director of Operations, where he was responsible for over 50 hotels at any time in the North East. When Blackstone decided to expend into Canada, Gene was the only RDO entrusted with the takeover. He then successfully converted the 3 new properties to Extend Stay Brand in the country where few people even knew Extended Stay Brand.
Blackstone continued its expansion by purchasing hotels from Prime Hospitality as well as Sierra Suites hotels. Gene played an instrumental role in taking over these hotels, re-branding and repositioning them.
When Blackstone acquired Extended Stay America, Gene was entrusted with takeover and repositioning of over 100 hotels throughout US and Canada. He was also charged with a task of writing and executing plans for turnaround purchase, the Prime Hotel purchase and the huge acquisition of Extended Stay America.
Gene was instrumental in converting of underperforming hotels in the company’s portfolio. Many of the hotels were in Cleveland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and many other states. In addition, Gene showcased his Sales and Marketing skills by securing contracts with top producers in the markets where our hotels were located, which generated over $10 Million worth of business a year for the company.
Gene has a unique ability to secure, train and keep some of the best hospitality talents. He had the lowest turnover every year at less than 10%, where the industry standard is at over 90%.
Gene’s leadership, business acumen, strategic vision is evident from the fact that hotels in his portfolio has always were at the very top in all major matrix such as, highest revenues, highest profit margins, highest guest and employee satisfaction.
Gene currently is a founder of NextGen hotels and Ink Hospitality, where he also serves as a CEO and COO respectively.
NextGen Hotels is a hotel management company, specializing in managing underperforming hotel assets. It has a stellar record in turning underperforming hotels into profitable and viable assets.
Ink Hospitality is a management and consulting company specializing in ground up new construction.