Orlando hotel, hospitality and meetings industry veteran Barb Bowden has been named managing director of operations for Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando. Bowden brings extensive experience and knowledge managing the day-to-day operations of large-scale hotel properties.
“Barb’s proven abilities and expertise in building strong relationships in the community and with clients and service partners make her ideally suited to join our team,” says Loews Hotel’s Senior Vice President of Operations Tom Roditus. Bowden will be responsible for local campus contracts and capital planning, as well as the daily operations of engineering, laundry, telecommunications, information technology, security and group and wholesale reservations for the four on-site hotels, consisting of 4,200 rooms at Universal Orlando Resort.
Prior to joining Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, Bowden served as general manager of the Orange County Convention Center, the second largest convention and tradeshow facility in the United States. Before that, she spent 27 years with The Peabody Orlando, starting as a front desk supervisor and working her way through the ranks to become general manager in 2010, and then vice president in 2013.
Bowden is a cum laude graduate of Missouri State University. She is a current Executive Committee Member of the Americas Board of Directors of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
Universal Orlando Resort features three world-class, deluxe on-site hotels – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Hard Rock Hotel – as well as a new moderate and value-priced on-site hotel, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Designed to be attractions in and of themselves, each hotel offers exclusive theme park and resort benefits along with highly-themed environments and one-of-a-kind accommodations and amenities.
