Wes Scrape has been named general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown in the historic King Edward building, announced Larry Daniels, regional vice president of operations for HRI Lodging (HRIL), an affiliate of HRI Properties (HRI), the lead developer and majority owner of the King Edward.
Scrape has managed hotels in the Jackson, MS area since 1987 and had been working as general manager of the Hampton Inn North in Jackson since 1996.
He was presented the “Home Town Hero Award” by the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2013 and has earned the designation of Certified Hotel Administrator from the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
“We are fortunate to welcome a highly respected Jackson hotel veteran to our team,” said Daniels. “Wes brings to the Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown more than 30 years of experience that cannot be matched in the area,” Daniels added.
Scrape’s career in Jackson-area hotels began in 1978, and his first general manager position came in 1987 at the Holiday Inn Medical Center in Jackson. He also served as GM of the Holiday Inn Southwest in Jackson, and the Holiday Inn Downtown in Dallas.
He served on the boards of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association in Jackson from 2010-2012 and the Metro Jackson Hotel & Lodging Association from 1993-1999, presiding as president of that group in 1990.
He attended Belhaven College in Jackson where he studied business administration.
Closed and vacant for some 40 years, the King Edward building today stands completely restored, offering 186 rooms under the Hilton Garden Inn brand and 64 luxury apartments on the top floors, representing a total investment of $90 million in Jackson’s downtown. The King Edward project is majority owned by HRI of New Orleans, a pioneer and national leader in the adaptive reuse of historic structures and the revitalization of downtown centers.
