Loews Hotels & Resorts has named Johnny So managing director of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. So brings over 20 years of experience in managing 5-star hotel properties for some of the largest and most widely renowned luxury brands in the world, including previous leadership stints at Loews Hotels.
Most recently, So was managing director of The Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, where he spearheaded the re-opening and positioning of the legendary resort and applied his extensive experience managing the day-to-day operations of large-scale properties. Prior to that, So held other executive positions, including general manager of the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California; vice president and general manager of the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui and the La Quinta and PGA West Resorts in La Quinta, California; and vice president of hotel operations for the Desert Inn in Las Vegas.
So’s hospitality career began in 1978 as an assistant food & beverage director for the Intercontinental Hotel Maui. He soon joined Loews Hotels where he honed his expertise in progressive leadership positions, including food & beverage manager, resident manager and general manager, laying the foundation for his future professional accomplishments.
So obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii’s School of Travel Industry Management and completed the Executive Management and General Managers Program in Hospitality at Cornell University – National University of Singapore. He is a certified Hotel Administrator and Food & Beverage Executive from the American Hotel & Motel Association as well as a past president of the Arizona Hotel and Motel Association.
