Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH) CEO Richard Jabara, and Chairman William Meyer, named Justin Jabara president of the award-winning, multi-branded, 43-year old hotel ownership and management company effective immediately.
With dual corporate locations in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Danbury, Conn., MJH was launched by second-generation hoteliers, Richard Jabara and William (Bill) Meyer in 1977 with the purchase of their first hotel here. Meyer and Jabara developed an industry-leading, best-in-class company that has a unique culture, built on core values and empowerment to deliver excellence.
Learning and opportunity stand firmly as a cultural pillar in this company. Justin Jabara grew up in and around hotels. At the age of 16 he secured his first job waiting tables, delivering room service and working as a banquet prep cook at the Christiana Hilton in Delaware. He went on to graduate from Johnson and Wales in Providence, R.I., with a degree in Hotel Management. Over the years, Justin Jabara grew his career holding numerous operational positions across the portfolio and blazed a strong operational track record of success. He made the jump to vice president of development and acquisitions six years ago to start working on the other side of the business. With Meyer as his mentor, Justin Jabara led the growth of the portfolio at an impressive rate. Not only did the portfolio prosper, but many new partnerships were formed, and creative joint ventures established.
This applied learning spotlighted the leadership ability of this third-generation hotelier. The family business is staying in the family.
“Justin literally grew up in our hotels, right alongside Bill’s children,” Richard Jabara said. “All of our kids knew how to turn a room, set a table, and push a bell cart at a very young age. It makes me happy to see how Justin has grown in the business. He has taught me a lot. He isn’t afraid to change and grow.”
“It has been a joy to watch Justin learn and become respected in his own right,” Meyer said. “He has aggressively re-engineered our growth strategy and I have caught myself reflecting often about how Richard and I, too, found that spark of innovation more than 40 years ago. Our future is brighter than ever with Justin as president.”
The vision for MJH includes expansion of the portfolio and new partnerships. To ensure the company is positioned to continue its best in class operations, it has recently rolled out two of many new initiatives, including a vibrant new E-Commerce team and a new Regional Sales Team that will provide support for all General Managers.
With all this progression and change, Justin Jabara remains steadfast on one key cultural pillar: “We have been, and always will be, in the people business. The better the people, the better the business. I learned what partnership really means, first from my grandfather and Arthur Meyer (Bill’s dad), and then from my father and Bill. A partnership must be a win-win. Our financial partners, employees, and our guests are all forms of partnerships. We strive to create great success for all we serve. We will never walk away from treating people as our most important asset.”
