Liz Johnson has been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing for Salmon Falls Resort, an intimate full-service waterfront resort in Ketchikan, Alaska, and its sister property Edgewater Inn Restaurant & Marina. In her new role, Johnson will be responsible for leading a revenue-driven sales team and overseeing both resorts’ advertising, public relations, social media and branding initiatives.
“We are excited to welcome Liz to the Salmon Falls Resort and Edgewater Inn teams,” said Matt Herod, General Manager, Salmon Falls Resort. “Her background and expertise in the travel industry, and specifically in Alaskan tourism, will be invaluable as we look ahead to a busy 2021 season with exciting new programming and resort enhancements on the horizon.”
Johnson brings more than 12 years of travel industry experience to the duo of Alaskan resorts. Most recently, she served as Interim Director and Tourism Manager for Visit Seattle, establishing and implementing highly visible strategic marketing plans in key European markets in order to increase travel and spending in the destination. Prior to working for Visit Seattle, she served as Account Manager of Global Sales for international airline Icelandair. Johnson’s background also includes numerous roles in Alaskan tourism, including sales positions at CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation and Explore Fairbanks, and she served on the Visit Anchorage Board of Directors. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon and continued her business and marketing education at the University of Washington.
Salmon Falls Resort is open seasonally and will re-open for 2021 on May 1. The resort will offer new experiences for next year that will focus on adventure, cultural and culinary themes, honoring the extraordinary setting and heritage of the Alaskan Panhandle. Standout offerings include fishing expeditions to remote locales, flightseeing float plane tours to the Misty Fjords National Monument and guided bear watching throughout the Alaskan rainforest.
Salmon Falls Resort’s sister property, Edgewater Inn Restaurant & Marina, is located 15 minutes away in the downtown Ketchikan area and is open year-round. Rates start at $169 per night. Popular activities for both resorts include hiking, kayaking, bear spotting, rainforest ziplining, whale watching and shopping from local artisans
Salmon Falls Resort and Edgewater Inn Restaurant & Marina are owned by Caliber and managed by Highgate.
About Salmon Falls Resort
Salmon Falls Resort is an intimate full-service resort in Ketchikan, Alaska, situated at the southernmost entrance to Alaska’s iconic Inside Passage, located just 90 minutes from Seattle. The 51-room resort has catered to discerning travelers for more than 30 years and offers Alaskan adventures paired with warm hospitality. Salmon Falls Resort is best known for its majestic setting and world-class salmon fishing. Guests enjoy access to Timbers restaurant on-site, which is open to the public, and features an array of delectable Alaskan seafood specialties paired with wines, microbrews and live music each weekend. Flexible indoor/outdoor meeting and event spaces are ideal for corporate incentive groups and breathtaking weddings. The resort is open seasonally, typically from May through September.
About Edgewater Inn Restaurant & Marina
Edgewater Inn Restaurant & Marina features charming Ketchikan, Alaska-inspired hotel rooms ideal for family vacations, group retreats and business travel. Located just minutes from downtown, the hotel offers a host of modern amenities surrounded by breathtaking ocean and Alaskan landscape vistas. Guests enjoy dining at the waterfront restaurant on-site and accessing the dock and marina for fully guided or self-guided fishing and sightseeing excursions.
About Highgate
Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing Caribbean and Latin America footprint. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, and Seattle. www.highgate.com.
About Caliber
Founded during the depths of the 2008-09 recession, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based real estate investment firm now manages approximately $400 million in assets with another $550 million in development—including multi-family, commercial, hospitality, self-storage, medical, and in federally designated opportunity zones across the Southwest. Caliber is a six-time consecutive honoree of Inc. 500|5000 “Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America.” www.CaliberCo.com
