The leading multinational hospitality company, Aimbridge Hospitality, proudly welcomes Mark Frances to the management team as Resort Managing Director and Betty Gonzalez as Communications and Marketing Director of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico.
Frances will oversee the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico property and management team, home to the largest lagoon-style pool in Puerto Rico and the island’s first floating waterpark over the ocean. Gonzalez will oversee the communications and marketing team, planning and overseeing communications and marketing strategies for the property.
Frances brings more than 28 years of hospitality experience and has worked in luxury hotels all over the world including Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros Islands, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Aruba and the UK. Frances’ first step into hospitality was at a timeshare resort on the east coast of South Africa, entertaining kids as a Ninja Turtle and working as a busser, pot steward and server. He has traveled to 14 different countries to develop hotels as Global Director of Brand Operations for Carlson Hotels and was named “General Manager of the Year” for Carlson Hotels in 2014, while based in Aruba. Most recently, Frances operated the Queen Mary in Long Beach as the Managing Director.
During his tenure at The BodyHoliday/LeSport in St. Lucia, one of the finest luxury health resorts in the world, as the resort General Manager, Frances help build the resort’s award-winning name winning accolades, including TripAdvisor’s Best Resort in the Caribbean, Best International Resort, Best Spa in the Caribbean, Conde Nast Traveler’s Best International Resort & Spa and many others. Frances has served and taken care of numerous world leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, George Bush, and multiple A-list Hollywood celebrities throughout the years.
“The Caribbean, specifically Puerto Rico, is one of the few places in the world where I feel most at home. I am humbled to join the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico team and help further establish the resort as one of the top destinations in Puerto Rico,” said Mark Frances, Resort Managing Director of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico.
Betty Gonzalez brings more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. During her tenure, she has led communications and marketing teams for resorts in Puerto Rico including Caribe Hilton, El San Juan Hotel and Casino, Waldorf Astoria Collection, The Condado Plaza Hilton, Embassy Suites San Juan and Dorado, Hampton in San Juan and Hilton Ponce Hold and Casino Resort.
Gonzalez has been recognized for her strong marketing and communications expertise by being awarded 2019’s SME Top Management Award in Tourism, 2019’s Excel Award for Media Relations and 2019’s Excel Award for Reopening Events at Caribe Hilton. Gonzalez enjoys giving back to the community with volunteer work at La Fondita de Jesús, El Buen Pastor, Hogar Casa Cuna San Cristóbal and is an active board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico.
“I’ve always admired this property throughout my years working in the hospitality industry in Puerto Rico and am thrilled to join the team after its recent renovation and launch of new amenities and programming,” said Betty Gonzalez, Communications and Marketing Director of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico. “I look forward working alongside Mark and the rest of the management team to showcase our remarkable property to the world.”
Set on 72 acres of tropical lush gardens just 15 minutes from the nation’s only tropical rainforest, El Yunque, Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico is a dreamy destination that reopened in winter of 2019 following a multi-million-dollar renovation. It is the closest full-service luxury resort from the San Juan International Airport. The resort was also the filming location for the new series on Fox, “Fantasy Island.”
The resort offers 579 all-suite, bungalow-style accommodations; three pools including Puerto Rico’s largest lagoon-style pool; full-service newly renovated Rainforest Spa; five on-site culinary eateries and two 18-hole world-class Tom Kite-designed golf courses. It is the first destination in Puerto Rico to offer a floating waterpark obstacle course over the ocean accessible exclusively for guests. The resort offers newly renovated private villas, named Regency Suites which offer an outdoor plunge pool, outdoor shower, outdoor dining area and is steps from the beach.
About Aimbridge Hospitality LLC
Aimbridge Hospitality is a leading, multinational hospitality company offering best-in-class hotel management services across a broad spectrum of franchised branded full service, select service, luxury hotels, destination resorts, convention centers, and lifestyle hotels. Aimbridge’s premium portfolio represents approximately 1,500 properties in 49 states and 20 countries, inclusive of pipeline. With the most robust brand diversity in the industry, Aimbridge and its affiliates represent 84 lodging brands, in addition to more than 82 independent boutique/lifestyle hotels in the portfolio. As the world’s largest third-party operator, Aimbridge is dedicated to its mission to leverage its scale to add value for owners and opportunities for associates better than any hospitality operator. Aligned with a concentrated focus, agility, and expertise for each vertical, Aimbridge drives market success for hotels and optimizes investment returns for owners. Aimbridge Hospitality’s global headquarters is based in Plano, Texas, with additional corporate offices in Atlanta, Calgary, Fargo, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. Evolution Hospitality, Aimbridge’s Lifestyle Division, is based in San Clemente, Calif. Aimbridge’s International Division, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, has supporting offices across Europe in Amsterdam, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Moscow. The company’s division in Mexico, Group Hotelero Prisma, has offices in Monterrey and Mexico City. For more information on Aimbridge Hospitality, please visit www.aimbridgehospitality.com and connect with Aimbridge on LinkedIn.
