Ninety rooms. A freshly rebranded boutique property in the heart of the Adirondacks. Alpine Hall with views of Mirror Lake and downtown Lake Placid. The legacy of two Winter Olympics outside the door. Scandinavian and Japanese design inside it. Laurel Lake Placid is built for the modern explorer — and it needs a General Manager who builds teams, drives revenue, and makes the experience match the setting.
See The 2026 Adirondack Almanac →The Operator
U.S. News #1 Hotel in Iowa. Business of the Year in nine months. 25% RevPAR growth. 40+ associates mentored into management. $1M+ in activation-driven incremental revenue.
I've operated boutique and full-service properties from 90 to 521 keys — independent, Autograph Collection, Hilton Tapestry. At each one, the formula was the same: build the team first, build the systems second, let the guest experience compound. At Hotel Julien Dubuque, that approach earned Business of the Year within nine months. At The Warrior Hotel, it earned #1 in Iowa. Right now I'm executing a year-long America 250 campaign — twelve themed months, 50+ activations, a dozen new community partners.
Laurel Lake Placid has Alpine Hall, a fresh brand identity, the Adirondacks at its doorstep, and the Olympic legacy woven into every season. HHM's values — People Are Our Capability, Hearts That Serve, Only Excellence, Stay Nimble, Own It — read like the operating philosophy I've been building for twelve years. Below is a taste of how I'd approach it.
Role Alignment
HHM's posting asks for leadership, guest experience excellence, financial performance, operational excellence, and employee development. Five focus areas that mirror the five values: People Are Our Capability, Hearts That Serve, Only Excellence, Stay Nimble, Own It. Here's how the record lines up.
The Opportunity
Laurel Lake Placid has the setting, the design, and the fresh brand identity. These are four engines mapped to the property — each designed to compound, each proven at properties I've operated.
Monthly programming themes that give guests a reason to book — not with discounts, but with experiences rooted in the Adirondacks. "Ice & Iron" winter adventure weekends. "Summit Sessions" hiking + happy hour partnerships in summer. "Mirror Lake Moonlight" lakeside fire pit series in fall. Lake Placid's Olympic legacy, four-season outdoor culture, and small-town charm are programming gold — and at properties I've operated, this system generated $1M+ in activation-driven revenue.
Lake Placid is a year-round community with seasonal surges. Insider programs that turn locals and returning visitors into Alpine Hall regulars. First-look invitations to seasonal menus, priority access to event weekends, focus groups that shape what the property becomes. They fill Alpine Hall on slow Tuesday evenings. They recommend Laurel to every visiting friend. They defend the property because they feel like it's theirs.
Curated packages that bundle the property with the destination — ski-and-stay weekends, hiking-and-happy-hour retreats, Olympic venue experiences, wellness getaways with the indoor pool and spa partnerships. Small corporate retreats for teams that want to get out of the city. The Adirondacks and the Olympic legacy are differentiators no chain hotel in the market can replicate. Alpine Hall becomes the gathering point for every package.
Every activation feeds a direct booking machine. Targeted email campaigns tied to monthly themes and seasonal peaks. Social media content built around real Adirondack experiences, not stock photography. At properties I've operated, this system generated hundreds of thousands in direct booking revenue. For a freshly rebranded independent property competing against established Lake Placid names, owning the direct channel is the fastest path to margin improvement.
The Programming
This is how I'd program Laurel Lake Placid in year one. Twelve months, each built around the Adirondack seasons, Lake Placid's outdoor culture, and Alpine Hall as the social anchor. Every theme ties a tentpole event, F&B activation, a rooms package, a local partner, and a team recognition moment. Nothing exists in isolation. Each month feeds the next.
Vibe: Winter warmth. "The Frost" — zero-proof cocktails at Alpine Hall for Dry January. "Fireside Yoga" weekend morning flows by the wood stove. "New Year, New Trail" guided snowshoe hikes with hot chocolate returns. Cozy season at its peak.
Vibe: Romance in the mountains. "The Summit Valentine" — couples ski-and-dine package with Alpine Hall prix-fixe. "Anti-Valentine's" dark spirit flights by the fire. "Snow Moon" stargazing from Mirror Lake with hot toddies.
Vibe: Spring awakening. "The Thaw" — maple sugaring experiences with local farms. "Trail Preview" early-season hike partnerships with local outfitters. "Live at The Laurel" acoustic music series at Alpine Hall every Friday.
Vibe: Lake season begins. "First Paddle" canoe and kayak launch day on Mirror Lake. "Wildflower Walks" guided botanical hikes. "Adirondack Artist" rotating local artists in the lobby. Alpine Hall opens the patio.
Vibe: Memorial and community. "The Hero's Rate" for first responders and military. "Lake Placid Legacy" — Olympic history walking tours. "Mountain Memorial" community gathering at Alpine Hall with proceeds to local fire and rescue.
Vibe: Peak season kickoff. "Solstice Sessions" — longest-day sunset hike + Alpine Hall afterparty. "Summit Series" curated high-peak adventure packages with local guides. Father's Day "Peak & Pour" — hike, craft beer flight, fire pit.
Vibe: Peak summer. "Lakeside Fourth" — Mirror Lake fireworks viewing packages. Frozen cocktails and boozy popsicles at Alpine Hall. "Midsummer Night" — outdoor movie series. Adirondack craft fair partnership.
Vibe: Endurance season. Lake Placid Ironman partnership packages. "Iron Recovery" post-race spa and pool programming. "Trail Running Weekend" with local running clubs. "Adventure Film Night" at Alpine Hall.
Vibe: Fall foliage. "Peak Color" leaf-peeping packages with guided scenic drives. "Harvest Table" farm-to-table dinner series at Alpine Hall. "Lodge Life" flannel-and-cider weekends. The biggest booking opportunity of the year.
Vibe: Adirondack autumn. "Ghost of the Olympics" — haunted history tours of the 1980 venues. "Harvest Moon" bonfire and s'mores packages. Halloween costume contest at Alpine Hall. Spooky season meets mountain charm.
Vibe: Gratitude season. Thanksgiving feast at Alpine Hall with local farm ingredients. "Friendsgiving" group booking packages. "First Tracks" early-ski-season preview weekends. Tree lighting partnership with Lake Placid village.
Vibe: Holiday magic. "Glow at The Laurel" — lobby holiday décor, hot cocoa station, carolers. "Ski & Celebrate" Christmas week packages. New Year's Eve at Alpine Hall with midnight toast and Mirror Lake fireworks. The mountain comes alive.
The System
Signature monthly event
Alpine Hall + seasonal activations
Themed package or add-on
Local collaboration
Content moment
Team recognition
In Production Now
This isn't theoretical. Right now I'm executing a year-long programming calendar at Hotel Julien Dubuque built on the same system outlined above.
When the nation's semiquincentennial presented a once-in-250-years opportunity, I didn't wait for a directive. I built a full-year programming calendar — twelve themed months, each anchored by a community partnership and supported by dozens of activations across F&B, events, and guest experience.
The result: a dozen new community partnerships forged in a single year, dozens of new activations that didn't exist before, and a property that went from hosting events to being the cultural anchor of its city.
The Execution
Two months from the America 250 campaign at Hotel Julien Dubuque. Room promos, daily F&B specials, tentpole events, spa tie-ins, recurring series — every month a complete system, not a single event.
February: Love & Freedom
March: Prohibition & Progress
Proof of Work
In 2024, I took the helm at Hotel Julien Dubuque — Iowa's oldest hotel — while simultaneously retained as a strategic consultant for a $250M portfolio across four properties: The Warrior, Hotel St. Louis, Hotel Blackhawk, and The Current Iowa.
The Team: Transitioned from day-to-day operations to coaching General Managers across the portfolio, serving as a liaison between ownership and staff, building the culture infrastructure that would sustain without me in the building.
The Guest: 22 precinct-wide activations designed to manufacture demand rather than capture it — experiences that gave guests a reason to come back before they'd left.
The Friction: Bridged the gap between ownership and operations across 900,000 sq ft of combined real estate — finalizing budgets, protecting partnerships, clearing the path for four leadership teams to execute.
The Asset: 6% TRevPAR increase across the consulting portfolio. Simultaneously drove Hotel Julien to “Business of the Year” status.
The Warrior Hotel was a restored icon — Marriott's Autograph Collection, stunning architecture. The opportunity was to turn it into a benchmark.
The Team: Every department aligned around one shared goal. Culture and performance moved together — not as competing priorities, but as the same thing.
The Guest: Guest satisfaction rose 20 points. Recovery programs transformed feedback into loyalty. Guests didn't just return — they advocated.
The Friction: Labor forecasting tied to occupancy. Menu engineering balancing quality with cost. Systems that let people do their best work without fighting the operation.
The Asset: RevPAR lifted 25%. RGI increased 19.6%. Named Top Hotel in Iowa by U.S. News & World Report — 2024 and 2025.
The Warrior Hotel reopened in 2020 — mid-pandemic — and spent two years without a community identity. No local following. No neighborhood connection. When I arrived as AGM in 2022, the building was beautiful. The relationship with its city was nonexistent.
The Team: Gave the team ownership of the relaunch. Every department hosted their own ribbon cutting — spa, restaurant, rooftop bar. The team became the face of the property.
The Guest: We didn't ask how do we get guests? We asked how do we become part of this place? Six weeks of community events turned opening weekend into opening season.
The Friction: Removed every barrier to community access. No gatekeeping, no VIP-only events. Open doors. Free tours. The hotel belonged to the city before it belonged to travelers.
The Asset: 2,000+ people walked through the property in six weeks. Five local press stories. City council began hosting delegations. Community buy-in became the foundation for every dollar that came after.
Activations compound when they're systematic. Not a wine dinner here, a holiday party there — a tiered calendar where each event feeds the next.
The Team: Gave the team creative ownership over their signature events. When housekeeping designs the holiday party and the bar team creates the cocktail series, they're invested in the outcome — not executing someone else's idea.
The Guest: Three tiers: signature series (weekly recurring), tentpole moments (monthly), and anchor events (seasonal). Guests returned not because we asked them to — but because they knew what was coming next.
The Friction: Built repeatable systems — templates, vendor relationships, marketing cadences — so every activation didn't start from scratch. The system ran itself.
The Asset: $1M+ in activation-driven revenue from 2022–present. Shifted perception from we're here if you need us to you need to be here for this.
Hospitality's retention crisis isn't about pay. It's about meaning. People leave because they don't feel seen, don't see a future, and don't believe their work matters.
The Team: Built the crucible. Multi-layered recognition — monthly, weekly, daily. Career pathing infrastructure. High-potential identification. Mentorship tracks. An environment where people fall in love with the challenge of becoming who they're capable of being.
The Guest: Stable teams mean consistent service. Consistency is what high-net-worth guests notice first — and it's the thing that can't be faked.
The Friction: Removed the obstacles that make people leave — unclear expectations, invisible growth paths, leaders who don't listen. Poured into the cup so the cup could pour into the guest.
The Asset: 40+ associates mentored to management. 24% leadership retention increase. Engagement scores jumped 27 points.
Leadership Philosophy
Leadership isn't about managing four different audiences. It's about understanding that employees, guests, yourself, and the asset owner exist in a single system — and that system only works when each one is being served at the level they deserve.
My job is to pour into the people who are constantly pouring into the guest. Their cup has to be full in order for it to be useful to anybody else. Over ten years, in the most difficult staffing markets in the country, I've built a system where the work itself becomes the crucible for who someone can actually be and become. Not retention programs. Not pizza parties. An environment where people fall in love with the challenge, with ownership, with accountability — steeped in gratitude. When that happens, world-class experiences aren't manufactured. They're inevitable.
When you can buy anything, the only thing that cannot be truly bought is transformation — and the calm that comes from knowing you've done the work. At Laurel Lake Placid, the vehicle is Scandinavian-Japanese design, the Adirondacks on your doorstep, and a team that makes every guest feel like they've discovered something the city has been keeping secret. The experience isn't a room. It's a story guests become part of.
The GM's job is to lower the effort required for everyone else to accomplish their goals. Make the path shorter between the team's intention and the guest's experience. When department leads have the tools, the budget clarity, and the trust to execute — the employee's cup stays full, the guest's experience becomes seamless, and the operation runs without the GM in the room. That's the standard.
I treat the property as if it were my own. Every idea is baked around profitability first. Profitability makes scalable operations possible. Scalable operations build trust. Trust earns continued investment. And continued investment compounds into something that hasn't been built before. Everything I build stretches forward without limit.
Pour into the team and they pour into the guest. Transform the guest experience and the asset outperforms. Protect the asset and ownership invests deeper. Clear the friction and the entire system accelerates — until what remains is a hotel that runs beautifully, a team that believes in the mission, and a building that lives up to what the Adirondacks have been offering for generations.
Lead with Heart
Award-winning teams don't happen by accident. They happen when leaders invest in the employee experience with the same bespoke intention they bring to the guest experience. People who feel genuinely developed, challenged, and valued don't just deliver luxury — they embody it.
Every team member keeps a structured gratitude journal — a daily practice that shifts mindset from task completion to ownership and purpose. It sounds simple. It's transformative. Teams that practice gratitude operate with more patience, more empathy, and more resilience under pressure. The guest feels the difference even if they can't name it.
A structured mentorship program built on curriculum that mirrors high-end MBA programs — leadership development, financial literacy, strategic thinking, and communication. Every associate has a development pathway that extends beyond their current role. The message: we're not just investing in your performance here. We're investing in who you're becoming.
No two team members get the same development plan because no two people have the same ambitions. Individualized growth tracks designed around each person's goals, strengths, and areas of opportunity.
Operational Innovation
I'm not evaluating AI. I'm shipping with it. Level 5 Diamond certified on Lovable — building internal operational systems, bespoke team tools, and scalable solutions that let a 130-person hotel team deliver personalized experiences without adding headcount.
The goal isn't automation for its own sake. It's giving every department lead the tools to execute at a level that used to require twice the staff — and upskilling the team so they're building with these tools, not being replaced by them.
What I'm Building
Custom internal dashboards. Automated programming calendars. Guest experience personalization systems. Team training platforms. Marketing content engines tied to monthly activation themes.
Why It Matters at Laurel
Alpine Hall. Ninety rooms. A fresh rebrand. A 12-month programming calendar. The operational complexity of a property like Laurel Lake Placid rewards a GM who can build the systems to run it — not just manage it.
People Are Our Capability.
Hearts That Serve.
Only Excellence.