San Diego, CA (July 6, 2023) – The Lafayette Hotel, the historic San Diego property slated to re-open in July 2023 after a $30M overhaul by Consortium Holdings (CH Projects), announces the appointment of MarQuies Willis as the Director of Sales and Marketing. Willis brings more than a decade of sales and marketing experience to the role and will be responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing efforts for the historic property, including oversight of seven distinct food and beverage concepts.
Prior to joining The Lafayette Hotel, Willis served as Director of Sales and Marketing at Carté Hotel, where he managed sales and marketing efforts for all venues, including Watercolors, Fonte di Vino, and Above Ash Social. During his tenure at Carté, Willis displayed a commitment to excellence with a strong focus on client and account development, sales strategy, brand awareness, public relations, and the success and growth of the property’s team.
Willis is a tenured hospitality professional who has previously served as Associate Director of Sales for Kimpton Solamar Hotel. At The Solamar, Willis managed sales efforts for citywide conventions and entertainment travel, and was instrumental in training and developing the team, account acquisitions, and customer base improvement to increase revenue. Willis has also served as Area Sales Manager at Kimpton’s Rouge, Topaz, Madera, and DC Palomar. His industry knowledge, mentorship, and financial success were recognized with several company-wide accolades during his tenure with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.
“This is our first hotel, and I’ve always operated more on instinct than technical prowess. But also being self-aware enough to know that passion, heart and soul are not enough to effectively manage a complex organizational structure that is a great hotel,” says Arsalun Tafazoli, founder Consortium Holdings. “We hope that with MarQuies’s background we will be able to import a knowledge base and skill set that will be key to managing the inevitable tension between art and commerce.”
As the new Director of Sales and Marketing at The Lafayette Hotel & Club, Willis will be responsible for developing and executing sales and marketing strategies to drive revenue and promote the independent hotel’s unique offerings, which includes seven new food & beverage concepts from the award-winning CH Projects. He will also be responsible for building strong relationships with key accounts, developing new business opportunities, and overseeing the hotel’s public relations efforts.
“I am thrilled to be joining the team at The Lafayette Hotel,” said Willis. “The hotel has a rich history that sets it apart from other properties in San Diego, and the team at CH Projects is made up of some of the brightest minds in the industry today.”
The Lafayette is located at 2223 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92104. To stay up to date on the opening, please visit lafayettehotelsd.com or follow on Instagram, @thelafayettesd.
