SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts recently appointed San Francisco Bay Area hotel veteran John Hutar as general manager of The Westin St. Francis. As the hotel’s leader, he will guide the strategy and vision for the 1195-room property, inspiring a culture of uncompromising excellence while driving market-leading guest experiences and financial performance. He will oversee a team of approximately 85 managers and 750 associates.
“We are delighted to welcome John to our team,” said Jon Kimball, area managing director for Starwood and former general manager of The Westin St. Francis. “After 10 years of serving as the general manager of The Westin St. Francis, it was very important to me personally to find the right leader who can continue to raise the bar on service and amenities for this historic icon. John’s outstanding 30-year career in hospitality combined with his passion, commitment and deep knowledge of the hotel industry and region makes him the ideal choice.”
Most recently, Hutar served six years as the general manager of the Sofitel San Francisco Bay Hotel in Redwood City, California. Previously, he worked at the MGM Grand in Detroit as Vice President of operations. Hutar had a longstanding career with Hotel Nikko from 1989 to 2006, both in San Francisco as the general manager and vice president of Hotel Nikko USA Company, and in Chicago, holding roles as director of rooms as well as director of finance.
Hutar’s impressive local leadership history includes serving as President of San Francisco’s Hotel Council, a board and executive committee member of SF Travel, a member of the Mayor’s Strategic Planning Committee to End Chronic Homelessness, and as a board member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
Hutar holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science from Cleveland State University. In addition, he completed Stanford University’s Advanced Business Management Program.
