Charleston, S.C. – The Dewberry hotel is pleased to announce a new management team. Atlanta real estate magnate, John Dewberry, has assembled a talented, energetic and experienced group of hospitality experts and industry leaders to further elevate the hotel’s reputation as a premier luxury hotel. Appointments include new General Manager and Managing Director Joseph Polito; Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef Michael Tuohy; Director of Finance Derek Burke; and returning to The Dewberry, Director of Revenue & Guest Operations Kristie Rasheed.
In the first quarter of 2018, the hotel saw dynamic growth and amassed an impressive list of global accolades including coveted placements on Travel + Leisure's It List, Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List and Readers’ Choice Awards, Hospitality Design’s HD Awards, Imbibe magazine’s Cocktail Bar of the Year as well as recognition by the James Beard Foundation, U.S. News & World Report, Fodor’s Travel, TripExperts, Historic Hotels of America, among others. The new management team will look to build upon this monumental success and usher in the next chapter of The Dewberry Charleston.
“Recognized as one of the finest hotels in the world, The Dewberry is a daily endeavor towards improvement,” says John Dewberry, Chairman and CEO of Dewberry Capital Corporation and owner of The Dewberry Charleston. “Our new management team is tasked with furthering our exacting standards, and, under their leadership, we will enhance the world-class experience our guests currently enjoy.”
A seasoned international hotelier and restauranteur, Joe Polito joins The Dewberry as general manager and managing director bringing a wealth of experience that spans more than three decades. Polito has managed, developed, and served as regional operations manager for luxury operators such as Aman Resorts, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, and Park Hyatt. Recognized within the industry as an outstanding hotelier, Polito has earned a reputation as an innovator in both service and product that have set international industry standards. His career highlights include one of the original ’boutique’ hotels; the Mayfair Regent in New York City; the historically famous Strand Hotel in Yangon (Rangoon) located in Myanmar (Burma), the Aman Resorts flagship Amanpuri in Phuket Thailand, The Oberoi in Lombok, Indonesia and the multiple award-winning Oberoi Udaivilas located in Udaipur, India which was rated best hotel in the world for several years. His passion ensures that every hotel he is involved with, will be of a standard appreciated by the most discerning of guests and most of the properties listed above have been considered the finest in the world by the international travel press such as Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines.
“After admiring The Dewberry from afar since its opening, it is an honor to be appointed as general manager and managing director,” says Joe Polito. “The property has elevated Charleston’s hospitality scene tenfold, and I am excited to be a part of its continued growth and success.”
Michael Tuohy will take the helm of The Dewberry’s award-winning food and beverage operations, including Henrietta’s, The Living Room, banquets, and in-room dining as executive chef and director of food & beverage. As a professionally-trained chef, Tuohy opened- either as owner or as executive chef- successful restaurants in Atlanta and Northern California prior to his most recent role as General Manager of Food & Beverage Operations for Legends Hospitality at the Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings NBA. Under his leadership, Golden 1 Center’s was named ‘Best New Venue” in the U.S. and became the first sports and entertainment facility in the world to achieve the LEED PLATINUM green building standard. Upon starting with Golden I Center as Food & Beverage GM and executive chef, he built a program sourcing local ingredients, with over 90% of product coming from with 150 miles of the venue. Additionally, Tuohy developed and led the innovative sustainable food & beverage program which has transformed the American fan food experience; with this passion for connecting a community to its purveyors that reflect a region’s pride, Tuohy aspires to be a leading resource within the lowcountry slow food community.
New Director of Finance Derek Burke has been a fixture on the South Carolina hospitality scene for nearly a decade and joins The Dewberry from Wild Dunes Resort where he served as the Isle of Palms’ hotel’s Assistant Controller. Previously, Burke held accounting positions with the Wyndham Hotel Group and Intercontinental Hotels Group.
Rounding out the new management team, Kristie Rasheed will return to The Dewberry as Director of Revenue & Guest Operations. After assisting with the opening of The Dewberry, Rasheed stepped away and opened her own consulting firm, Coastal Hospitality Consulting, to create partnerships for all areas of the hospitality industry. With the success of the hotel in the years following, Rasheed is excited to once again serve as a member of The Dewberry’s management team and take on a new role in overseeing all guest facing operations in addition to the revenue management.
The Dewberry is located at 334 Meeting Street and reservations may be made by visiting thedewberrycharleston.com.
