FORT WORTH, Texas (Aug. 3, 2022) – Named the #1 hotel in Dallas-Fort Worth by Travel + Leisure, Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection hotel, is proud to announce the growth of its executive team since its debut in the Fort Worth Stockyards last year. The 200-room hotel continues to build upon its success with the appointment of four industry professionals, which include Kristin Assad as Vice President, General Manager, Ryan Thomas as Assistant General Manager, Elga Sickler as Vice President of People and Culture, and Alexie Estrada as Director of Resort Marketing.
Kristin Assad, Vice President, General Manager
As a well-respected leader with more than two decades of luxury hospitality experience, Assad brings unmatched expertise to Hotel Drover. Deemed a North Texas hospitality connoisseur, Assad has a unique and highly sought-after skill set, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the luxurious western retreat. Assad has held key leadership positions for several renowned players in the luxury hospitality industry, including Omni Hotels & Resorts, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, as well as independent hotels, The Joule, and The Lumen Hotel. Most recently, Assad served as Regional Vice President of Operations for Coury Hospitality.
Ryan Thomas, Assistant General Manager
As a multifaceted and driven leader, Thomas has a background that spans from brand strategy to operations, which includes unique and highly sought-after skills that makes him the ideal candidate to assist with all aspects of the hotel. Having held titles such as executive operations manager, director of business optimization and brand planner for renowned players in the luxury hospitality space, his expertise goes unmatched, making him a trusted and well-rounded leader. Thomas has worked closely with ownership since 2020 to help open Fort Worth’s first luxury hotel and highest performing ADR and RevPAR hotel in the city.
Elga Sickler, Vice President of People and Culture
With more than 20 years of experience building and developing successful teams, Sickler brings a sense of comfort and inclusivity to the new Fort Worth stunner. In her role, Sickler is responsible for leading all aspects of human resources including recruiting, benefits training and coordination, performance management, compliance, training practices, development of employee protocols, and all other human resources strategy and operations. Prior to joining the Hotel Drover team, Sickler served as the Corporate Director of People & Culture for Makeready, an organization specializing in branding, design, and the operations of hotels, restaurants, retail, and more.
Alexie Estrada, Director of Resort Marketing
Estrada brings more than 10 years of luxury marketing and social media experience to her role at Hotel Drover. She is tasked with developing and executing multi-channel brand marketing and promotional strategies for the Western retreat with a goal to support growth while increasing consumer awareness. Throughout her career, Estrada
successfully launched social platforms for multiple clients, has overseen daily execution of content strategy, swiftly managed events, integrated marketing plans, and assisted with new brand development including a growing collection of 15+ brands with Harwood International’s Hospitality + Arts division.
For more information or to book a stay at Hotel Drover, please visit www.hoteldrover.com.
