La Jolla, CA – March 7, 2022 – Kim Avant has been appointed general manager of the historic Grande Colonial hotel, and the Michelin-recognized NINE-TEN Restaurant, part of the Franklin Croft Hospitality collection. As General Manager, Avant has full operational and directional responsibilities for the Four Diamond, independent, boutique hotel including financial operations, rooms and related services, sales and marketing, and development of the company’s policies and staff, as well as management of all food and beverage operations for NINE-TEN, and catering and banquets.
Avant’s hospitality career began in 2006 when she joined the team at the Hampton Inn Del Mar, a Franklin Croft Hospitality property, as Front Office Manager. She then joined the Grande Colonial in 2010, spending the next seven years as the Assistant General Manager with oversight of the overall guest experience and hotel operations. In 2017, she transitioned to the position of Director of Human Resources, overseeing the planning, direction and coordination of all human resource management activities including employee compensation, benefits administration, recruitment, personnel policies, and regulatory compliance. In 2022, she was promoted to her current role as General Manager.
Avant’s professional affiliations include membership in the California Hotel & Lodging Association, California Restaurant Association, Hospitality Human Resource Association, and Society for Human Resource Management. In 2018, she was awarded the San Diego’s Gold Key Hotel Leader of the Year Award by the San Diego County Lodging Association. Additionally, Avant maintains active roles in the community and enjoys serving in all aspects of her life. This includes volunteering as a resource counselor for Sharp Mary Birch’s NICU, teaching in her church, volunteering at her daughters’ schools, working in the warehouse of Feeding San Diego, and providing meals at Rady’s Children’s Hospital.
Arriving in San Diego as part of a Navy family, Avant attended Grossmont Community College where she received an Associate’s of Science in Forensic Technology. She has continued education on a professional level, earning certificates in hotel revenue management, human resources, and hotel operations. She currently resides in the Rancho Bernardo community of San Diego with her husband Tim and two daughters.
