Columbus, Ohio, April 18, 2023– – Makeready, the hospitality company that concepts, manages, and operates an independent and diverse collection of hotel, restaurant and retail brands, recently named Christian Kraul-Rodriguez as Director of Sales and Marketing for its new independent lifestyle property in Columbus, Ohio, The Junto. Kraul-Rodriguez joins the team after serving most recently as Director of Sales and Marketing at The Viking Hotel (Davidson Hotels) located in Newport, Rhode Island.
As Director of Sales and Marketing, Kraul-Rodriguez will lead the independent brand strategy, drive deep partnerships within the community, while building a strong team focused on connection, culture and driving the revenue strategy for The Junto and its wide variety of experiences and offerings.
“I’m thrilled to join The Junto’s team as we work toward opening in May,” said Kraul-Rodriguez. “Being new to Columbus, I truly have enjoyed becoming quickly engrained in the community and I look forward to introducing The Junto to the Columbus market. I have already begun assembling an engaged, thoughtful sales team and together we are excited to be a part of the first independent lifestyle hotel.”
In addition to leading the sales and marketing team, Kraul-Rodriguez will oversee event booking at The Junto. The hotel holds over 13,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, including rooftop terraces, an expansive ballroom featuring guillotine-style doors that open into the pre-function space, board rooms and more. Those who book the hotel’s meeting spaces will have access to an extensive banquet and catering menu, curated by Chef Bret Workman. Guests may choose from the several meal options for their event, from breakfast action stations with potato hash, avocado toast and farm egg omelets to dinner buffets with a Mediterranean, Little West or steakhouse theme. Christian will lead a team armed to make any event standout – from afternoon breaks featuring drip IVs and daiquiris to yoga on the green followed by a spritz toast – The Junto is more than a hotel, it’s a place to assemble and gather.
Kraul-Rodriguez brings over eight years of management experience in the hospitality industry to Makeready. He has held roles primarily in independent lifestyle hotels and has previously resided in Miami, Florida where he served as Director of Sales and Marketing for National Hotel Miami Beach, Director of Sales and Marketing for Shore Club, Miami Beach (SBE Hospitality) and opened the Greystone Miami Beach (VOS Hospitality) as Director of Sales and Marketing, Operations.
Kraul-Rodriguez is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and holds a Master of International Hospitality and Tourism Management from University of Queensland-Coursework. With Colombian heritage, Kraul-Rodriguez speaks fluent Spanish and enjoys arroz con coco, a dish he learned from his grandmother. Christian moved to Columbus from Saudi Arabia and looks forward to taking on his role as a relationship builder and team leader at The Junto.
