SHELTON, Conn. – – March 1, 2017—Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading third-party management company and hotel developer, today announced that longtime Jekyll Island hotelier, Kevin Runner has been named general manager of the Westin Jekyll Island. The 200-room, beachfront hotel opened in 2015, adjacent to the Jekyll Island Convention Center and the recently-completed Beach Village.
Runner is a career hospitality executive who opened the Jekyll Island Club in 1986. Originally a 134-room full-service hotel, the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel has evolved into a four-diamond resort largely credited with the island’s renaissance.
“With Kevin at the helm, the Jekyll Island Club Hotel has played a pivotal role in the island’s redevelopment as a modern resort community,” said Chase. “Kevin’s knowledge of seasonal resort operations and the coastal Georgia market is second to none and I am looking forward to having his expert hand guiding our Westin in this next phase of its evolution.”
“The first two years of a new hotel are very challenging and the Westin staff has done a remarkable job getting the hotel ramped up, and ranking in the top 10 percent for guest satisfaction among Westins worldwide,” said Runner. “I’m starting with a table that’s been expertly set and I look forward to leveraging 35 years of local area expertise to help both the hotel, and the entire island achieve, their full potential as a resort destination.”
