JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 13, 2024—Key International, a globally recognized real estate investment and development company, and Shaner Hotels, an award winning, international hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced that Samantha Pritchard has been named director of sales of the new 156-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront. Pritchard joins Michael Weihs, who recently joined Shaner as general manager last fall.
“Jacksonville Beach is booming, and the new SpringHill Suites Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront is well positioned to serve both the discerning business traveler and leisure guest,” Weihs said. “Samantha and I have a strong dynamic, and I look forward to collaborating with her to increase revenues while also providing extraordinary experiences to our guests. I am confident that her invaluable market knowledge will elevate our position in the competitive Jacksonville beach hotel market.”
Pritchard joined Shaner Hotels as the dual director of sales for the Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront and the Fairfield Inn Jacksonville Beach in Spring 2023 before assuming her promotion to area director of sales in January 2024. Her background is in hotel renovations and new construction—leading the efforts as director of sales of the Residence Inn Jacksonville, where she led the pre-opening sales efforts for the first extended-stay hotel in the Brooklyn Riverside market. Pritchard’s career began at Visit Jacksonville where she was tasked with bringing in convention groups to the city’s hotels and attractions. “That is where I got the hospitality bug, I knew that more people needed to experience Jacksonville and all we have to offer, and it was my job to show them the magic of our city.
“From access to prime beaches to the new, onsite, full-service Starbucks and an elevated dining and nightlife experience, guests don’t even have to leave the hotel to have a memorable, oceanfront vacation at Springhill Suites,” Pritchard said. “Having worked in the Jacksonville hospitality industry for the past 10 years, I can appreciate what a unique gem this hotel is. As the newest Marriott product in the Jacksonville Beach area, we plan to breathe new life into an otherwise not often changing hotel marketplace.”
Situated oceanfront at 465 North First Street, the hotel is convenient to the area’s top attractions and businesses, including the Jacksonville Beach Pier, Sea Walk Pavilion, the PGA Tour at Sawgrass, Mayo Clinic, St. John’s Town Center, EverBank Stadium, University of North Florida and multiple area golf courses. The all-suite hotel offers complimentary daily breakfast to guests and invites them to dine at Sandbar Jax Bch, the property’s second story oceanfront restaurant & bar serving crafted cocktails and regionally inspired dishes, all while enjoying breathtaking views of the Jacksonville Beach Pier and Atlantic Ocean. In March, the hotel opened its storefront Starbucks at Jacksonville Beach Pier, offering a unique blend of Starbucks favorites with a relaxing walk-up beach vibe.
With more than 25 years of hospitality management experience, Weihs has held general manager positions in several markets in Florida, including Tampa, Orlando, Stuart/Hutchinson Island and St. Augustine.
