Canandaigua, N.Y. (May 2, 2023) – The Lake House on Canandaigua, the Finger Lakes’ premier luxury hotel, has welcomed seasoned luxury hospitality leader Chris Jennings as its new general manager. Throughout his 17-year career, Jennings has gained extensive experience managing guest services and operations at high-end hotels and resorts across the U.S. and beyond, including overseeing two major property openings and successfully leading teams of up to 200 associates. Jennings will officially assume his new role on April 24.
Jennings will relocate to Canandaigua from Nashville, Tennessee this spring, where he most recently served as the director of operations for the JW Marriott Nashville. Having joined the team in 2018, Jennings played an integral role in its July 2018 grand opening, leading efforts that earned the property the honors of “Hotel Opening of the Year for Marriott International (2018)” and later, “Hotel of the Year for Marriott International (2019).” In addition to managing the guest service department, Jennings oversaw hundreds of employees across the front office, valet, housekeeping, in house laundry, uniform room security, retail and the Spa by JW, securing consistent rankings in the top five for Guest Satisfaction Survey (GSS) scores out of all JW Hotels in the Americas.
“Chris Jennings’ proven-effective approach to curating luxurious travel experiences for guests for nearly two decades makes him the ideal GM to lead The Lake House into its next chapter,” said Lukus Kindlesparker, COO of Turnberry. “Under his leadership, we are confident that our guests will continue to benefit from one-of-a-kind stays that not only meet but exceed their expectations.”
Throughout his long and triumphant hospitality career, Jennings served in directorial roles at The Don Cesar in St. Pete Beach, Fl. and The St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kauai, Hi. Prior to, he spent seven years managing service teams at The Phoenician Resort Scottsdale, Az., notably earning the property AAA 5-Diamond and Forbes 5-Star Certifications. He also managed the front office department throughout the 2015 opening of the acclaimed Baha Mar Casino & Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas.
“Throughout my career, I have had the honor of working with and learning from talented hospitality leaders and service workers across some of the world’s most premier hotels and resorts,” said Jennings. “I’m excited to collaborate with The Lake House’s exceptional team and leverage my experience to drive forward its longstanding commitment to providing elevated accommodations, amenities, and culinary offerings to its valued guests.”
While working toward completing a bachelor’s degree in hotel & restaurant management from the University of Houston, Jennings realized his passion for hospitality while supervising housekeeping and front desk departments for Houston-based Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International properties.
As he settles into his new role, Jennings is looking forward to planting new roots in the Canandaigua community with his wife, Mallory, son, Blaine, and daughter, Sloane.
