News Releases
Terranea Resort Managing Director Named California’s Top GM
Making the Fifth State Terra A. Haack has earned Top Hotelier Award
Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. – December 2010- Terri A. Haack, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of Terranea Resort, a Destination Hotels and Resorts property, has been named the California Hotel & Lodging Association’s large property Outstanding General Manager. The announcement made at the annual Stars of the Industry event marks the fifth state in which Haack has been recognized as a leader in the hotel industry.
What makes the accomplishment all the more remarkable is that each hotel for which Haack has been honored presented an extremely challenging operating environment. For her latest accolade, Haack spearheaded the opening of the highly-acclaimed Terranea Resort through arguably the most difficult times the hotel industry has ever encountered. In spite of financial difficulties, a huge drop in leisure travel and an unprecedented plunge in business travel – a large market for the oceanfront resort – Terranea not only survived, but has begun to thrive.
Throughout the stressful nearly four years that Haack guided Terranea through construction, opening and the demanding business-building period, she steadfastly put her staff and guest services above all else. Her success is evidenced by the praise that was written by an anonymous staff member in her nomination for CH&LA’s top honor, “Ms. Haack did everything she could for us when there was no money. She always recognized how hard we were working and though she couldn’t reward us with raises, she found a way to say thank you to all of us. On our first anniversary, she put our names in the paper and bought all 700+ of us papers to take home to our families.”
Terranea has emerged from the economic downturn with a loyal following of return guests and a growing reputation as one of the United States’ top meeting and wedding destinations, a rosy result that was far from assured in the dark travel climate in which Terranea opened.
Haack’s experience guiding South Carolina’s Wild Dune Resort and Virginia’s Kingsmill Resort through major redevelopments undoubtedly prepared her for the challenges she faced at Terranea. For her inspired leadership she was named “Hotelier of the Year” for South Carolina and that same year named “Resort Executive of the Year” by YPartnership and the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Haack’s Kingsmill Resort work earned her “Tourism Professional of the Year” honors as well as being named the nation’s top hotelier when the AH&LA named her “General Manager of the Year.”
When these awards are added to Boulder, Colorado’s “Business Person of the Year” and Delaware’s “Chamber Executive of the Year” Haack has excelled across five states in her unprecedented career. Her achievements thus far are best summed up by Charles Peck, President of Destination Hotels and Resorts, when he congratulated Haack and commented, “Terri loves the hotel industry – its guests and staff. She combines that passion with a great sense of style and grace, and incredible managerial skills, resulting in the ultimate Hotelier.”
About Terranea
Just 20 miles from Los Angeles International Airport, Terranea, LA’s Oceanfront Resort, is magnificently poised above the Pacific Ocean on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the property boasts a 582-room Resort including a 360-room hotel with 32 suites, plus 20 bungalows. Also available are 50 oceanfront casitas and 32 ocean view villas tailored specifically to individuals looking for a more residential setting.
Resort amenities include The Links at Terranea, a 9-hole par 3 golf course; The Spa at Terranea, a 25,000 square-foot oceanfront spa; and three unique swimming pools, one with children’s play area and a 140-foot waterslide. Three ocean view restaurants offer a variety of food and beverage experiences including Catalina Kitchen for casual, all-day dining; mar'sel, the free-standing signature restaurant; and Nelson's, a cliff-side restaurant and bar with spectacular vantage points for whale watching. Designed to reveal the Resort’s dramatic outdoor vistas, Terranea's conference and meeting facilities include 135,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. Other amenities include a children’s center with interactive programs and several miles of scenic bluff-top trails that connect miles of off-property coastal trails. A secluded beach cove also adds to the unique experiences at Terranea Resort. For more information visit www.terranea.com or call 866-802-8000.
For high resolution, downloadable pictures of Terranea Resort,
please visit www.dhrimages.com
About DH&R
Destination Hotels & Resorts is the fourth largest independent hospitality management company in the United States with more than 30 luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and conference centers. The company has developed a variety of initiatives to better serve its communities, stakeholders and customers including Destination Earth, an environmental sustainability program, and the Destination Delivers guest loyalty program, which provides the best available offers to members. Destination operates properties in key metropolitan areas and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Aspen, Palm Springs, Houston and Lake Tahoe. Destination is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com or to join Destination Delivers, visit www.destinationdelivers.com.
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Media Contacts:
Lori Kennedy or Shae Geary
JLK Communications
760-941-4103
