136 rooms inside a historic Art Deco landmark — the only Forbes Recommended hotel in Minneapolis. Two destination restaurants and a chic hotel lounge: Breva, Masa & Agave, and Bar Edera. Anda Spa & Fitness, the Forbes Four Star retreat. The famed Penthouse atop the Historic Ivy Tower. The posting asks for a culture-driven leader who builds the customer-keeping vision and the team to deliver it. Here's what that looks like.
See Role Alignment →The Operator
U.S. News #1 Hotel in Iowa. Business of the Year in nine months. 25% RevPAR growth. 40+ associates mentored into management. $1M+ in activation-driven incremental revenue.
I've built the culture and operational identity at lifestyle properties from day one — twice. At The Warrior Hotel (Autograph Collection), I relaunched three F&B outlets, co-created a 2,000-person community relaunch, and earned #1 Hotel in Iowa within a year. At Hotel Julien Dubuque, Business of the Year in nine months. Both times the job was the same: set the tone, build the team, make the building mean something to the city around it.
Hotel Ivy has the historic Ivy Tower (on the National Register since 1986), Breva and Masa & Agave (operated by APICII), Bar Edera, the Forbes Four Star Anda Spa & Fitness, and the only Forbes Recommended designation in Minneapolis. HEI's vision — a customer-driven hotel built on the HEI Loves culture, where competitive comp, benefits, and a real investment in associates compound into the kind of service that earns Forbes ratings — is the operating philosophy I've been building for over a decade. Below is a taste of how I'd approach it.
Role Alignment
HEI is hiring a culture-driven General Manager who can lead operations and financials, drive sales and revenue management, develop the team, serve as brand ambassador, and provide property-level oversight of the F&B program (Breva, Masa & Agave, Bar Edera) and the Forbes Four Star Anda Spa & Fitness. Here's how the record lines up.
F&B Leadership
The posting's #1 success factor is strong, accountable F&B leadership. Here's the record.
Relaunched three underperforming F&B outlets — steakhouse, rooftop bar, and bowling lounge. Rebuilt the teams, refreshed the menus, and established new operational systems for each. Three distinct service cultures under one roof. The rooftop became the city's social anchor. F&B became the hotel's strongest community asset. $200K in auxiliary F&B spend from the community relaunch alone.
Rebuilt the three-meal casual dining restaurant and cocktail lounge. Launched a sold-out murder mystery dinner at 40% profit margins — 100 guests in costume, blue uplighting, period cocktails, and a fully produced theatrical experience. Orchestrated the hotel's first Culinary Olympics — teams competing across prep stations with chef judges. Grew banquet revenue $300K.
The Opportunity
Hotel Ivy has the location, the historic landmark, and the only Forbes Recommended designation in the city. These are four engines mapped to the property — each proven at comparable luxury and lifestyle properties I've operated.
Monthly programming built around Breva, Masa & Agave, Bar Edera, the Anda Spa & Fitness retreat, the Penthouse, and the Twin Cities calendar. Group-rate Penthouse private dinner series. Anda Spa & Sip wellness-meets-cocktails activations across Breva and Masa & Agave. Tied to Minnesota Orchestra, Minneapolis Convention Center, Target Center, and U.S. Bank Stadium event nights. Every activation compounds — at properties I've operated, this system generated $1M+ in activation-driven revenue.
Twin Cities locals are the foundation of any boutique hotel that wants to matter. Programs that turn Minneapolis residents into Breva regulars, Masa & Agave Friday night fixtures, and Anda Spa members. First-look invitations to seasonal menus, priority Penthouse access, focus groups that shape what the hotel becomes. They fill Bar Edera on Tuesdays. They bring out-of-town guests to Hotel Ivy. They defend the property because they feel like it's theirs.
Curated packages that bundle Hotel Ivy with the Twin Cities — Anda Spa retreats, Minneapolis Institute of Art access, Walker Art Center membership perks, Minnesota Orchestra concert weekends, Vikings/Wild/Twins game-day experiences. Corporate retreat packages that use the Penthouse as a private boardroom. Wedding suites that turn the historic tower into the city's most distinctive ceremony venue. The Forbes designation, the Anda Spa standard, the Penthouse — differentiators no other hotel in Minneapolis can match.
Every activation feeds a direct booking machine. Targeted campaigns tied to monthly themes. Social content built around the Penthouse, Anda Spa, Breva, Masa & Agave, and Bar Edera — the assets that distinguish Hotel Ivy from every other downtown Minneapolis property. At properties I've operated, this system generated hundreds of thousands in direct booking revenue. For a Forbes-recommended property in a Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem, owning the direct channel and the social narrative is the fastest path to margin improvement.
The Programming
This is how I'd program Hotel Ivy. Twelve months, each built around Breva, Masa & Agave, Bar Edera, Anda Spa & Fitness, the Penthouse, and the Twin Cities calendar. Every theme ties a tentpole event, outlet activations, a rooms package, a local partner, and a team recognition moment. Nothing exists in isolation. Each month feeds the next.
Vibe: Wellness anchors the year. "The Reset" zero-proof cocktail menu at Bar Edera for Dry January. "Anda Reset" 30-day spa membership push tied to room packages. "Penthouse Power Hour" CEO breakfast series for downtown corporate accounts. North Loop locals get first crack.
Vibe: Forbes luxury at its most romantic. "The Ivy Suite Experience" — Penthouse turndown packages with Anda Spa couples treatments. "Tequila & Roses" tasting flights at Masa & Agave. "Bar Edera at Midnight" reservation-only Valentine's lounge series. Wedding leads multiply for spring/summer pipeline.
Vibe: Honor the historic Ivy Tower. "Art Deco Heritage" lobby installations partnered with Mia and the Walker. "Architect's Hour" guided tower tours for Minneapolis preservation society members. "Spring Forward Spa" daylight-savings sleep retreat package at Anda. Live jazz returns to Bar Edera every Friday.
Vibe: Twin Cities thaws. "Spring at the Ivy" rooftop reopens with seasonal Breva menu launch. "First Sip Fridays" Masa & Agave agave-spirits series partnering with local mezcalerias. "Anda in Bloom" botanical facial month. Spring wedding tastings every Saturday.
Vibe: Peak gifting and group occasion month. "Mother's Day at Anda" full spa-and-brunch package selling out by April. "Memorial Day at the Penthouse" private-buyout BBQ for corporate clients. Twins home opener weekend packages. Graduation suites for U of M and St. Thomas families.
Vibe: Twin Cities Pride is one of the biggest in the country. Hotel Ivy as Pride Weekend headquarters — brunch at Breva, late-night at Masa & Agave, Anda Spa Pride packages. "Solstice in the Suites" longest-day sunset programming. Father's Day spa-and-steak gift packages.
Vibe: Peak summer travel. "Independence at the Ivy" patriotic Penthouse packages. "Frozen at Masa" agave slushy program at Masa & Agave. Aquatennial weekend partnerships. "Skyway Cool Down" lobby pop-ups during heat waves. Convention Center group business peaks.
Vibe: Minnesota Fringe Festival overlaps with peak group. Hotel Ivy as official Fringe lodging partner. "Anda Recovery Week" post-festival wellness recovery packages. Vikings preseason home opener. Twins September push begins. Convention Center hosts back-to-back medical and tech conferences.
Vibe: State Fair finale, fall menus launch. "Harvest at Breva" Minnesota-grown ingredient series with Twin Cities chef partnerships. Vikings home schedule begins — "Game Day at the Penthouse" private buyouts. "Anda Autumn" warm-stone treatment menu launches. Wedding season peaks.
Vibe: Lean into the Art Deco history. "The Ivy Murder Mystery" — full theatrical dinner in the Penthouse, period costume, scripted experience (proven 40% margin format from Hotel Julien). "Masa After Dark" Day of the Dead programming. "Anda Halloween" candle-lit treatment evenings. Costume-mandatory rooftop closing party.
Vibe: Holiday programming opens. "Friendsgiving at Breva" private buyout packages. "Drinksgiving at Bar Edera" the biggest Wednesday of the year. Holiday Lights packages tied to Holidazzle. "Anda Gift Guide" launches for spa retail. Corporate holiday party RFPs close.
Vibe: Holiday peak. "Glow at the Ivy" lobby holiday installation tied to the historic tower. "12 Nights at Breva" curated chef tasting series. New Year's Eve in the Penthouse — reservation-only, the most exclusive ticket in Minneapolis. Anda Spa "Reset Resolution" pre-sell drives January memberships.
The System
Signature monthly event
Breva, Masa & Agave, Bar Edera, Anda Spa
Themed package or add-on
Local collaboration
Content moment
Team recognition
In Production Now
This isn't theoretical. Right now I'm executing a year-long programming calendar at Hotel Julien Dubuque built on the same system outlined above.
When the nation's semiquincentennial presented a once-in-250-years opportunity, I didn't wait for a directive. I built a full-year programming calendar — twelve themed months, each anchored by a community partnership and supported by dozens of activations across F&B, events, and guest experience.
The result: a dozen new community partnerships forged in a single year, dozens of new activations that didn't exist before, and a property that went from hosting events to being the cultural anchor of its city.
The Execution
Four consecutive months from the America 250 campaign at Hotel Julien Dubuque. Room promos, daily F&B specials, tentpole events, spa tie-ins, recurring series — every month a complete system, not a single event.
February: Love & Freedom
March: Prohibition & Progress
April: Art & Music
May: Heroes of Service
Proof of Work
In 2024, I took the helm at Hotel Julien Dubuque — Iowa's oldest hotel — while simultaneously retained as a strategic consultant for a $250M portfolio across four properties: The Warrior, Hotel St. Louis, Hotel Blackhawk, and The Current Iowa.
The Team: Transitioned from day-to-day operations to coaching General Managers across the portfolio, serving as a liaison between ownership and staff, building the culture infrastructure that would sustain without me in the building.
The Guest: 22 precinct-wide activations designed to manufacture demand rather than capture it — experiences that gave guests a reason to come back before they'd left.
The Friction: Bridged the gap between ownership and operations across 900,000 sq ft of combined real estate — finalizing budgets, protecting partnerships, clearing the path for four leadership teams to execute.
The Asset: 6% TRevPAR increase across the consulting portfolio. Simultaneously drove Hotel Julien to “Business of the Year” status.
The Warrior Hotel was a restored icon — Marriott's Autograph Collection, stunning architecture. The opportunity was to turn it into a benchmark.
The Team: Every department aligned around one shared goal. Culture and performance moved together — not as competing priorities, but as the same thing.
The Guest: Guest satisfaction rose 20 points. Recovery programs transformed feedback into loyalty. Guests didn't just return — they advocated.
The Friction: Labor forecasting tied to occupancy. Menu engineering balancing quality with cost. Systems that let people do their best work without fighting the operation.
The Asset: RevPAR lifted 25%. RGI increased 19.6%. Named Top Hotel in Iowa by U.S. News & World Report — 2024 and 2025.
The Warrior Hotel reopened in 2020 — mid-pandemic — and spent two years without a community identity. No local following. No neighborhood connection. When I arrived as AGM in 2022, the building was beautiful. The relationship with its city was nonexistent.
The Team: Gave the team ownership of the relaunch. Every department hosted their own ribbon cutting — spa, restaurant, rooftop bar. The team became the face of the property.
The Guest: We didn't ask how do we get guests? We asked how do we become part of this place? Six weeks of community events turned opening weekend into opening season.
The Friction: Removed every barrier to community access. No gatekeeping, no VIP-only events. Open doors. Free tours. The hotel belonged to the city before it belonged to travelers.
The Asset: 2,000+ people walked through the property in six weeks. Five local press stories. City council began hosting delegations. Community buy-in became the foundation for every dollar that came after.
Activations compound when they're systematic. Not a wine dinner here, a holiday party there — a tiered calendar where each event feeds the next.
The Team: Gave the team creative ownership over their signature events. When housekeeping designs the holiday party and the bar team creates the cocktail series, they're invested in the outcome — not executing someone else's idea.
The Guest: Three tiers: signature series (weekly recurring), tentpole moments (monthly), and anchor events (seasonal). Guests returned not because we asked them to — but because they knew what was coming next.
The Friction: Built repeatable systems — templates, vendor relationships, marketing cadences — so every activation didn't have to be reinvented. The system ran itself.
The Asset: $1M+ in activation-driven revenue from 2022–present. Shifted perception from we're here if you need us to you need to be here for this.
Hospitality's retention crisis isn't about pay. It's about meaning. People leave because they don't feel seen, don't see a future, and don't believe their work matters.
The Team: Built the crucible. Multi-layered recognition — monthly, weekly, daily. Career pathing infrastructure. High-potential identification. Mentorship tracks. An environment where people fall in love with the challenge of becoming who they're capable of being.
The Guest: Stable teams mean consistent service. Consistency is what high-net-worth guests notice first — and it's the thing that can't be faked.
The Friction: Removed the obstacles that make people leave — unclear expectations, invisible growth paths, leaders who don't listen. Poured into the cup so the cup could pour into the guest.
The Asset: 40+ associates mentored to management. 24% leadership retention increase. Engagement scores jumped 27 points.
How I Lead
I operationalize a culture of belonging through a process I call the 3Ts — Trajectory, Tools, Tangibles. They're how every associate, guest, and community partner experiences Hotel Ivy as something distinct.
Every associate knows where the property is headed as a whole, what their specific role is in that direction, and our commitment to their personal elevation. The Anda therapist, the Breva server, the front desk lead — each one understands how their work connects to Hotel Ivy holding and growing the only Forbes Recommended designation in Minneapolis. 40+ associates mentored into management. 24% leadership retention increase.
Forbes-level training. Real systems. Real authority. Every associate gets what they need to deliver consistently — and the trust to make the call when a guest needs it. That's the difference between hospitality that performs and hospitality that holds. Hilton Tapestry properties opened 10 points above brand average from day one. NPS up 9 points at Hotel Julien in six months.
To associates: HEI Loves operating in practice — real benefits, real recognition, real growth (engagement up 27 points at Hotel Julien). To guests: Forbes-Recommended service across Anda, Breva, Masa & Agave, Bar Edera, and the Penthouse. To community: Hotel Ivy as the gathering place of downtown Minneapolis. 2025 Chamber Business of the Year. AAA Four Diamond. #1 Hotel in Iowa, U.S. News & World Report.
Trajectory sets the destination. Tools make excellence achievable. Tangibles are what people actually receive — to each other, to our guests, to the communities we serve. That's how Forbes Recommended becomes muscle memory.
Lead with Heart
Award-winning teams don't happen by accident. They happen when leaders invest in the employee experience with the same bespoke intention they bring to the guest experience. People who feel genuinely developed, challenged, and valued don't just deliver luxury — they embody it.
Every team member keeps a structured gratitude journal — a daily practice that shifts mindset from task completion to ownership and purpose. It sounds simple. It's transformative. Teams that practice gratitude operate with more patience, more empathy, and more resilience under pressure. The guest feels the difference even if they can't name it.
A structured mentorship program built on curriculum that mirrors high-end MBA programs — leadership development, financial literacy, strategic thinking, and communication. Every associate has a development pathway that extends beyond their current role. The message: we're not just investing in your performance here. We're investing in who you're becoming.
No two team members get the same development plan because no two people have the same ambitions. Individualized growth tracks designed around each person's goals, strengths, and areas of opportunity.
