Lori Keller moves to CEO/Launches Martin Hospitality Management Company

— Martin Resorts, one of the area’s top 20 employers, has announced that its board of directors has appointed Noreen Martin as Chairman of the Board and promoted Lori Keller to Chief Executive Officer. The move comes as Martin Resorts develops Martin Hospitality Management and looks to expand its hotel management services to other hotel owners.

During her tenure as CEO, Martin succeeded in building a highly respected collection of boutique hotels that specialize in enhancing the experience of its guests while giving back to the community and creating a culture where people thrive. In a county heavily dependent upon tourism, Martin has served as both the Board President of Visit San Luis Obispo County and served in key roles at the State level as a Commissioner of Visit California, including her current role as Chief Operations Officer. In addition to Noreen’s dedication within the tourism community, she has dedicated her time to many boards and organizations. The move to Martin Resorts Chairman role will enable Noreen to continue to be a highly valued part of the company throughout the transition and beyond.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with the most talented employees and senior leadership team in the industry, and I am proud to be able to hand-pick my successor,” said Martin.

“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Martin Resorts than Lori Keller. Lori is a proven leader with a lengthy hotel management resume and has the unique ability to bring people enthusiastically together. Lori’s vision is exactly what Martin Resorts needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded growth.”

Keller joined Martin Resorts in 2013, and has spearheaded major strategy shifts across the company’s portfolio, most notably rebranding their two Best Western PLUS hotels to successful independent hotels, Inn at the Cove and Shore Cliff Hotel and leading the teams’ move to becoming a full-service Hotel Management Company. The second year she was with the company, Keller was named Most Valuable Player, having successfully managed the company’s sales and marketing teams which outperformed the market and took share from competitors. Keller will lead the executive team, which includes COO Margaret Johnson, Director of Finance Joe Ruiz, Director of Human Resources Thomas Wood, and Director of Sales Sandy Wirick.

“Martin Resorts is one of those rare companies that truly believe in a vision and empower their people to pursue excellence. I couldn’t be more honored,” Keller said. “The opportunity ahead for Martin Hospitality Management is exciting and a big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to add value to our hotel partners quickly and reliably.”

For more information, please visit www.martinresorts.com.