Pathfinder Hospitality, a hotel development firm and 3rd-party management company based in Austin TX, is excited to announce that they have officially added the Best Western Plus in Pflugerville, Texas to their growing portfolio of management contracts! This marks the 5th hotel managed by Pathfinder with the Aloft Austin Southwest slated to open in January 2022. Currently, Pathfinder Development manages the Residence Inn Austin Southwest, Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Austin Arboretum Area, Staybridge Suites Houston – Humble Beltway 8, Staybridge Suites Houston – Nasa/Clear Lake, and most recently Best Western Plus Pflugerville. Ashley Gaytan, who’s been with Pathfinder for over 3 years, has been promoted to General Manager and will manage the Best Western Plus Pflugerville.
In addition to portfolio growth, many exciting internal changes have happened with promotions and additions to the on & off-property teams across the board. These changes reflect the company’s strengths when it comes to recruiting and talent development. COVID-19 hit the hospitality industry hard, but Pathfinder Hospitality saw it as an opportunity to find ways to make positive experiences for team members and guests at each of their hotels.
Danielle Schneider, previously the Vice President, has been named Head of Business Development & Partnerships. Danielle has been with the company for 8 years and has previously worked in Operations & Sales at Marriott Bonvoy, IHG, Hilton, & Choice Hotels. Her passion for people has set an amazing standard when it comes to Platinum Service and her leadership has inspired the company’s culture and emphasis on talent development. Danielle’s new role has her focused on obtaining new assets and company expansion into other areas of hospitality such as Senior Living and Multi Family.
Blake Lindsay, previously the Revenue Manager, has been promoted to Director, Revenue Management & Business Development. Blake has been with Pathfinder Development for 10 years and recently added Business Development to his list of many successes with the company. Blake started as a front desk agent at Staybridge Suites Houston – Nasa/Clear Lake and worked his way up to eventually land in the Revenue Manager position. In Blake’s new role, he will oversee all Revenue Management and will be on the Business Development team assisting with any due diligence and sourcing potential deals and projects.
Mel Miller, previously the Marketing Manager, has been promoted to Director, Marketing & Business Development. Mel joined Pathfinder Development in May 2020 at the start of the pandemic as a contract hire and was brought on to the team full-time in June 2020. Mel comes to Pathfinder with a degree in Design | Media Arts from UCLA and 10 years of marketing experience in various industries such as entertainment and small businesses. In her new role, Mel will oversee all marketing efforts across the portfolio and will be on the Business Development team helping with all collateral and networking/relationship building.
Brian Monte, previously the General Manager at Staybridge Suites Houston – Humble Beltway 8, has been promoted to the Corporate team as the Director of Talent & Development. Brian has been with Pathfinder for almost 5 years and his journey with the company also started at the front desk. Brian’s passion for training, recruiting, and developing talent aligned with the company’s core values. A Harvard Law grad, Brian came to Pathfinder after leaving a successful career in law because he felt in his heart that hospitality was where he belonged and he has been an asset to the company ever since.
Mason Sisto, previously with Transwestern, joins the Pathfinder Hospitality team as a Senior Accountant. Mason started June 2021 and his role will center around overseeing all accounting for Pathfinder Development and each hotel. Mason brings a Finance degree from University of Houston and over 6 years of accounting experience at various companies and will be located in Houston, TX.
TJ Andrews joined Pathfinder Hospitality June 2021 as the General Manager of Staybridge Suites Houston – Humble Beltway 8 and as a Multi-Family expert to help Business Development break into that sector of hospitality. With over 12 years of hospitality and multi-family experience, TJ will oversee hotel operations at Staybridge Suites Humble and will strategize how the team will take their many years of hotel experience and translate into the multi-family sector.
Lerah Foreman, previously a front desk agent and sales coordinator at Residence Inn Austin Southwest, has been promoted to Marketing & Business Development Coordinator and will report directly to Mel Miller. Lerah has been with Pathfinder for almost 3 years and her passion for graphic design and marketing led her to join the corporate team to support Marketing and Business Development. Lerah will assist in all marketing efforts and will support Danielle and the Business Development team leading to more company growth. Lerah graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies.
Edgar Gonzalez, previously the Front Desk Manager at Residence Austin Southwest, will also be joining the off-property corporate team as a Junior HR Administrator & Accountant. Edgar has been with Pathfinder for almost 4 years and started as a Front Desk agent and has worked in every department, giving him a great base for this next step in his career.
This is an exciting time for growth for the Pathfinder Hospitality teams across the portfolio as there are many exciting opportunities in the pipeline. With over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Pathfinder Hospitality has left its mark in the state of Texas and is looking to go beyond state lines in the near future. Pathfinder Hospitality’s consistent results has led the company to be in the top percentages when it comes to RevPar and the portfolio has consistently performed beyond brand averages. The future is bright and Pathfinder looks forward to being part of this industry’s recovery.
Pathfinder Hospitality (Previously Pathfinder Development) was founded in 2005 and currently manages 5 hotels in Texas with a 6th in the works. These hotels include Residence Inn by Marriott in Southwest Austin, Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Austin Arboretum, Staybridge Suites in Humble/Houston, Staybridge Suites in NASA/Clearlake, Best Western Plus Pflugerville. Our 6th incoming hotel will be the Aloft in Southwest Austin.
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