David Cavallaro of Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Named 2009 General Manager of the Year by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

WINCESTER, Va., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials of Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a leading, Maryland-based hotel management and services company, today announced that David Cavallaro has been honored by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts with the upscale hotel chain's prestigious General Manager of the Year award for 2009.  Cavallaro is GM of The George Washington, A Wyndham Grand Hotel, in Winchester, Va.  

In addition, the property received the 2009 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Presidents RevPAR Performance Award, as well as the 2009 Expedia Insiders Select Award for ranking in the top 1 percent worldwide in guest satisfaction.

Under Cavallaro's leadership, The George Washington, A Wyndham Grand Hotel, increased year-over-year occupancy by 55 percent and improved RevPAR Marketshare Index by 250 percent.  The award was presented by John Green, senior vice president of operations for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, and Diane Barr, vice president of customer experience, at Wyndham Hotel Group's recent global conference in Las Vegas.

"David's commitment to the success of the George Washington is truly representative of excellent leadership," said Jeff Wagoner, president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.  "His ability to approach problems creatively, effectively lead his team and create lasting impressions on those around him makes him a great asset to the hotel.  I congratulate David on this tremendous achievement and thank him for his dedication to the Wyndham brand and the Winchester community."

"What makes the award even more impressive is that David and his team accomplished these results in less than nine months after our company took over management of  the property in mid-March," said Mike Marshall, president and CEO, Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc.  "Under his direction, the property is currently ranked among the top three worldwide in guest satisfaction within the Wyndham family of brands."

Located at 103 East Piccadilly Street, Winchester, Va., in the Shenandoah, The George Washington, A Wyndham Grand Hotel was fully restored in 2008.  The full-service hotel has 90 guest rooms and two onsite dining options, The Dancing Goat Restaurant and The Half Note Lounge.  The hotel offers a Roman-style swimming pool, nearly 7,400 square feet of flexible meeting and event space capable of accommodating up to 300 people, including a grand ballroom complete with original marble floors and mirrors.

"The secret to our success was to foster a deep sense of belonging in the community by reaching out to local groups and nonprofit organizations and helping them achieve their goals," Cavallaro said.  "As a result, they began to care about the success of the property.  It was the classic win-win situation."  

The new operator stepped up its marketing activities, repositioned the hotel in the marketplace and aggressively reached out to area businesses, as well as the leisure market.  Within six months, the property had become the favorite choice for weddings and other important family and social gatherings.  "There is not a nicer ballroom in the Shenandoah Valley," he noted.

The hotel is not resting on its past accomplishments.  Through the first eight months of 2010, the property enjoyed a 128 percent market share, is the number one hotel in the market in revenue per available room and remains in the top echelon ranking of both Expedia and Wyndham.  

About Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC and its affiliates, subsidiaries of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), offer upscale hotel and resort accommodations throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, China and the Caribbean. All Wyndham® hotels are either franchised by the company or managed by an affiliate or through a joint-venture partner. Additional information and reservations for all Wyndham hotels are available by calling (800) WYNDHAM -- (800) 996-3426 -- or visiting www.wyndham.com.

About Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Salisbury, Md.-based Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is celebrating 30 years as a hotel operating company.  It has special expertise in operating three- and four-star branded hotels and resorts, averaging 100 to 500 rooms, in urban and central business districts, as well as suburban/drive-to and resort locations.  In addition, the company has a proven track record managing independent resort and unique urban properties.  The company has managed a wide array of leading hotel brands, including Hilton, Starwood, InterContinental Hotel Group, Hyatt, Choice and Wyndham.  Additional information about Marshall Management may be found at the company's Web site: www.marshallhotels.com.

SOURCE Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc.