• Home:
• News:
• Embassy Suites by Hilton:

Embassy Suites Oklahoma City Celebrates Topping Out & Appoints Leadership

By: Embassy Suites by Hilton |  10 Shares     163 Reads

Upscale, All Suites Hotel Scheduled for Early 2015 Opening

June 17, 2014 // Franchising.com // MCLEAN, Va. - Embassy Suites Hotels, the upscale, all-suites hotel brand, announced today the "topping out" of Embassy Suites Oklahoma City, signifying that the project has reached its maximum height and the structural framework is complete. Managed by Prism Hotels & Resorts, the 195-suite, six-story hotel is being built at 741 N. Phillips Avenue, near downtown Oklahoma City. Construction began in July 2013 and the hotel is scheduled to open by early 2015. In addition to its topping out, the property has also announced the hotel's management team.

"We're pleased to partner once again with Prism Hotels to bring another great Embassy Suites property to Oklahoma City, adding to Prism's portfolio of more than 20 Hilton Worldwide properties," said John Rogers, global head of Embassy Suites Hotels. "We are excited to see the project reach this construction milestone and look forward to when the hotel opens its doors under the leadership of Jim Wheeler and Tasha Houck early next year."

Embassy Suites Oklahoma City and Prism Hotels have also recently confirmed Jim Wheeler as hotel general manager and Tasha Houck as director of sales. In addition to his role as general manager of the Embassy Suites Oklahoma City, Wheeler will continue to serve in a regional operations capacity for Prism Hotels and Resorts. He has accumulated nearly two decades of regional hotel management experience over the course of a diverse and successful career that includes ten years with Red Lion Hotels overseeing a number of property and regional assignments in both operations and accounting. Prior to joining Prism, Wheeler was the vice president of operations for Southern Hospitality in Oklahoma City, where he worked for more than eleven years. During this tenure, he supervised as many as fifteen hotels, including properties under the Hilton, Starwood, and IHG Brands. Wheeler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Washington State University in Pullman, Wash and holds a CPA certification in the state of Washington.

Tasha Houck has been in the hospitality industry since 2004 and attributes her success to both keeping up with industry trends and continually developing her skills through education and training. Her almost 10 years of experience in the service industry provides the expertise needed to support clients and guests from all industry types. During her career, Houck has held a variety of management positions in catering and convention sales for several Oklahoma City hotels, including the Skirvin Hilton, Sheraton Oklahoma City and the Embassy Suites in Norman. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Central Oklahoma, obtained Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 2011 and MEMC Certification in Meetings Management (MEMC) in 2007.

"We are well on the road to bringing another Embassy Suites hotel to the Oklahoma City region that will offer the convenient and unique features that the brand's loyal guests know and love," said Wheeler. "We look forward to providing a superior lodging option for business and leisure travelers who visit the area and to supporting the local community with this addition. We are also happy to be sharing a backyard with the renowned University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center."

Embassy Suites Oklahoma City is being constructed in the brand's Design Option III style. The innovative and flexible design features a variety of side-by-side suites, shotgun suites and one-room suites in addition to a contemporary atrium area. The design decreases the amount of land needed and creates efficiencies for both construction and operational costs. These features also further enhance the guest experience, as there is a great sense of space and more natural light in guest rooms and public areas such as the atrium.

Embassy Suites Oklahoma City will feature all of the signature amenities standard at any Embassy Suites hotel, including free cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, a two-hour complimentary Evening Reception* with snacks and beverages and two-room suites with a separate living area, private bedroom, two flat-screen high-definition televisions and wet bar fitted with a microwave, mini-fridge and coffee maker. The hotel also will house more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space and will offer complimentary, 24-hour fitness and business centers. Embassy Suites Oklahoma City is expected to employ approximately 53 team members upon completion.

The hotel is owned by Partners Bob Howard, Mickey Clagg and Chris Fleming as well as the Presbyterian Health Foundation and the University Hospitals Trust.

For more information on Embassy Suites Hotels, please visit embassysuites.com. For development queries, please visit hiltonworldwide.com/development.

About Prism Hotels & Resorts

As an award winning full service hotel management, investment, and advisory services company, Dallas-based Prism Hotels & Resorts has developed a reputation for operational excellence by increasing hotel performance and delivering measurable results. With 30 years of experience, Prism leverages top industry talent to produce a best-in-class experience that extends from the front desk to the bottom line. Prism currently manages more than 30 hotels for multiple institutional and private owners including urban, suburban and resort destinations. The company has expertise managing all major brands as well as independent destination hotels. For more information, please visit www.prismhotels.com.

About Embassy Suites Hotels

Embassy Suites Hotels, one of Hilton Worldwide's ten market-leading brands, is dedicated to delivering what matters most to travelers. The full service, upscale brand offers every guest a two-room suite, free cooked-to-order breakfast and a nightly two-hour reception with complimentary drinks* and snacks. Both leisure and business travelers looking for a relaxed, yet sophisticated, experience will feel right at home with brand-standard amenities like inviting atriums and complimentary 24-hour business and fitness centers. Embassy Suites Hotels has more than 215 hotels with more than 25 in the pipeline. For more information, visit www.embassysuites.com, and connect with Embassy Suites at www.embassysuitesmediacenter.com, www.facebook.com/embassysuiteshotels and www.twitter.com/EmbassySuites.

*Service of alcohol subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age.

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 95 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company's portfolio of eleven world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,100 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 685,000 rooms in 92 countries and territories, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®.

SOURCE Hilton Worldwide

Contacts:

Jamie Rubinstein
Emanate PR
+1 212 805 8076
Jamie.Rubinstein@emanatepr.com

Maggie Giddens
+1 703 883 5346
Maggie.Giddens@hilton.com

###

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus