Respected Caribbean hotelier Simón Suárez was named the 2017 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).
Suárez, vice-president of Institutional Relations and Projects of Grupo Puntacana in the Dominican Republic, received the coveted honoor at the opening of the third annual Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF), hosted by CHTA, in Miami.
Accepting the region’s premier hospitality award, Suárez, a former CHTA president, recognized his colleagues, friends and family, while reminding delegates in attendance to “embrace unity, diversity and ingenuity” in the Caribbean.
“Simón Suárez is a pioneer in Caribbean hospitality. He has played and continues to play a major role in the development and growth of Caribbean tourism, and we are indebted to him for all that he has done for his native Dominican Republic and the Caribbean,” said Frank Comito, director general and CEO of CHTA.
Suárez began his professional career in the Dominican Republic tourism industry at the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic in 1974. Since these early beginnings, he has served as the president of Occidental Hotels’ local operating company, Occidental Hoteles Dominicana, S. A.; executive vice-president of Coral Hotels & Resorts; president of the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Promotion Council; chief development representative – Central America and Caribbean for Hilton Hotels Corporation; and president of the Dominican Republic’s Hotel and Tourism Association.