WAUWATOSA, Wis., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Linda OBrien has been named General Manager and Lori A. Fuhrmann has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for the new 198-room Crowne Plaza(R) Milwaukee-Wauwatosa prototype hotel, currently under construction and scheduled to open in Spring 2008. The stylish property — located at 10499 Innovation Drive in the Milwaukee County Research Park — is owned by New Berlin, Wisconsin-based KL Hotel, LLC and managed by Northbrook, Illinois-based Lane Hospitality, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
“As the developer of the first Crowne Plaza prototype hotel, we are excited to welcome these two fine hospitality professionals to our team,” said Bill DeForrest, President and CEO of Lane Hospitality. “Together, we enthusiastically look forward to meeting the needs of today’s travelers with a distinctive hotel experience and important lodging addition to the area’s choices for upscale corporate and leisure travelers.”
Linda OBrien, CHA, has spent the last 10 years in leadership roles in hotel operations and workforce development. Her expertise and experience run the gamut, from hospitality operations positions — General Manager, Food & Beverage Director, Director of Catering Sales, Rooms Division Manager and Banquet Cook for several hotels including the Waldorf Astoria in New York — to corporate human resources, development and training positions with IHG, its finance organization and the Crowne Plaza brand. She also held a management position with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).
OBrien earned degrees in Hotel Restaurant Management and Business Human Resource Management from the City and State Universities of New York, and has held her CHA certification for more than 10 years. She has served on numerous boards relating to tourism promotion and development, Chambers of Commerce, Rotary International and non-profit organizations, and has contributed to career development programs at local colleges, high schools and communities. OBrien resides in New Berlin, WI with her husband and daughter.
Lori Fuhrmann has 28 years of hospitality, sales and marketing experience, first on the meeting and incentive side and then on the hotel side since 2001. She previously served as Senior Sales Manager for the Four Points by Sheraton at the Milwaukee Airport. She was also Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Olympia Resort and Conference Center in Oconomowoc, WI and Director of Sales for the Country Springs Hotel ‘Water Park’ Conference Center in Waukesha, WI.
Fuhrmann is active in multiple communities, serving on Milwaukee Visitors Bureau Committees as well as the Oconomowoc area and Waukesha County Chambers of Commerce. She has won numerous awards for her community and industry accomplishments and is active in Meeting Planners International, Wisconsin Business Travel Association, Wisconsin Society of Association Executives, Society of Government Meeting Planners and Visit Milwaukee. Fuhrmann resides in Oconomowoc, WI with her husband and son.
As the first Crowne Plaza prototype, the new Crowne Plaza Milwaukee- Wauwatosa will allow guests to sleep well and work efficiently. Furniture, fixtures and equipment, designed for comfort and function, replicate the residential design found in today’s homes. Guestrooms will provide amenities including an interactive flat screen television with laptop plug-in; ergonomic chair and mobile workstation; task lighting; multiple convenient power sources, and free WIFI access throughout. The hotel will be 100% non-smoking and offer two unique Executive Floors with specialized amenities for both the woman traveler and corporate executive.
The hotel will also offer a full-service Conference Center with seven meeting rooms and the latest in flexible meeting and event space with complete banquet and catering services. It will include such features as natural light in all rooms; movable partitions/walls to create a variety of space; multi- zone, controllable lighting; ergonomic chairs; backlit projection screens, and WIFI access throughout. There will also be a 24-hour Business Center; upscale dining restaurant & lounge; indoor swimming pool and whirlpool; Fitness Center; Gift Shop; valet and laundry service; ATM, and complimentary shuttle service within a five-mile radius.
For information, contact 1-877-2-CROWNE (877-227-6963) or the hotel at 1-414-475-9500. Crowne Plaza Milwaukee-Wauwatosa is now accepting reservations for arrivals after April 1, 2008. For meetings and events, contact hotel sales at 1-414-475-9500 or lorif@crowneplazamilwaukee.com.
About Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is THE PLACE TO MEET. The ideal upscale hotel choice for small- to mid-sized business meetings, Crowne Plaza provides personalized service and one point of contact for hassle-free, successful meetings. In addition to superior meetings offerings, hotels provide quality fitness facilities, exceptional room accommodations, upscale dining and the ability for guests to earn Priority Club(R) Rewards points or airline miles on every stay.
With 37 million-plus members, Priority Club(R) Rewards is the first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program in the hotel industry. Winner of the 19th Annual Freddie Awards hotel loyalty “Program of the Year” and named “Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World” by Global Traveler, Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest ease of use of any hotel loyalty program. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG’s 3,800 hotels worldwide.
Crowne Plaza was recently recognized by Lodging Hospitality magazine as one of the industry’s top growing brands. As part of the IHG global portfolio, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has nearly 300 hotels in 51 countries, located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations. For reservations, visit www.crowneplaza.com or call 1-800-2CROWNE.
About Lane Hospitality
With regional offices in Chicago, IL, Houston, TX, and Newport News, VA, Lane Hospitality’s focus is on the guest. The company challenges its associates to strive for those service deliveries that will best enhance the overall guest experience. Throughout its 25-year history, Lane has consistently been recognized by such major industry publications as Hotel Business, Hotels and National Real Estate Investor as one of the nation’s top performing management and ownership companies. For information, visit www.lanehospitality.com.
Editors’ Notes:
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom (LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)) is one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,800 hotels and over 571,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(R), and manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 37 million members.
The company pioneered the travel industry’s first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG’s global corporate responsibility focus.
IHG offers information and online reservations for its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and Priority Club Rewards information at www.priorityclub.com. For IHG news, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Lane Hospitality
CONTACT: Ginny Morrison, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, Lane
Hospitality, +1-847-291-5718, gmorrison@lanehospitality.com
Web site: http://www.lanehospitality.com/
http://www.crowneplaza.com/
http://www.ihg.com/
