PRESS RELEASE – 21c Museum Hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Gerry Link to the position of General Manager of 21c Museum Hotel in Cincinnati, opening in the fourth quarter of 2012. Link, a 25-year hospitality industry veteran, has experience with both branded luxury and independent boutique properties. In this role he will be responsible for overseeing all hotel operations, sales, and community and guest relations.
Link brings experience in all areas of hotel management to 21c Museum Hotels, including food and beverage, marketing, development, finance and sales. Most recently, Link was the General Manager for Pyramid Hotel Group in San Francisco. Pyramid operates a variety of properties in the Bay Area including The Claremont Resort and Spa and the Hilton Fisherman’s Wharf. Prior to that he was with Hilton for 13 years. During that time Link oversaw the pre-opening and opening of the Hilton Vancouver, Washington, a boutique style, full service hotel that has been continuously ranked in the top five of all Hilton branded properties for quality customer service. He also directed the hotel’s sustainability efforts, and under Link’s leadership, the property was named “Ecohotel of the Year” by Travel + Leisure magazine.
Link notes, “A great hotel is more than just lodging. It’s a destination for the guest, the community and team members to identify with in a positive and lasting manner. 21c’s role as a museum and cultural civic center makes it an incredibly unique and memorable destination, and I look forward to sharing that experience with our team, our guests and the community of Cincinnati.”
21c Museum Hotels President Craig Greenberg says, “Gerry’s focus on motivating teams, establishing a strong employee culture and delivering an authentic hospitality experience to the guest is an excellent fit with 21c’s philosophy. With his wide-ranging experience and dedication to delivering results, Gerry will play an integral role in the successful launch of 21c Cincinnati.”
About 21c Museum Hotel
21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati, opening in 2012, is a combination boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and restaurant modeled after the award-winning 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Building on its mission of engaging the public with contemporary art and supporting the revitalization of American downtowns, 21c Museum Hotels will renovate the former Metropole Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, restoring this architectural gem into a beautiful public space. The focal point of the 156 room property will be 8,000 square feet of exhibition, meeting and event space presenting rotating curated exhibitions, dynamic public art installations and exciting cultural programs. Exhibition space will be open to the public free of charge. The property will also feature a restaurant and bar serving modern cuisine that celebrates the region’s sustainable producers and culinary traditions. Guests and locals alike will enjoy a rooftop bar and spa with stunning views of downtown Cincinnati and the surrounding area. The design of the hotel preserves many of the Metropole’s original features, including a sweeping staircase leading to the second floor ballroom and the original mosaic floors. 21c will restore the Metropole building, recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, following federal standards for historic rehabilitation.
About 21c Museum Hotels
Founded in 2007, 21c Museum Hotels is a growing company that oversees the expansion and management of 21c Museum Hotel nationally. 21c Museum Hotel was founded in Louisville, Kentucky by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, preservationists and arts patrons, who had a vision for bringing art into people’s daily lives and supporting the revitalization of their hometown. The property combines a 90-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, award-winning restaurant, and cultural civic center in the heart of downtown Louisville. With 9,000 square feet of art-filled meeting and event space, 21c guests enjoy authentic Southern hospitality while exploring the work of contemporary artists in North America’s only museum dedicated solely to art of the 21st Century. Voted among the top 10 hotels in the world in 2009, 2010 and 2011 in the Condé Nast Traveler annual Readers’ Choice Awards, 21c Museum Hotel is redefining the art of hospitality. Due to the success of the Louisville property and with strong local partners who share the belief that art can be an economic driver for a community, 21c is expanding outside of Louisville. Hotels are under construction in Bentonville, AR and Cincinnati, OH and the company plans to develop 15 properties over the next five to ten years.
For press information contact:
Stephanie Greene
21c Museum Hotels
502.582.6300 x112
sgreene@21chotels.com
