PHOENIX – Hilton Worldwide today announced the appointment of Sheila Foley to the position of general manager of the 740-guestroom, iconic, Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. Dubbed “The Jewel of the Desert,” this luxury property opened in 1929 and was inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. To this day, the Arizona Biltmore remains a favorite destination among U.S. presidents, titans and celebrities. The resort is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation of guest rooms and suites, meeting spaces, ballrooms and pre-function areas. Foley will oversee the day-to-day operations of this historic resort and will report directly to Hilton Worldwide Area Vice President, Ben Fusco.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Sheila to the Arizona Biltmore as general manager,” said Fusco. “Her energy, inspiring customer-centric culture along with proven owner relations and operations experience in the luxury resorts arena makes her a great fit for this landmark resort. I am confident under Sheila’s leadership, the Arizona Biltmore will continue the time-honored tradition of providing best-in-class luxury service,” Fusco added.
Foley joins the Hilton Worldwide family from Marriott hotels and resorts where she served as the general manager of JW Marriott Houston for the past six years. During her time there, she has been instrumental in developing a new service culture propelling the property and its team members to one of the highest performing assets in the system. Additionally, under Foley’s leadership, she improved guest experience scores and led the development of new property-level recognition programs for Marriott’s silver, gold and platinum-level loyalty program guests.
Prior to this, Foley was the general manager of Scottsdale Marriott Suites – Old Town and director of sales and marketing at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, in Phoenix, Ariz. Earlier in her career, she also held key positions at The Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Hyatt and Loews.
