During a training period to learn about hotel operations, Chris Kenney found himself working with the overnight team on meeting room set-ups. Every chair placement, every detail was about making the space work, the experience perfect. In the echoing quiet of the hotel at night, he learned a powerful lesson. “I saw a commitment to the guest experience. While they never saw a client or guests, they impacted their experience through their hard work.”
As Kenney worked his way through various positions, he realized that the personal engagement with team members and guests gave him an energy and enjoyment that ignited a lifelong passion. That passion has inspired him to pay it forward by helping colleagues develop their individual careers and help them be the best they can be.
Kenney started his career as a director of sales and marketing at Hyatt Hotels in Denver and later accepted a position as the vice president of a hospitality-focused advertising and public relations agency. He was offered the chance to return to hotels in Scottsdale as the director of sales and marketing at DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort. In 1999, he was called to join Destination Hotels as a regional director of sales and marketing. Kenney worked his way up at Destination Hotels and was later appointed senior vice president of sales and marketing when the company became Two Roads Hospitality in 2016. Kenney joined the CoralTree team to help mold the new company as senior vice president of sales and marketing.
Travel is Good for Your Soul
Kenney believes travel builds understanding and appreciation of other cultures. He sees Travel is Good for Your Soul as a way to impact the lives of others and does so by being an avid volunteer in the community. He enjoys having these new travel experiences with his family, such as a recent trip to New York City in which their meals, sightseeing and mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral created lasting memories.
