La Torretta Hires Director of Catering & Conference Services
Patti Culwell Joins La Torretta Del Lago & Spa® As Director Of CateringIng & Conference Services
Posted: Sep 16, 2009
Press Contact: Stuart Rosenberg/Liz Overbeck
Studio Communications
713-524-2800
stuartr@studiocommunications.net
liz@studiocommunications.net
MONTGOMERY, TX – September 2009 – Patti Culwell brings nearly 20 years of experience in conference operations to her new role as director of catering & conference services at La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa®. Located an hour north of downtown Houston, the luxury destination property, which debuted in spring 2009, represents a $130-million, ground-up renovation and expansion of the former Del Lago Resort. Culwell also brings a great familiarity to the property and the region to her position. She served Del Lago Resort for 11 years, initially as the director of conference services, and later, as director of conference center operations.
Prior to joining La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa, which now features 445 luxury guestrooms and a dedicated, 70,000-square-foot lakeside conference and events center, she acted as in independent consultant, providing meeting management services to clients such as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Benchmark Hospitality, HEI Hotels & Resorts, Kiva Consulting, KP Partners LLP and Marriott. In this capacity, she planed and executed over 60 programs annually – personally handling site selection and the negotiation of million-dollar contracts – ranging in size from 50 to 2,500 people.
From 2000 until 2006, Culwell was employed by Benchmark Hospitality as the lead staff support for their conference services division, working as a liaison, trainer and coach. In this role, she provided conference services direction to more than 21 properties, conducting annual on-site property audits and assessments of the conference service operation, in addition to training and transitioning new teams joining Benchmark Hospitality’s portfolio. Culwell was also responsible for several “firsts” for the company, including a global incentive plan and training program for conference planning managers and a quarterly newsletter.
Culwell began her hospitality career as a conference planning manager for Lakeway Resort and Spa, a full-service 258–room resort and conference center in Austin, TX. She holds a BS in Hotel Management from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX and maintains numerous professional affiliations, including Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), where she served on the annual conference planning committee, and the Greater Conroe Lake Conroe Chamber. Culwell is also a former board member of the Del Lago Homeowners’ Association.
About La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa®
Designed in an international modern style, La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa® is situated approximately 40 minutes north of George Bush Intercontinental Airport and one hour north of downtown Houston. Property highlights include 445 guest accommodations encompassing tower suites, golf cottages and lake villas, 70,000 square feet of meeting and event space, 17,000-square-foot spa, 10,000-square-foot fitness center with racquetball, tennis center with five tennis courts, 300-slip marina, championship golf course, 18-hole miniature course and 3.5-acre Aqua Park with sandy beach plus six swimming and activity pools, including the Lay-Z River™ Rapids. La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa is located at 600 La Torretta Boulevard in Montgomery, TX. For additional information, please call 936-448-4400 or log onto http://www.latorrettadellagoresortandspa.com.
About French Quarter Hospitality
With nearly a century of combined achievement in the hospitality and financial arenas, the principals of French Quarter Hospitality, LLC bring international experience, innovative solutions and a hands-on approach to hotel management. Since its inception in 1993, the organization has been instrumental in raising the asset value of a diverse portfolio of properties around the country through a range of services that include asset management, centralized accounting, re-branding, recruitment/training, construction/renovation, marketing and e-commerce. For more information, log onto http://www.frenchquarterhospitality.com.
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