Tourism still reigns king when it comes to important industry in Southwest Florida.So who gets entrusted with keeping experiences magical for the tourists coming to the region? We speak with general managers for some of our top destination hotels.

LESLIE POWER OF HOTEL INDIGO. PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

Leslie Power
Hotel Indigo | Rooms: 95
Room Rates*: from $120

Visitors at the Hotel Indigo Sarasota can rest assured at the quality of the stay. Intercontinental Hotel Groups for the fifth year in a row just named the property as the No. 1 Indigo in the world, and also called out Leslie Power among the ‘Best of the Best’ managers in the hospitality network. An experienced executive with groups like the Davidson Hotel Company, she credits her success here to the freedom within IHG to bring a local flavor to every hotel bearing that nautilus shell logo. “The Indigo is a perfect model for the Sarasota Community,” she says. “It has so much in terms of the arts, beaches, tourism and a corporate component.” Those murals of the Sarasota Opera House on the hotel wall do more than bring a color scheme; they create a sense of place. Most of all, though, Power credits her staff with making every stay at the Indigo a joy. “The No. 1 asset is the team of people. From the interviewing process on, we are working with their strengths and complementing their weaknesses.”

DAMIEN O'RIORDAN OF THE RITZ-CARLTON, SARASOTA.

Damien O’Riordan
Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota | Rooms: 266
Room Rates*: From $309

From the moment Damien O’Riordan started two years ago as the general manager for the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, a long-time transformation was in the works. Just in the past four-and-a-half months, the completed vision has been on display at the lush resort hotel. “We really wanted to reimagine the property and capture a sense of Sarasota,” he says. From the incorporation of the history of Gulf Gate and the reimagining of the flora-and-fauna color palette, the 266-room resort feels more like a luxury celebration of the land of Ringling. He notes the resort is many faceted, including a popular golf club with local membership, an exclusive beachfront property on Lido Key and, of course, the main property on Tamiami Trail, all of which had to feel connected in design despite being disconnected physically. Of course, O’Riordan has fallen in love with the community along the way. An Irish transplant who has worked at Ritz properties around the world, he has now settled his family into a new home here. “I’ll stay as long as you keep me,” he says. “I’d like to stay here for a very long time.

BRUCE MCDONALD OF THE HYATT REGENCY, SARASOTA

Bruce McDonald
Hyatt Regency Sarasota | Rooms: 294
Room Rates*: From $110

After more than a quarter century working for Hyatt, Bruce McDonald felt prepared for the post when he was named general manager of the Hyatt Regency Sarasota in 2012. During his time here, he has worked to amp up recreational facilities to ensure guests enjoy everything that should come with a waterfront vacation on the Florida coast. This is McDonald’s fourth stint as GM of a Hyatt; he’s also led operations at Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, Hyatt Boston Harbor and the Hyatt Regency in Rochester, New York, so the man knows his brand. That’s what teaches him to listen first to the customers. Based on feedback from Regency guests, he has expanded beyond just outstanding pool facilities to now offer paddleboats, kayaks, bikes and paddleboards for guests. “This now allows them to spend valuable time with family and friends and enjoy some of the great water venues that Sarasota is known for,” he says. “We quite often hear stories where guests see a manatee for the first time or the dolphins jumping in the Bay.”