Serenity is one of the perks of covering the night audit shift at Hyatt Centric Mountain View, where it’s generally peaceful after hours. On one decidedly not quiet night, a guest suffered a near-fatal medical emergency. Now recovered, he credits Grace Morales’ calm response and quick action with saving his life. Full Story
A hotel is only as good as the people who work in it, but recruitment and retention remain persistent, industry-wide challenges. Building a pipeline of talent is, therefore, just as critical as building a pipeline of projects — and two OTO properties are helping to make that happen. Full Story
His job in high school, mostly manual labor, provided more than folding money for a teenage Virgo Hughey — it gave him a solid work ethic that still pays dividends today. Motivated early on to make an impact wherever he goes, Hughey is now an up-and-coming leader at AC Hotel South San Francisco. Full Story
Wisdom always wins the day. Sometimes it earns industry recognition, too! Jodie Kuchta — OTO’s Senior Regional Director of Sales — has been honored among Hotel Management’s 2025 class of Forty Over 40. The magazine celebrates hospitality’s most exceptional leaders, aged 40 and up, whose well-earned experience shapes our industry while serving as an inspiration to the next generation. Full Story
Anthony Mattern, general manager of Hampton Inn & Suites Camarillo, has been honored among the California Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2024 class of Hotel All Stars. Exemplifying the best of Golden State hospitality, this dynamic young leader was recognized for strong performance metrics, a dedicated pursuit of excellence, and a proven commitment to customer service. Full Story
After serving as a Morse code analyst in the United States Air Force, Sharon Thompson notes that military experience easily translates to the private sector. Indeed, this 10-year Veteran uses many of the skills she mastered in the Armed Services in her civilian career at OTO. Full Story
When a little girl’s favorite pastime is creating her own math problems, there’s a high probability she’ll grow up to be a CPA. And that’s exactly what Crystal Mitchell did. Today, she puts her love of numbers to work as OTO’s assistant controller. Full Story
She joined OTO Development as an operations intern and immediately stood out as a future leader. Today, as Director of Sales at AC Hotel Spartanburg, Sarah Keim has been honored among Hotel Management’s 2024 Thirty Under 30, a list that showcases our industry’s preeminent rising stars. Full Story
Rob Rain, previously the President of the Industrial Division at Johnson Development Associates, has joined OTO Development as Chief Executive Officer. He is carrying on the legacy of OTO’s former CEOs: the late Corry Oakes, who led the company for its first 18 years, and Todd Turner, who recently retired. Full Story
Trotting the globe as a child led Maria Maksimova directly to her career path today. She loved staying in hotels with her well-traveled family and always dreamed she’d spend her career in them, too. Full Story
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