BENCHMARK Appoints Jean Spaulding Director of Sales & Marketing for Villas of Grand Cypress
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Jean Spaulding director of sales & marketing for the Forbes Four Star-rated Villas of Grand Cypress, a Gemstone Collection property located in Orlando, Florida. Mark Cox, BENCHMARK's general manager at the resort, made the announcement.
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome Jean to Benchmark and to Villas of Grand Cypress,” said Mr. Cox. “She comes to us extremely qualified and with extraordinary leadership skills. Her connections within the industry will serve our resort well and we look forward to her active role in our senior leadership team.”
Jean Spaulding brings stellar experience to her new role at Villas of Grand Cypress. She most recently served as director of sales & marketing for the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
Ms. Spaulding has held senior executive roles with Omni Hotels and Resorts, Noble Investment Group, Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels, ITT Sheraton, Westin Hotels and Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels. This experience included positions with revenue and marketing responsibilities for owned and managed properties; as well as responsibilities for developing sales organizational programs, including sales recruitment, training, motivation, retention and incentive plan programs. Additionally, her experience includes destination marketing where she held positions as vice president of tourism marketing for the Greater Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau and vice president of convention sales for the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Jean Spaulding has previously been named a “Most Powerful Women in Travel” by Travel Agent Magazine and has been inducted into the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Hall of Fame. She has been an active member of HSMAI throughout her career, including serving in the position of president of the Washington DC Chapter. Spaulding has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, on the Customer Advisory Board for Newmarket International, and most recently on the Board of Directors of Experience Kissimmee, the destination marketing organization for Osceola County, Florida.
Ms. Spaulding attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk,Virginia. She resides in Orlando.
About Villas of Grand Cypress
A hidden oasis tucked away in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista neighborhood (adjacent to Walt Disney World®), Villas of Grand Cypress presents a Forbes Four Star, AAA Four Diamond experience unique to the area. Tree lined roads weave through this 1,500-acre retreat that offers 146 elegantly appointed guest suites and villas framing 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed golf. Accommodations at the Villas of Grand Cypress range from oversized suites to 2,800 square-foot four-bedroom villas, complete with full kitchens, living and dining areas, fireplaces, and extended patios for lounging and grilling. A strong emphasis on luxury service culture adds to a comprehensive roster of amenities that rival that of a large-scale resort: golf enthusiasts can perfect their swing with state-of-the-art learning technologies at the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf while non-golfers explore an abundance of other offerings, including on-site dining, in-room spa services, a swimming pool, bicycle rentals, fitness center, fishing, and access to the Grand Cypress Racquet Club, jogging and walking trails, and watersports on Lake Windsong. www.grandcypress.com
About Gemstone Collection
The Gemstone Collection includes distinctive hand-picked properties in spectacular and popular U.S. destinations coast to coast. Each upscale resort and hotel destination provides highly-personalized service and luxury reflective of the charm and unique character of the destination, while in keeping with the collection's shared mission and passion for excellence. A distinguished portfolio of BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, which has been a leading US-based hospitality management company for nearly 40 years, the Gemstone Collection is the preferred choice of guests who yearn for inspiring and transformative experiences, customization over conformity, stimulation over predictability, and adventure over routine. www.gemstonehotelcollection.com To become a fan on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/GemstoneHotelCollection, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GemstoneHotels, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/gemstonehotels, and on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/benchmarkhotels/gemstone-hotels
Media Contact:
Ken Ellens
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201-758-2864
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
