Grace Duncan Email & Phone Number

Miami Beach, Fl, Us

Miami, Florida, United States

United States

• Manage sales and marketing strategies to re- position lovely boutique hotel.• Grow market penetration into various market segments with strong focus on securing group base, FIT Leisure clients and corporate transient business.• Improve deployment of team to maximize direct selling opportunities. Secure marketing partners in wellness segment.• Cultivate local engagement via social media and digital marketing for the hotel and restaurant.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area

• Launched consulting company focusing on sales strategy implementation and technology solutions for independent hotel brands. Provided task force sales and revenue support for hotels, including project with Mondrian South Beach as Task Force Group Sales Manager.• Conducted Sales Training for Main Street Hospitality. Developed customized sales program to build more sales knowledge and skills for inexperienced sales team, giving trainees tools for closing deals and strategies that resulted in more sales.

Miami Beach, Fl

• Developed Sales and Marketing plan to successfully launch new independent boutique hotel with 250 guest rooms and 2509 square feet of meeting space with re-branded boutique lifestyle collection.• Identified key partners in hotel distribution to create brand awareness and gain market share.• Secured 4 Diamond rating from AAA and $1.4M in group Sales for first year.• Achieved 91% REVPAR for first year of opening and 103% by 2nd full year of operation. • Exceeded revenue expectations despite market condition due to Zika. Prior to Zika, captured guaranteed revenue contract for $1M for 2 years, which minimized impact from Zika.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area

• Exceeded sales revenue, ADR and REVPAR budget during tenure for hotel with 110 rooms and 700 square foot of indoor meeting space.• Ensured hotel adhered to budget for first time and generated $50K revenue in first year and $7.2M revenue in second year.• Increased Catering revenues for F&B by securing special events. Resulted in $30K revenue first year and $50K second year.• Bolstered Spa revenues by finding new market distribution. Secured contract for UK based spa wellness site. Collaborated with Spa Director to design package that met needs of travelers.• Re-deployed team to effectively maximize sales penetration in market place.• Developed new accounts and increased market share.

New York, Ny

• Re-deployed group and Conference Service team of 16 to achieve revenue goals and improve performance of Region. Included 4 Conference Service, 3 Catering, 5 Sales Managers, and 4 Coordinators. Exceeded team goal by $250K.• Collaborated with Revenue Management corporate team to place appropriate group in best-suited property for 4 hotels in NYC: Hudson, Morgans, Royalton, and Mondrian New York (pre-opening).• Guided and held team in place through turnover and transition of Morgans Hotel Group Executive team.• Built stronger Group Sales, Conference and Catering team to achieve market segment goals.• Hired highly skilled team members to support company goals.• Undertook new market FIT/Wholesale to support needs of 4 hotels.

• Opened new property at Lower East Side for upcoming boutique hotel brand in NYC. • Built corporate base for hotel by securing 40 corporate accounts (in fashion, production and entertainment) and booking group business. Developed new accounts and increased SMERF market gaining occupancy, especially on weekends.

• Prepared hotel for pre-opening in San Diego and later in Wall Street. Project stalled due to market crash.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area

• Spearheaded Advertising, Financial, Pharmaceutical, Retail, and Fashion accounts for both transient and group business while serving as New York based Regional Manager selling Delano and Shore Club.• Increased business by 25 % by adding new corporate accounts and engaging existing group accounts. Resulted in addition of new wing for meeting space at Shore club to accommodate growing demand for space and availability.• Directed pre-sale projects instrumental for launch of new Mondrian South Beach hotel.

Princeton, Nj

• Drove Northeast handling NYC, Philadelphia, and Toronto for site later acquired by Priceline that underwent restructure.• Collaborated with Revenue Managers to recruit hotels and oversee participation of 3000 hotels to power Orbitz.

New York, Ny

• Recruited from Los Angeles property to handle 65 corporate business travel accounts for Northeast and Consortia. • Grew corporate base by 30 accounts and increased rate for corporate segment including entertainment market.

Beverly Hills, Ca

• Recruited back for rebranding of Nikko Beverly Hills to Meridien hotels. Utilized location in New York to solicit new accounts and partnered with Meridien sales team. Generated $150K in group business during month-long stay in New York.• Managed all aspects of accounts in following industries: Legal, Pharmaceutical, Consulting, Fashion, and Retail for transient and group business. Added new advertising accounts such as Omnicom WPB and others.• Maintained existing corporate and group business under new rebranded property.