General Manager · Lexington, KY · Jan 2024–Feb 2026

The Manchester Lexington

124 rooms · 2 F&B outlets · 10K sq ft event space · $14M revenue

NPS 2025
70+
TripAdvisor
#48 → #5
Event revenue added
+$1M
Recognition
MICHELIN Key 2025
The situation

I joined The Manchester in January 2024, in the first year of operation. The property had real promise — a luxury independent in a market that rewards authenticity — but the operational infrastructure was not built to sustain it. Revenue management, accounting, and valet were all outsourced, creating gaps in visibility, cost control, and the arrival experience. My mandate was to build the infrastructure, culture, and market position that would turn a promising opening into a recognized luxury brand.

What I built

I replaced outsourced revenue management, accounting, and valet with in-house leadership and platforms across the board — bringing financial reporting, rate strategy, and guest-facing operations under direct management. Sharper decisions, cleaner financials, and a meaningfully better arrival experience followed.

I corrected a spend culture through education and empowerment: implementing accrual accounting, departmental checkbooks, and giving every department head real ownership of their numbers. We built a robust events calendar to drive awareness and top-line performance, implemented guest satisfaction standards, and hit 70+ NPS in 2025.

We solved the seasonal decline of the rooftop outlet by conceptualizing, designing, and executing the lift of a 1977 Airstream onto the terrace — creating a unique private dining experience that extended the season and generated genuine press. No outside consultant. Just a problem that needed a creative solution.

In December 2024, we acquired additional event space that contributed $1M to top-line revenue in its first full year. I also converted a third-party managed extended stay property within the owner’s portfolio to in-house management — demonstrating the model was scalable beyond The Manchester.

Recognition
MICHELIN Key 2025 TripAdvisor #5 Lexington 70+ NPS 2025