Press Releases

Royal Palms Announces New General Manager, Stephen F. Benson

Phoenix, AZ – (March 2012) – Stephen F. Benson has been named General Manager of the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts.  Benson’s appointment was announced by DH&R’s Regional Vice President, Greg Miller, who will continue to have corporate oversight off the resort.   “Steve’s track record in managing high quality luxury properties is impressive- he shares our core values, is passionate about guest service, and is intensely committed to building strong healthy teams. We will also benefit from his previous experience here in this highly competitive resort community.” said Miller.

Benson joins the Royal Palms Resort & Spa from the Forbes Five Star/AAA Five Diamond rated Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, where he was General Manager since 2009.  In addition to being listed as #36 in Travel + Leisure’s Top 100 Hotels, U.S.  & Canada, for 2011, the resort reached the pinnacle as #1 on Travel + Leisure’s list for America’s Best Ski Hotels.  Prior to that, Benson was the Resort Manager at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North for three years, where he was responsible for all operations and oversaw a massive renovation of the guest rooms, public areas and the launch of the now highly- acclaimed restaurant, Talavera. Benson began his career as a CPA with Arthur Anderson & Co. and eventually transitioned to internal audit with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in 1992, where he was Assistant Controller at The Phoenician, followed by a year in the same position at its sister property, the Sheraton Crescent Hotel. Tapped as the opening Controller for the St. Regis Aspen Resort in 1997, Benson was honored to be named the property’s first ‘Manager of the Year’ in 2000.

Benson spent the following year as the resort’s Director of Six Sigma, an internationally recognized approach that enables associates to develop innovative customer-focused solutions and transfer those innovations rapidly across an organization.  He was soon promoted to Director of Rooms and was ultimately the Director of Operations through 2006. Benson is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, with a degree in Business Administration.   

About Royal Palms Resort and Spa
 
A member of Historic Hotels of America, Royal Palms Resort and Spa is a AAA Four Diamond resort located at the foot of majestic Camelback Mountain. Combining the graciousness and sophistication of a Mediterranean villa with the intimacy and privacy of a secluded retreat, Royal Palms offers: 119 custom-appointed guest rooms, intimate clusters of casitas and villas; regal Spanish Colonial architecture, antiques and stone fireplaces, and more than 20,000 square feet of estate-like meeting space on an oasis of regal luxury, boasting fragrant citrus trees, vibrant bougainvillea and colorfully tiered gardens.  Designed around the original historic private mansion, Royal Palms is home to the award-winning T. Cook’s restaurant, Forbes Four Star Alvadora Spa, a mother-of-pearl tiled swimming pool with private cabanas, and croquet lawn and has been heralded on the Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List since 2005. Just minutes from Scottsdale’s shopping, galleries, golf, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the Camelback financial corridor, Royal Palms is an ideal retreat for business, pleasure and special occasions, offering luxury, privacy and convenience.

For information visit: www.royalpalmsresortandspa.com
 
About Destination Hotels & Resorts

Destination Hotels & Resorts is a privately held hospitality management company headquartered in Colorado. With more than 35 independent, luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and golf clubs, Destination is the third largest hospitality management company in the country. The company’s portfolio features
more than 9,100 guest rooms, 16 golf courses and 16 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Seattle, Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Portland, Palm Springs, Palos Verdes, Maui and
Lake Tahoe. The company is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises.

For a complete list of properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com