As a Certified Hotel Administrator, Gilles Arditi has over twenty years of service in hospitality management. His analytical, problem-solving, and conceptual thinking skills have been demonstrated through his extensive experience. He is practiced in multi-property supervision with such brands as Starwood, Hilton, InterContinental, Marriott and Wyndham.
Arditi is also an authority on property repositioning, property take-over, budgeting, sales and marketing planning and implementation; business planning and implementation; managerial staff development, and new property management.
Prior to joining Southwind Hotels and Resorts, Mr. Arditi served as Regional Vice-President of Operations with Prism Hotels & Resorts.
He has also served as Director of Operations with Buffalo Lodging Associates and was Regional Manager/Director of Operations for Ocean Hospitalities, Inc., and Vice-President of Operations for Tidewater Hotels & Resorts.
Mr. Arditi attended the University of Miami and received his BA in Travel and Tourism from St. Thomas University. He is fluent in French, English and Spanish.
Chad Coldren's broad experience base ranges from regional sales, revenue management, accounting, and human resources to the management and implementation of capital projects involving due-diligence, acquisitions and renovations. He is a truly hands-on leader who prides himself on outstanding results.
Mr. Coldren is a Certified Hotel Administrator with extensive experience overseeing Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental and Choice Hotel Brands. He has also served as Receiver Representative with Ocean Hospitalities, Inc with multiple properties in New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Florida. His years of combined on-the-ground experience makes him an expert in hotel takeovers and hotel openings, as well as in the day-to-day operations of hospitality properties.
In recent years Mr. Coldren served as Multi-Unit Property Management Representative for Ocean Hospitalities, Inc. and Buffalo Lodging Associates, prior to opening his own management company to oversee a portfolio of hotels. Mr. Coldren also served as the Financial Chair for Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce for 2008-2009.
Dawn Thomas is a Revenue growth results driven Revenue Manager. Extensive revenue management experience in full, limited, and extended stay brands in various markets for over 20 years.
Major strengths include developing and implementing revenue strategies to maximize revpar and manipulating market segment mix to ensure the focus is on the most profitable revenue driving segments. Responsible for development, execution, and measurement of strategic and tactical yield and inventory management to maximize rooms revenue for multiple hotels via major distribution channels, including the GDS, Central and On-property reservations, Website, and Online Travel Agency internet sites. Instrumental in communicating and supporting the General Manager(s) and the Sales Team(s) of involved properties by providing pertinent information and tools to enhance the property sales and marketing efforts and decision making process.
Melody Pleasant brings nearly twenty years of hands-on experience in hotel management, marketing, and sales to Southwind Hospitality. After completing her education at the University of South Carolina in 1985, she joined the Marriott Corporation in Columbia, South Carolina as Sales Manger and later accepted a position as Senior Sales Manager with Embassy Suites Golf Resort in Greenville, South Carolina.
In 1998 Ms. Pleasant moved to Florida and accepted a position as Senior Sales Manager for Adam's Mark Hotels of Florida, based in Daytona Beach. Her duties included responsibility for State Association and Government Markets for multiple corporate properties. She consistently surpassed booking goals for Adam's Mark by 110%-125%, and also participated in pre-opening sales campaigns.
Ms. Pleasant then spent six years as Director of Sales for the Plaza Resort and Spa and the Plaza Ocean Club in Daytona Beach, where she was responsible for the sales and catering staff for both hotels, including 500 guest rooms and 40,000 square feet of meeting space. While at Plaza Resorts, she developed a new marketing plan that included the optimization of booking strategies, forecasting, and internet sales which increased revenue for both properties by 15%-20% annually. During this period, Pleasant also had the opportunity to work closely with the Convention and Visitors Bureau on special events and city-wide conventions, and became a board member of the CVB Meetings and Conventions committee.
Prior to joining Southwind Hospitality in 2009, Ms. Pleasant was Director of Sales for the Plantation Golf Resort and Spa in Crystal River, Florida for two years. Her responsibilities included not only the $5.6 million guest room revenue, but the golf, marina and spa revenues as well. She was in charge of all marketing and advertising efforts for the resort, and increased group rooms by 50% for 2008 and beyond.
Ms. Pleasant also excels at networking, has a comprehensive knowledge of the hotel market, and knows how to work effectively with others to develop a powerful sales team and successful marketing strategies.