OUR TEAM
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RICHARD
LOU
Chief Executive Officer
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LIZ
MILLER
Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives
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GREG
PRESNOL
Vice President of Operations
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AMANDA
FRANK
Vice President of Sales
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DANIEL
LOU
Vice President of Construction & Development
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ALEXANDRA
STARR
Senior Director of Finance
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ROSANA
MARTINEZ
Director of Human Resources and Risk Management
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LAURIANE
BAMBOU
Revenue Program Director
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PAM
HILD
Senior Regional Director of Sales
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GARRETT
STRAWN
Regional Director of Sales
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JASON
ALLAN
Regional Director of Operations
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CHRIS
TORRES
Regional Director of Operations
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JUSTIN
RODGERS
Regional Director of Operations
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CIELO
MILLAN
Operations Excellence Lead
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Christi
Hanks
Operations Excellence Lead
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BENJAMIN
DE LA ROSA
Director of Accounting
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JULIO
GOMez
Lead Controller
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CARLOS
MORENO
Corporate Controller
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TIFFANY
VANDER MEULEN
Corporate Group Sales Manager
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BIANCA
GRIJALVA
Human Resource Generalist
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TAYLOR
BREEDLOVE
Human Resource Generalist
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MARIA
PINA
Corporate Staff Accountant
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KARREN
ALCANTARA
Operations Coordinator
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RICHARD LOU
Chief Executive Officer
Richard is the founder and CEO of Palette Hotels, directing the company’s development, operations, and investments through it’s senior leadership team. Prior to the acquisition of Palette Hotels, Richard led the LCRE Group, his family business that oversaw the development, investment, and asset management of seven hotels with 1,100 keys in four states. He has built four ground-up developments in New York City and has also led the residential property management and construction/procurement arms of LCRE Group.
As a trusted consultant for the hospitality and real estate industry, he has worked extensively with private equity groups, start ups, and high net worth individuals to create business plans and go-to-market strategies. Prior experience includes Kasa Living, Deloitte Consulting, Tishman Hotel & Realty, and Starwood Hotels. He is a graduate of the Hotel School at Cornell University and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. In his free time, Richard enjoys spending time with his daughter and traveling to new destinations with his family.
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JUSTIN SCARPA
Chief Operating Officer
Previously, Justin served as the Vice President of LCRE Group, maintaining a similar corporate profile. Prior to that, Justin had a 16-year tenure with Marriott International in a variety of senior management roles.
Justin is native to New York, and currently resides in New Jersey. In his free time, Justin and his wife love to travel the world with their three energetic children!
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LIZ MILLER
Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives
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GREG PRESNOL
Vice President of Operations
Responsible for overall Operational Company Performance, Greg’s ability to achieve results through his High Level of Financial Acumen and Direct Leadership with the company Field Team, he is able to deliver Financial Success to our stakeholders. This is achieved through his commitment to a Balanced, hands on approach with our Associates, Our Guests and our Stakeholders.
Greg previously served as Vice President of Operations for Aimbridge Hospitality for the past 9 years, where he oversaw a large portfolio of assets in excess of 300M in annual revenues. Prior to this, he had held several Multi Property General Manager roles with Marriott and Hilton brands.
Originally from New England, Greg currently resides in Atlanta with his wife. Their daughter, a recent graduate of DePaul University is currently pursuing her Masters in Global Sports Communication at NYU. They enjoy spending time together, traveling Globally and Cruising.
“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
– Richard Branson
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ASHISH KHULLAR
Vice President of Revenue Strategy
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PUNIT SHETH
Head of Business Development
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DANIEL LOU
Vice President of Construction & Development
Daniel oversees the company’s capital projects and developments. He leads a team of project managers that helps evaluate and execute capital plans, PIPs, renovations, and new developments. He also provides invaluable insight to ongoing repair and maintenance programs, helping to execute on each asset’s short and long term investment goals. Daniel has over 16 years of property management experience. Prior experiences includes Beacon Hospitality Partners, Moody’s Analytics, and Trinity Hotel Investors. He is a graduate of New York University.
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ALEXANDRA STARR
Senior Director of Finance
Alexandra lives in Pittsburgh and enjoys spending quality time with her teenage daughters (i.e., binge watching shows) and travelling with her husband around the country playing poker tournaments.
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CHRIS TORRES
Regional Director of Operations
Prior joining Palette Hotels Chris worked with White Lodging for a year and Aimbridge Hospitality for 16 years. Chris has received several awards from various brands and management companies ranging from sales team of the year & president awards for RevPAR performance.
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JUSTIN RODGERS
Regional Director of Operations
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PAM HILD
Senior Regional Director of Sales
Pamela leads with gratitude and humility working to inspire others through her actions. With a degree in Business Administration, Pamela’s professional journey has been marked by her expertise in, strategic planning, coaching and development, as well as sales, marketing, and revenue management.
Outside of work, Pamela enjoys spending time with friends and traveling, especially to destinations with beautiful beaches like Bora Bora and Fiji. She brings this same passion and enthusiasm for exploration into her work, continuously seeking opportunities to learn and share her knowledge.
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GARRETT STRAWN
Regional Director of Sales
Garrett is passionate about training and development, dedicating himself to empowering others and fostering growth within teams to reach their full potential.
Outside of work, Garrett enjoys spending time with his rescue dogs and seeking out unique hotel experiences during his travels.
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JASON ALLAN
Regional Director of Operations
In 2016, he joined Whitestone Hospitality as Regional Director of Operations, overseeing a portfolio of Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott hotels. Jason continued his career growth in 2022, joining Gibson Hotels in Knoxville, TN, as Regional Director of Operations and Development. There, he managed a portfolio of nine hotels, encompassing IHG, Marriott, and Hilton brands across both Full Service and Select Service categories. His contributions included supporting hotel openings, developing the company’s SOPs, and creating SOPs for the Sports Illustrated Brand.
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ROSANA MARTINEZ
Director of Human Resources and Risk Management
In her prior role, she was a Portfolio General Manager for Kasa, a tech-enabled hospitality company, where she oversaw the operations and asset management of a portfolio of properties across 10 states. Before that, she managed several co-living properties as the Director of Community at Starcity.
Rosana has a degree in Communications from California State University, Long Beach and is currently studying at USC Gould School of Law for a Master of Studies in Law.
In her free time she enjoys exploring her native Los Angeles and spending time with her family and friends.
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LUCY HERREN
Corporate Regional Director of Salesnt
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CIELO MILLAN
Operations Excellence Lead
With a focus on providing leadership, monitoring key performance metrics, and addressing operational challenges, Cielo strives to optimize efficiency and success across their portfolio.
Cielo studied Business Management and International Business in Cali, Colombia, and brings over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry. Throughout their career, Cielo has worked with brands such as Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Choice, and Wyndham, managing Full-Service, Extended Stay, and Select-Service hotels.
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BENJAMIN DE LA ROSA
Director of Accounting
With 8 years of experience in the hospitality industry & having worked in various roles for brands like IHG, Wyndham, Starwood, Marriott & Hilton, Benjamin has extensive knowledge of accounting procedures. At Palette Hotels Developments, Benjamin is responsible for the day to day and month end profit and loss statement activities of several hotels within the portfolio, as well as assisting the team during property transitions. He works closely with the properties to assure all their accounting needs are handled in a timely manner. His expertise lies in Budgets/Forecasting, Property Transitions, Cash Management, SOP compliance, Internal Audits and Tax Audits. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with an Actuarial Science Concentration from the University of Texas El Paso. Prior to joining Palette Hotels Developments, he was at HMC for five years as a Staff Accountant and Property Controller. In his free time, he likes to go shopping and play tennis.
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CARLOS MORENO
Corporate Controller
Beyond his professional achievements, Carlos enjoys a well-rounded personal life. He is an avid basketball player, an enthusiastic video game aficionado, and cherishes the time spent with his family. These interests not only provide a perfect balance to his demanding career but also contribute to his dynamic and engaging personality.
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KARREN ALCANTARA
Operations Coordinator
Karren’s genuine hospitality shines through in every interaction with owners, leaders, guests, and team members. Her unwavering commitment to exceptional service creates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all guests. Her contagious laughter never fails to put a smile on people’s faces.
Karren believes every new day brings boundless opportunities to learn, grow, and make meaningful connections.
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BIANCA GRIJALVA
Corporate Human Resource Generalist
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RICHARD LEE
Director of Growth
Having traversed the sides of both ownership and brand, he has been equipped with invaluable insights into the intricacies of asset management and the priorities that weigh heavily on the minds of hotel owners. He understands first hand the challenges and opportunities that come with entrusting one’s assets to management companies and is deeply committed to leveraging this perspective to drive impactful outcomes for our clients.
Richard is a native son of Southern California and is based in Los Angeles, but proudly calls himself a citizen of the world, having lived and worked in Singapore, London, Seoul, New York and San Francisco. He received his Master’s from the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and Bachelor’s from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.
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LAURIANE BAMBOU
Revenue Program Director
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TAYLOR BREEDLOVE
Corporate Human Resources Generalist
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TIFFANY VANDER MEULEN
Corporate Group Sales Manager
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AMANDA FRANK
Vice President of Sales
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Julio Gomez
Lead Controller
With a keen eye for financial strategy and operational efficiency, Julio Gomez ensures seamless financial management that supports business growth. He currently resides in Orlando, Florida.
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Christi Hanks
Operations Excellence Lead
Beyond her professional achievements, Christi prioritizes her core values and has strong sense of community. She cherishes time with her family, including her three adult children, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and three beloved grandchildren. Her greatest fulfillment comes from supporting her family’s successes and remaining actively involved in her grandchildren’s lives.