SPECIAL REPORT : HOTELIERS OF THE WORLD
He didn ’ t realize it initially , but Tom Hewitt was born into a hotel family . His maternal grandparents owned a 17-room inn in Vermont where his grandmother served all the meals in a common dining room . “ It was kind of in our family ,” Hewitt says of the hospitality business . “ But I wasn ’ t aware of that — certainly not when I was looking for a job to pay for tuition . When you look back now , you think , isn ’ t that ironic ?”
Free of irony is Hewitt ’ s pursuit of the tremendous success he achieved in the hotel industry , starting at a Sheraton reception desk during college in the 1960s and ascending through numerous general management positions at Sheraton Corp . as well as a role as president of its North American division , a period as president and chief operating officer at The Continental Companies and , finally , more than two decades at the helm of Interstate Hotels & Resorts , during which time he helped position the firm as a global third-party management company .
“ Tom is absolutely a class act in our business ,” notes Ted Knighton , Interstate ’ s current president and chief operating officer and a colleague and friend of Hewitt ’ s since the late 1990s . “ He ’ s really been a mentor to me .”
Hewitt ’ s vaunted position in the industry — evidenced by his honor as HOTELS 2012 Corporate Hotelier of the World — is hardly something he takes lightly , especially when he remembers his humble beginnings in the business . “ That kid could never have imagined what was ahead of him , could never have dreamt of such a wonderful career ,” he says . “ You really know you ’ re blessed when you can look back and see that your career surpassed your wildest dreams .”
Unexpected direction Hewitt is the product of a large New England family . The third of seven kids , he grew up on the campus of a private Catholic school where his father was on the faculty and where Hewitt attended . Even though he calls it “ a great atmosphere to grow up ,” Hewitt concedes he
Hewitt chats with Bill Marriott in Belgium in 2007 at the Marriott Ghent hotel ’ s grand opening . Hewitt says because it partners so closely with brands , Interstate must be sophisticated in all its operations .
hated school . “ I ’ m a ‘ C ’ guy ,” he says of his average grades . “ In any given semester , could have been a C-minus . I just didn ’ t like it .”
Hewitt enjoyed his friendships , however , and playing sports — varsity baseball and squash in high school — and earned admission to Bryant College in Rhode Island , where he majored in business administration with a secondary focus on accounting . “ I always wanted to be successful in business ,” Hewitt recalls . “ But at that point I didn ’ t know what business .”
Hewitt found direction in a somewhat unexpected place : the job he took to pay for school . Thanks to a friend ’ s connection , he landed a job at the reception desk at the local Sheraton Biltmore in Providence , Rhode Island , where he worked nights and weekends throughout his college career .
Just weeks after he graduated , Hewitt was drafted , in January 1968 . After becoming an officer in the U . S . Army , he commanded a unit in Greece for about two years — an assignment Hewitt says gave him tremendous leadership , interpersonal and management skills . “ The Army experience was very beneficial to my career ,” he notes .
Winding road That career began just a week after he got out of the Army , when he started as assistant general manager of the Sheraton Boston Hotel and Towers . Hewitt worked his way through a number of operations positions at Sheraton Corp . before serving as GM at several of Sheraton ’ s larger properties , and was even honored as the company ’ s General Manager of the Year .
“ General manager is the best job in the industry ,” Hewitt says . “ It ’ s very demanding . It ’ s also fascinating . One day you ’ re an engineer . The next day you ’ re a housekeeper . The next day you ’ re in food and beverage . It ’ s a bunch of different sub-industries and sub-disciplines all coming together , and you ’ re bringing it all forward .”
Hewitt concedes he might have been happy as a general manager for his entire career , but other opportunities arose — ultimately at Sheraton , the job as president of North America . “ I was very flattered and challenged ,” he recalls .
Following his time at Sheraton he was president and chief operating officer of The Continental Companies in Miami , which was sold in 1998 to Patriot American Hospitality ( later Wyndham ). In March 1999 , Hewitt received what he dubs a “ somewhat surprising ” call from Interstate Hotels Corp ., which became Interstate Hotels & Resorts after a 2002 merger with
20 HOTELS November 2012 www . hotelsmag . com