Legacy 2017 Miami: Top Black Educators Issue | Page 14

14BB
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
By Cristin Wilson
MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
Hampton Inn Opens in Midtown with Plans to Engage Miami Community
“When you have
a Hilton product, you
want to make sure that
its quality is up to par,”
Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Midtown executive team: Wesner St. Vil, general manager;
Opal Gibson, director of sales.
It’s 7:30 a.m. and Wesner St. Vil is already
in front of his computer. The first thing he
does on this morning, like every morning, is
check his hotel room vacancies. As the
general manager of the Hampton Inn &
Suites Miami Midtown, he has to have a
handle on the numbers in order to run a
successful opera�on.
“When you have a Hilton product, you
want to make sure that its quality is up to
par,” said St. Vil, who has worked in the
hospitality industry for almost three
decades.
At the helm of a property with such a
well-respected brand, he knows he has an
opportunity to make a difference. And he
intends to do just that.
“I no�ced I needed to make an impact in
the community while mee�ng the
ownership’s financial interests or objec�ves,”
said St. Vil, who is already looking for ways to
carve out their niche from newly-built hotel,
located on 3450 Biscayne Blvd.
So far, the hotel has contributed to a
silent auc�on held by the Hai�an Heritage
Museum to support Hai�’s arts and
innova�on efforts. The small impoverished
island na�on has a big popula�on of Hai�ans
living in South Florida. It’s where St. Vil hails
from. Addi�onally, he said he’s looking
forward to mee�ng face-to-face with young
people in the community and le�ng them
know about the benefits of working in the
hospitality industry.
“If they were born in the country where I
can do it, they can do it,” he said.
Opal Gibson is on the hotel’s execu�ve
team as the director of sales. She said her
day at the Hampton Inn brings another
rewarding opportunity.
“Every day is unique as I get to interact
with clients a lot,” said Gibson.
Like St. Vil, Gibson also has goals when it
comes to giving back to the community.
With a hotel property located in the arts
district, she’s currently organizing a program
which would allow local ar�sts to showcase
their works at the hotel.
St. Vil and Gibson both feel that their new
roles will allow them to have a posi�ve
impact on the community they’re serving.
“I think this property gives me more
leverage to contribute to the community
needs,” said St. Vil.
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