Mike Ryan
Mike Ryan came on board as the Westin Resort’s new general manager a little over a month ago, and already he’s wishing he could stay in Love City forever.
Ryan was no stranger to the Westin, and to the Caribbean, prior to assuming his current role. As the regional director of Six Sigma, a quality improvement process implemented by Westin’s parent company, Starwood, he visited the Westin several times a year, along with other Starwood properties throughout the Caribbean, from 2001-2007.
“I had somebody ask me the other day how long I’d be here for, and I felt like saying ‘forever,’” said Ryan. “I thoroughly enjoy it.”Ryan brings with him 27 years of experience with Starwood. He got his first taste of the hospitality business during college.
“I went to school in Jensen Beach, Florida where I studied marine biology, aquaculture and environmental technology,” said Ryan.
“I waited tables while I was going to school, and I ended up staying in the hospitality business.”
The new general manager came to the Westin from Atlanta, where he worked for the last 10 years as senior director of operations for Starwood’s franchise group covering the southern region, which encompasses Baton Rouge, Louisiana, down to Florida and the Caribbean.
Ryan has also worked at the Sheraton Chicago, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Sheraton New Orleans and PGA National Resort and Spa in West Palm Beach, among others.
Visitors’ love for St. John has already made an impression on Ryan, he explained.
“It’s great working with customers, talking with them during their stay, and listening to them as they’re headed back say how much they’re going to miss it here,” said Ryan. “It’s a beautiful location.”
As for what changes he may bring about during his tenure as Westin’s GM, Ryan was unsure.
“There’s nothing I could put on the radar screen quite yet, as it obviously takes me a little while to get settled in,” he said. “The focus is always on the customer. Satisfaction is our number one priority and will continue to be as we move forward.”
