OTO Project Earns Hilton Garden Inn Brand Conversion of the Year Award

January 23, 2023 | Awards

OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, has earned top recognition from Hilton for an innovative renovation project in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

The Hilton Garden Inn Brand Conversion of the Year Award, presented during the Hilton Global Owners Conference, celebrates the creative conversion of a 1970s beachfront hotel into a beautiful new Hilton Garden Inn. This project exemplifies OTO’s proven ability to repurpose existing properties — via heavy-lift renovations, strategic rebranding and best-in-class operations — into fully transformed hotels designed to deliver an exceptional guest experience.

In this instance, OTO Development acquired a former Howard Johnson in a prime location on St. Pete Beach, a strong, year-round beach market that hasn’t seen a new-build hotel deliver on the sand in 30-plus years. The company made a significant investment to transform it physically and reopen as Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach with a Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar & Grill, OTO’s proprietary restaurant concept for beachfront properties.

Under the leadership of General Manager Kerrie Green, Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach is now only the second beachfront Hilton hotel in the market.

Development Manager Glenn Brown headed up this award-winning conversion project, which was originated by Vice President of Real Estate Stewart Heath.

OTO previously earned Hilton Brand Conversion of the Year awards for Hilton Garden Inn Annapolis Downtown (Maryland) in 2018 and Hampton Inn Key West (Florida) in 2019.

CAPTIONS:  OTO DEVELOPMENT’s award-winning conversion project in St. Pete Beach, Florida, was originated by Vice President of Real Estate Stewart Heath, left, and headed up by Development Manager Glenn Brown.

THE LEADERSHIP TEAM implementing a best-in-class operations strategy at Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach includes, from left, LaShunda Adams, housekeeping supervisor; Bryan Clawges, F&B director; Chris Walker, chief engineer; James Sheppard, kitchen manager/executive chef; Zach Cotter, operations manager; Harry Simmons, maintenance engineer; Kerri Green, general manager; Josh Jernigan, assistant general manager; Latrice McKinnon, front desk agent; Maria Maksimova, sales manager; and Seron Butler, houseman.