Marriott and Hilton appear to be neck-and-neck in the race to expand their footprints and loyalty programs. But if you look at the more important metric of fees earned for services they provided hotel owners, you’ll see Marriott far ahead.
01.05.2024 - 18:57 / travelweekly.com / Cooper / Omni Hotels
Hospitality titan Simon Cooper, whose prolific career encompassed leadership roles at Ritz-Carlton, Delta Hotels and Omni Hotels, died on April 24 following a battle with leukemia.
Hailing from England, Cooper began his hospitality career when he immigrated to Canada in 1972, joining the ranks of Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts.
His career path included tenures as president and COO of Delta Hotels and Resorts as well as executive vice president of Omni Hotels USA before he joined Marriott International in 1998, taking on the role of president for Marriott Lodging Canada.
In 2001, Cooper took the reins as president and COO of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Under his leadership, Ritz-Carlton embarked on an aggressive expansion, introducing offshoots Ritz-Carlton Residences and Ritz-Carlton Destination Club.
In 2010, Cooper was tapped by Marriott to serve as the group’s president and managing director for Marriott Asia Pacific. He took the lead in driving Marriott's operations and expansion across the Asia Pacific region, managing a portfolio of more than 170 properties and 70 hotels undergoing construction spanning the Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard and Marriott Executive Apartments brands.
In 2015, Cooper established the Simon Cooper & Associates hospitality consultancy, serving as the group’s principal.
Cooper is survived by his wife, Marcelle; his children Winkie, Susannah and Jason; their spouses Eric, Tony and Erin; and his grandchildren Cole, Zachary, Benjamin and Evan.
Marriott and Hilton appear to be neck-and-neck in the race to expand their footprints and loyalty programs. But if you look at the more important metric of fees earned for services they provided hotel owners, you’ll see Marriott far ahead.
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