David T. Smith has been named general manager of the Hilton Cancun Beach & Golf Resort in Mexico, effective immediately. Smith most recently served as resident manager for both the 1,600-room Hilton New Orleans Riverside and the 317-room Hilton New Orleans Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana, a position held since 1996.

A 16-year veteran in the hospitality industry, Smith`s career began in 1987 at the 1,576-room Hilton Anaheim in Southern California in which he was the operations analyst and later, as the director of front office operations, where he initiated and implemented innovative satellite approaches to group arrivals and spearheaded the property management system development with the corporate office. From 1994 - 1996, Smith joined the 3,642-room Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas in Nevada as the director of front office operations. In this role, he directed all operational and administrative activities of the front desk and reservations departments, and successfully achieved consecutive annual occupancies exceeding 92%. In 1996, he became the executive assistant manager for the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in Louisiana, and was later promoted to resident manager. When the Hilton New Orleans Airport and the Hilton New Orleans Airport streamlined operations, Smith assumed responsibility for the management of two corporate owned full service hotels. While serving as resident manager, aggregate annual revenues for both hotels totaled more than $125 million with a total workforce of 1,400.
Smith graduated cum laude from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and holds a bachelor of arts degree in social sciences with a minor in business studies.

The 426-room Hilton Cancun Beach & Golf Resort is situated on more than 150 acres on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and mirrors the splendor of ancient Mayan architecture surrounded by sparkling white beaches and the clear Caribbean Sea. The resort is located at Retorno Lacandones Km 17, Zona Hotelera, Cancun, Quintana Roo, 77500 Mexico; phone: 52 998-881-8000; fax: 52 998-881-8080. For more information or to make reservations, contact Hilton Reservations Worldwide Mexico at 01-800-003-1400 or call Hilton Cancun at 1-888-594-2483 or visit www.hiltoncancun.com.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises approximately 2,100 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world`s best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton?’, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Company® and Homewood Suites by Hilton®. For more information on the Hilton Family of Hotels, visit www.hiltonworldwide.com.

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