M&R Hotel Management today announced the appointment of Felix Maldonado as the general manager of the 250-room Hilton Garden Inn New York Times Square South, now under construction at 326 West 37th St. and scheduled to open in June. The hotel will be the first Hilton brand in M&R's 17-property managed portfolio. Maldonado, a 35-year hospitality industry veteran who has managed a variety of hotels in the greater New York market, will oversee the Hilton Garden Inn's operations, sales, marketing, security, maintenance, housekeeping and accounting. Maldonado joins M&R from Highgate Hotels, which he served from 2012 to 2015, first as general manager of the Hampton Inn Manhattan − Times Square North, then general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn New York/Times Square Central and finally general manager of the Renaissance New York Hotel 57. From 2003 to 2012, Maldonado was director of rooms and then director of front desk operations at the Loews Regency New York Hotel. He served Interstate Hotels & Resorts from 2002 to 2003, first as front office manager and then communications director at The Park Central Hotel New York. Earlier in his career, Maldonado served Manhattan East Suite Hotels (now Affinia Hospitality) from 1999 to 2001, serving as assistant front office manager at The Benjamin and then front office manager at the Beekman Tower Hotel, both in New York. During this period, he also worked weekends at The Garden City Hotel, New York, as a guest services manager. He began his hospitality career while still in college in 1982, working as a front desk agent at the Hotel Tudor, The Park Central (then part of Omni Hotels & Resorts) and the Omni Berkshire Place, all in New York. In 1988, he joined Le Parker Meridien in Manhattan full-time as assistant manager, leaving in 1990 to work in the garment, retail and commercial industries before returning to hospitality. Maldonado earned a bachelor's degree in physics at New York University. He is a certified fire safety director and member of the Hotel Association of New York City Inc. and its Sustainability committee. Fluent in English and Spanish, he has a working knowledge of French, Italian, Portuguese and German.
M&R Hotel Management is a top-performing hotel operator with an 18-year record of successful hotel operations that deliver a superior return on investment.