McKibbon Hospitality announced its chosen leadership team for the upcoming Hotel Arras. Asheville native David McCartney will serve as GM of the hotel, and local Marie Dalis-Brown will be the property's market director of sales. Hotel Arras is McKibbon Hospitality's first independent, boutique hotel, and will open in early 2019.
As GM, McCartney will oversee all aspects of operations for Hotel Arras. McCartney joined McKibbon Hospitality more than five years ago as the GM of the Aloft Asheville Downtown. He is actively involved in the local community, serving on the Asheville Downtown Association's board of directors, Explore Asheville's Tourism Product Development Fund committee and as secretary of Homeward Bound's board of directors.
Serving as market director of sales, Dalis-Brown handled the overall sales strategies for McKibbon Hospitality's AC Hotel Asheville Downtown and Aloft Asheville Downtown for the past two years. She will now also oversee the sales strategy for Hotel Arras, where she will implement experience from her background in hotel sales at The Kessler Collection, Kimpton's The Brice Hotel and Marriott International. Marie also previously worked for McKibbon Hospitality for more than six years as market director of sales in Savannah, Ga.
“There are no two people more equipped to lead the Hotel Arras operations and sales efforts than David and Marie,” Karl Oates, VP of lifestyle hotels for McKibbon Hospitality, said in a statement. “They have both achieved tremendous success in the Asheville market and will be an integral part of bringing Hotel Arras to life. We look forward to seeing their contributions to this exciting project.”
Hotel Arras is being co-developed by McKibbon Hospitality chairman John McKibbon and Glenn W. Wilcox Sr., chairman of Tower Associates. The hotel will consist of 128 guestrooms and 10 suites with full kitchens, all featuring modern mountain décor and work from local artists. Local art will also be found throughout the hotel's public spaces with 15-20 artists being featured in total. Two independent restaurants by local chef and restaurateur Peter Pollay of Mandara Hospitality Group will be located on the first floor, designed to be a gathering place for Asheville visitors and locals. Above the hotel will be 54 luxury condominiums, the Arras Residences, offering city and mountain views. In total, the project will bring approximately 175 jobs to Asheville.