Jon Mathews has been appointed hotel manager of the Marriott Syracuse Downtown in Syracuse, N.Y. He joins the hotel, which made its Marriott debut last fall after a restoration and renovation, following an almost 20-year managerial career with Fairmont Raffles Hotel International.
“Jon’s impressive operations background, and his experience with historic hotels in particular, makes him ideally suited to manage Marriott Syracuse Downtown as one of the city’s most treasured landmarks reenters the market revitalized and poised for its most successful era yet,” Paul McNeil GM of the hotel, said in a statement.
Most recently, Mathews was director of operations of the Fairmont Olympic in Seattle. Overseeing a 450-room renovation, he served as acting GM for two months during the hotel’s transition, and was responsible for a staff of 400.
Mathews also served as director of operations at the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary, Alberta, from 2012 to 2015 and the Fairmont Pittsburgh from 2009 to 2012. For the latter, he oversaw the hotel’s opening and steered it to the top of its market, setting the foundation for the brand’s hotel of the year award in 2013.
Mathews’ shift to hotel operations followed 11 years on the food-and-beverage side of the business. He served as assistant director of F&B at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle in Aventura, Fla., from 2007 to 2009, and director of banquets at the Fairmont San Jose in California for two years prior. He launched his career with a progressive series of positions at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, rising to assistant director of banquets after managing two of the hotel’s restaurants in turn.
Over the course of his career, Mathews has been honored with Fairmont property, regional and company leader of the year awards.