A Family

My responsibility starts and ends with making a difference. Whether it’s ensuring our DKN culture and values permeate our entire organization or that we continue to grow and create, my work is to always move us in the direction of our vision. I started in Accounting and quickly decided that I did not like the career path I had chosen. Jumped ship, took the risk of managing family finances, and got into the hotel business by acquiring 2 hotels. Since 1984, we’ve bought, sold and developed 40+ hotels. And I firmly believe that we’ve gotten to this place because of our culture and our people.

With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I currently lead the Operations Team at DKN. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management and Tourism and an MBA with an emphasis in Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego.

I have a passion to develop team members, provide excellent customer service, and make every hotel financially successful. I’m a part of a team that sets goals and strategies for the hotels and has a true passion to bring the strengths of each person alive and with my role of leading the Support Center Leadership Team (which includes Operations, Sales & Marketing, Revenue Management, IT, HR, and Third Party Management) I am able to do what I love every day! My passion for hospitality and people have helped DKN Hotels gain recognition as a company that lives its culture and values and makes a positive difference in people’s lives.

I am the Controller here at DKN and am responsible for managing our finances. I received my Accounting degree in India and started by managing general accounts. Here, at DKN, I am able to manage this fund like it is my own and that trust is invaluable. As you’ve probably heard it a million times, we’re all family here.

Starting in the hotel Front Office while attending California State University of Dominguez Hills for a bachelor in Business Administration, I worked my way through the hotel industry in a variety of positions, including Front Office Manager, Assistant General Manager and General Manager in multiple hotels across several California markets. As General Manager, my proven financial results and entrepreneurial drive, propelled me to Regional Director of Revenue Management, supervising all Revenue Management and Distribution functions for a diverse group of hotels. // With more than 13 years in the hospitality industry under my belt, I now serve as the Director of Revenue Management for DKN Hotels. In this role, I have effectively merged my skillset with DKN’s profound culture and taken a holistic approach to growing the department and creating synergy with the Sales and Marketing departments.

You could call me the therapist, big sister, old wise one, tear wiper, policy officer, judge, rule maker, enforcer, peacekeeper, life of the party, cheerleader, watchdog, gatekeeper — or as most know it, the HR director. I started in HR in 2002, by happenstance! I was a supervisor in the tele-sales department of MBNA America and the HR admin had gone on maternity leave. The HR Director asked if I’d lend a hand, and it was a natural fit! I’ve been in HR in many fields, but I found my passion in Hospitality. Today, among the slew of HR responsibilities (which I’ll spare you), I also sit on our SCLT (Support Center Leadership Team), manage our onboarding process, and ensure that our DKN team members live by our culture and values.

What do you get when you combine creativity, critical thinking, analytical skills, a sharp focus on increased revenues and a notorious passion for writing and grammar? You get me! I am the DKN Hotels marketing megaphone. Almost a decade into my foray into the world of hospitality marketing, I can honestly say that my enthusiasm for the industry is boundless. I found my way into hotels by way of teaching (really!) and worked in the Revenue & Marketing Department of an independent hotel chain for seven years prior to coming on board at DKN Hotels. It’s my job to work closely with Sales and Revenue Management and use all available resources to amplify our brand messages and ensure they reach the appropriate audiences. I’m responsible for guiding the hotels in our portfolio to financial success through timely and effective marketing strategies backed by measurable results. The joy I derive from this job every day is the opportunity to build strong and solid relationships with my fellow team members as we work our way toward our shared goals. This means Teamwork is easily my favorite DKN Hotels value as there is nothing sweeter than finishing a project alongside people you truly value and respect.

The hospitality industry has always been my calling. After my first job at In N Out Burger while I was still in high school, I spent the first half of my career focused on Food & Beverage working in different capacities and various restaurants, bars and night clubs. In 2006, I made the leap to lodging as a Guest Service Agent and worked my way up through operations to where I am today. I joined the DKN Hotels family in 2013 and currently support the General Managers  of our properties on their own roads to success. I get so much joy out of helping to guide and mentor fellow team members in the progression of their hospitality careers as well as meeting interesting guests on property and being able to share in the experiences they are creating. My favorite story about DKN Hotels relates to our value of Teamwork. In the days just before the opening of SpringHill Suites Anaheim Maingate, we were working hard to finish final construction and get the hotel clean for guest arrivals. It was well after midnight as we were cleaning up boxes and trash in the hallways when I turned a corner to see our CEO, Kiran, along with members of the Housekeeping Team, carrying boxes of trash outside. To me, this one instance is the epitome of what Teamwork looks like at DKN Hotels. No matter your role or position, we all work together to get the job done. This is what makes the DKN Hotels culture so unique.

I would say at about 16 years old, I knew I liked the hospitality industry. And that never changed, but my attention turned once I started learning IT. I ended up here when I was looking for a change in companies. I came across that DKN job posting and couldn’t be more excited — I’d be able to continue my career in technology and also be involved in the hospitality world. Although I operate out of our Support Center, you can find me regularly at the job site, coordinating our low voltage subcontractor efforts, placing AV systems on our design drawings or developing DKN Pulse – a proprietary software that’s taking us to the next level, operationally.

I am currently in the Design & Construction department, where I work with design firms and brands to make sure we deliver the best possible product for our market. Before this, I was in a myriad of roles as I grew up in the hospitality industry. The most interesting and impactful roles I had were when I had the opportunity to fly to NZ and Australia to start our FIT program and when I was given the responsibility of starting our Accounting Department out of our Ramada Inn, way back when we had acquired our 5th property.

I’ve got a pretty neat objective here at DKN, creating greater efficiencies and minimizing risk within our design and construction department. With the help of the team, we’ve redesigned our systems and processes and leveraged technology to do it. Pretty standard stuff, but a pretty extraordinary team to do it with.

Aside from being a part of this mini-revolution, I also oversee our design and construction team as we work to make our vision, and the vision of our investors, a reality.

I have been with DKN for almost 2 years now and so far I am having FUN… a lot of work but FUN! I learned so much and gained friends managing and coordinating the procurement side of the Design and Construction Team for Renovations and New Hotel Projects. I have a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from the University of the Philippines and worked with restaurants back home. When I got here in the US, I was given opportunities to work in the Hospitality Industry starting from the Operations side, as a Front Desk Agent. I always look forward to learning new things and discovering my hidden talents.

I came to DKN Hotels 22 years ago with management experience in distribution and retail as well as owning and operating a retail business. Over the years I have had various roles within DKN Hotels, but my main focus has been in operations and construction. These roles have given me the opportunity to interact with various departments, vendors and team members, which I find to be one of the most rewarding parts of the job. It is because of this that I respect and value their contribution to overall success.

In 2014, I helped open up the Springhill Suites in Anaheim with DKN. A year after, I was offered a position at Support Center in general accounting, where I learned the ropes from Fred. Another year later, and I took over as Accounting Manager where I now oversee accounting for the properties, and am responsible for P&Ls being completed on a timely and accurate basis. My background is in business, where I received my bachelors from CSUF (I have been contemplating a masters…). One of the reasons I am a part of DKN is because of team work. There was a huge difference between when I helped open up a previous SpringHill Suites to when I opened up the one with DKN. It’s only with DKN that the owner of the company was there as well, helping out until late at night. We’re all equals on our team and we treat each other as family.

In my role as Accounts Payable, I get to make hotel GM’s and vendors happy, by getting accounts paid so they’re able to keep flowing with day to day needs. When I first started at DKN, we were a new team, and over the last year, we’ve created a synchronous, collaborative and trusting environment within our department. Aside from the day to day, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a couple of programs DKN has volunteered for — such as the Special Olympics torch run in Long Beach, where we were able to give back to a great cause.