South Florida’s The Boca Raton, has appointed three luxury hospitality leaders in newly created positions designed to enhance the member and guest journey.
In this new phase for the brand, Lori Kiel joins as Chief Commercial Officer, Allison O’Connor as Vice President of Hospitality Experience, and Corinne Heyl is promoted to Vice President of Hotel Operations overseeing all Harborside hotels. The evolution of The Boca Raton, aimed at ushering in an entirely new perspective on travel and solidifying its position as one of the world’s most preeminent luxury resorts and private clubs, began in 2021 with the transformation of Harborside. In their respective roles, Kiel, O’Connor, and Heyl will energetically spearhead the resort’s initiatives to elevate the member and guest experience – All at a particularly momentous time as the property looks toward the reopening of a fully reimagined Beach Club in early 2025 following a $100 million investment.
Lori Kiel, Chief Commercial Officer
With more than 30 years of hospitality experience and a passion for commercial strategy, Kiel joins The Boca Raton to lead the sales, revenue, and marketing teams into new levels of commercial optimisation. Most recently, Keil spent 15 years at Kessler Collection—a portfolio of passionately created and artistically inspired boutique hotels—where her role as Chief Commercial Officer gave her incomparable luxury experience to synergise The Boca Raton under one strategy and goal while increasing profits. Her strong background in brand positioning, financial acumen, commercial strategy, analysis, leadership, and technology makes her a dynamic asset to the executive team.
Allison O’Connor, Vice President of Hospitality Experience
A seasoned hospitality leader with a successful track record in global communications and strategy development, O’Connor joins The Boca Raton in a newly developed role where she will ensure a flawless experience for guests and Club members with what she describes as a “focus on feeling.” O’Connor will tap into her more than three decades of invaluable experience to craft and execute a meaningful hospitality philosophy with strategies to enhance every touchpoint across the property. A past board member of the International Luxury Hotel Association, O’Connor spent 21 years at Marriott International including 17 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, growing the brands footprint globally and helping conceive Ritz-Carlton Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Corinne Heyl, Vice President of Hotel Operations
A luxury hotelier, Heyl joined The Boca Raton in 2021 as general manager of the adults-only, lakefront Yacht Club hotel. Shortly after, she was named general manager of the all-suite Tower in 2022 following a $65 million transformation that included the introduction of the Tower Suite Collection. With her keen luxury mindset and oversight of the Guest Experience team, Heyl now leads operations for all Harborside hotels: Yacht Club, Tower, Cloister, and Bungalows. Previously, Heyl spent over a decade managing high-end boutique hotels within Relais & Châteaux, a collection of gourmet restaurants, resorts, and villas.
Daniel A. Hostettler, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Boca Raton, said: “As we continue to enhance The Boca Raton’s reputation for exceptional experiences, we are committed to taking a fresh approach to leadership – one that sets new standards in the luxury hospitality industry. These three inspiring executives are pivotal as we build upon our rich legacy and look towards achieving our mission of 25 Forbes Stars by 2025.”
