Lotte Hotels & Resorts Names New CEO of Americas

Lotte Hotels & Resorts Names New CEO of Americas
Jim Petrus named CEO of Lotte Hotels & Resorts Americas
Avatar of Harry Johnson
Written by Harry Johnson

Lotte plans to open more than 20 hotels over the next 5 years, targeting key gateway cities, tech centers and resort destinations in the Americas.

  • Jim Petrus is a 30 plus year industry leader who has held senior roles in Blackstone/BRE Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Hyatt Hotels.
  • Lotte currently has 34 properties totaling 11,200 rooms with an additional 3 properties in the pipeline.
  • Petrus’ appointment builds upon the luxury South Korean brand’s commitment to creating unique and compelling experiences for guests in the Americas.

Lotte Hotels Corporation announced today that Jim Petrus has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Lotte Hotels and Resorts Americas, effective immediately.  Petrus is a 30 plus year industry leader who has held senior roles in Blackstone/BRE Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Hyatt Hotels.  Petrus’ appointment builds upon the luxury South Korean brand’s commitment to creating unique and compelling experiences for guests in the Americas.

Lotte Hotels & Resorts entered the North American market in 2015 with the acquisition of Manhattan’s iconic Lotte New York Palace hotel and further expanded its footprint in 2020 with the opening of Lotte Hotel Seattle. Lotte plans to open more than 20 hotels over the next 5 years, targeting key gateway cities, tech centers and resort destinations in the Americas.  Lotte currently has 34 properties totaling 11,200 rooms with an additional 3 properties in the pipeline.  Lotte Hotel brands include Signiel, their 6-star brand; L7, their lifestyle brand; and Lotte Hotels, their signature brand.

“Throughout Petrus’ illustrious career, he was instrumental in building the best culture and business strategy for all the brands he has touched. We are tremendously optimistic for all that Jim has to offer to Lotte Hotels & Resorts and we are thrilled to have him usher in the next generation of success for the brand in the America’s, said Mr. David Kim, Lotte Hotel Corporation President and CEO. “He understands our business, our company and our people, and I’m confident he is the right leader to drive our culture and business forward.”

Prior to joining Lotte Hotels & Resorts, Petrus was with Blackstone/BRE Hotels and Resorts where he was Senior Vice President of Asset Management- Hawaii Hotels and Resorts.  Petrus also held several key roles with Starwood Hotels and Resorts within the St. Regis brand including Global Brand Leader and Senior Vice President of Operations.  Prior, he held several senior level positions with Hyatt Hotels.  Throughout his career, Petrus has also held numerous civic and industry leadership roles. Petrus is a graduate of the hotel school at Michigan State University.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to take the helm of Lotte Hotels & Resorts in the Americas,” said Mr. Petrus. “I see so much potential for our Lotte Hotel brands, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring awareness of these brands to both the luxury and lifestyle travel markets in this corner of the world. With the support of our exceptional team in Korea, I am confident that we will advance the expansion strategy that we now have in place, while also building on an exceptional hospitality culture and providing new growth opportunities for our team members, guests and investors.”

About the author

Avatar of Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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