NEW YORK—The Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) elected Hervé Houdré, general manager at the InterContinental New York Barclay, as its new chairman.
Houdré, a longtime board member of both the Hotel Association and NYC & Company, most recently presided over the $180-million renovation of the Barclay.
“It’s a great honor for me to serve as chairman of the Hotel Association of New York City, an organization that has been a standard bearer for hotels and tourism in this city and the United States for more than a century,” said Houdré. “My fellow officers and I are committed to providing steady leadership for an industry that welcomes more than 60 million visitors annually and supports tens of thousands of good paying jobs for New Yorkers.”
Vijay Dandapani, HANYC’s president/CEO, said, “I have personally known Hervé as a strong advocate for the hotel industry and as an effective manager, and am pleased at the opportunity to work alongside him in the coming years.”
Houdré previously served as chairman of the Association’s Sustainability Committee where he helped advance and recognize sustainable practices at some of New York’s largest hotels. He published “Sustainable Hospitality,” a white paper utilized by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research. He also co-edited a book with Professor AJ Singh from Michigan State University, titled “Hotel Sustainable Development: Principles and Best Practices.”
Other HANYC officers for 2017-18 include vice chairman: Leland Lewis, general manager, Down Town Association; treasurer: John Fitzpatrick, president/CEO, Fitzpatrick Hotel Group-North America; and secretary: Steve Batta, general manager, JW Marriott Essex House New York.
Established in 1878, the Hotel Association of New York City Inc. is one of the oldest professional trade associations in the nation. Its membership includes 275 hotels in New York City, representing more than 76,000 rooms and 50,000 employees.