CHICAGO? Jean Marie Grouard was appointed General Manager of the upscale, 537-room Drake hotel in Chicago on August 1. As GM, Grouard will head the hotel and its four restaurants, including the award-winning Cape Cod Room and the private 3500-member Club International. He will oversee the continuation of the $60 million refurbishment of the hotel that was previously headed by Martin J. Lawrence. Just one day after his arrival, Grouard greeted President Clinton prior to his talk with the AFL-CIO, which took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Drake hotel. Grouard, who was born and raised in Paris, has over 30 years of experience in the hotel industry. He joined Hilton International in 1968 after studying law and accounting. Later, he became food and beverage manager and soon moved on to international positions. In 1990 he spent time as GM at the Quebec Hilton and then GM at the 821-room New York Vista. Grouard joined the Drake from its sister hotel, The Marquette in Minneapolis, MN. During his six-year tenure as GM there, he completed multi-million dollar restoration.
