Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has named Ralph Burnet, and his company RWB Development, 2009 Developer of the Year. The honor was announced at the recent Starwood North America Owners Conference held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The award was presented in recognition of Burnet’s two Starwood-managed properties, W Minneapolis – The Foshay and the recently converted, Le Meridien Chambers, both located in Minneapolis.
The Starwood Developer of the Year award recognizes those organizations or individuals that opened hotels between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 and went above and beyond to ensure that development was on-time, on-strategy and on-brand.
In presenting the award to Burnet, Denise Coll, President of the North America Division, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, noted his “passion for art, design and lifestyle hotel brands as reflected in his two spectacular properties.”
“Ralph takes personal ownership of his investments, and his attention to detail is evident the moment you walk in the door to one of his hotels,” said Coll. “Both his hotels are historical retrofits of office buildings and among the first of their kind. Ralph’s belief in Starwood's brands has made him an incredible asset to the company, and his zest for collecting art and globetrotting has helped to authentically bring the W and Le Meridien points of view to life.”
The award was presented as part of the First Annual North America Owner Awards and was one of 19 awards presented in eight different categories. Other categories included: Environmental Sustainability, Community Outreach, Conversion of the Year, New Build of the Year, Renovation of the Year, Deal of the Year and the President’s Award.