Brian Gessner serves as Senior Vice President of Operations at DePalma Hotels and Resorts. He oversees all portfolio hotel activities day to day, including planning, developing, operating and maintaining a superior guest experience through technology and enhanced loyalty. Mr. Gessner has more than 30 years of hospitality experience, which began with a degree in hospitality management from SUNY Delhi.
After starting his food and beverage career at Boston Chicken, Mr. Gessner advanced to large full-service hotels such as the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, where he joined the Hilton brand. He later relocated to Washington, D.C., where he oversaw food and beverage operations at iconic venues including the Washington Hilton, the Capital Hilton and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Brian then moved to the New York area, where he held senior management positions at upscale hotels including the Regent Wall Street, Stamford Marriott, Hilton Pearl River, Hilton Woodcliff Lake and Marriott Park Ridge.
In 2022, Brian joined DePalma Hotels and Resorts as the opening General Manager of the 300-room Delta Hotels Somerset. Under his leadership, and with a culture focused on the highest level of customer satisfaction, the hotel ranked 5th in GSS among all North American Delta Hotels in its first year of operation.
Outside of work, Brian mentors students in the Bergen Academies hospitality program and volunteers at Oasis – A Haven for Women and Children.