Miller Named Hotelier of the Year

Russell Miller, Immediate Past President of the Bahamas Hotel Association, has been selected by his peers as the 2009 Hotelier of the Year.

The honour will be bestowed on Mr. Miller at the upcoming Cacique Awards Ceremony this Friday. The selection of the Cacique award for Hotelier of the Year is made by all past winners and is a recognition by one’s peers of outstanding performance as a hotelier and dedication to the industry.

"Having been a colleague of Russell for many years, I am thrilled to see him receive this honour. It is a testament to his professionalism and commitment to the industry and the nation, having gone above and beyond the call of duty by volunteering his time and talent as a volunteer with the Bahamas Hotel Association" states the BHA’s current President Robert Sands.

As a youth, Mr. Miller recognized that the future of The Bahamas was clearly connected to tourism. With that in mind, he knew that education and experience were prerequisites toward achieving his long-term goals.

Born in Nassau and raised in Grand Bahama, he is a graduate of the noted Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Upon graduation, he spent ten years in the United States moving through the ranks of the Marriott Hotel Corporation. Longing to come back home, he was able to draw upon that initial knowledge and experience and in 1987 he returned. For ten years, he assumed positions with the Divi Bahamas Beach Resort and Carnival’s Crystal Palace Resort and Casino before moving to Kerzner International.

During the next ten years he worked with Kerzner International, where he held the position as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the One and Only Ocean Club and as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Harborside at Atlantis, the timeshare property which doubled in size during his watch. While with One and Only Ocean Club, it received numerous awards, including the Conde Nast distinction for being the best Atlantic Resort in 2004 and 2005.

In June, 2007 he assumed a new post as General Manager for the Ritz Carlton Rose Island. Although, at that time it was two years from a planned opening date, the company recognized the skills he brought to property development at Kerzner and brought him on board early on to assist with the development plans.

During the past year he has also supported Ritz Carlton with its ownership transition at Winding Bay, Abaco and in preparations for the opening of their new property in the Turks and Caicos.

Mr. Miller’s commitment to the industry extends well beyond the confines of any hotel property. In recent years he has become an active and ardent supporter of the Bahamas Hotel Association and a major force in the organization’s increased thrust in recent years into improving workforce quality, supporting small hotels, and improving collaboration with Government. For two years he served as President of the 220 plus member Bahamas Hotel Association, with his tenure ending in December, 2008.

With his wife Linda of 28 years he has two children, Melinda and Ashley. He enjoys playing tennis, horseracing, basketball, football, fishing and good music. The industry’s top honour will be awarded at the Ministry of Tourism’s 13th Annual Cacique Awards ceremony on Friday, January 30th.