Wild Dunes Resort's Kristie Santora Honored With Prestigious Award From Charleston Regional Business Journal
For Immediate Release, April 2010Recognized for her outstanding efforts in optimizing revenue for the Resort and proven leadership within the hospitality industry and the community, Wild Dunes Resort’s Regional Director of Reservations and Revenue Optimization, Kristie Santora, has been distinguished as one of Charleston’s “2010 Top 40 Under 40,” an annual award showcasing area professionals under the age of 40 making their mark through professional success and community involvement by the Charleston Regional Business Journal.
In her role at Wild Dunes Resort, Santora oversees the revenue and reservations teams, which are responsible for all leisure sales, more than half of the resort’s annual income, including the reservations and revenue managers and 12 reservations sales agents. In addition to her
responsibilities at Wild Dunes Resort, Santora also manages reservations and revenue optimization regionally for southeastern properties within the Destination Hotels & Resorts portfolio. She continually discovers new ways to fully optimize opportunities to increase revenue including acquiring new guests for the Resort and maximizing ancillary revenue on property.
During her last six years at Wild Dunes Resort, Santora has led the revenue team during one of the most difficult economies in recent times while keeping them motivated and successful. She partnered with the Resort’s real estate development and property management teams to set
goals and implement the successful development and launch of The Village at Wild Dunes – a $200 million addition to the Resort that includes 115 condominiums, a retail village and full service day spa.
Through Santora’s leadership, Wild Dunes Resort also received the coveted 2006 Remington Award for the highest RevPAR (revenue per available room) in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, the single best industry measure of how a property is performing in both its
ability to fill rooms and rates it is able to charge.
In addition to her responsibilities at Wild Dunes Resort, Santora – a 2006 Leadership Charleston graduate – actively contributes to local and professional communities. She serves as the PTA President of Goodwin Elementary in North Charleston, is a representative for the Hospitality Leadership Development Institute with the College of Charleston and has served as a corporate sponsor co-chair for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Santora is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Club Managers Association of American (CMAA) and is a Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Certified Management Executive.
