Aimbridge names president of select-service division

PLANO, Texas — Plano, Texas-based Aimbridge Hospitality has appointed Chris O’Donnell as president of its select-service division, effective September 15.

O’Donnell brings more than two decades of hospitality leadership to the role. He began his career as a general manager with Marriott and went on to hold senior roles at Magna Hospitality, White Lodging and Marriott. Most recently, he served as COO at Alpharetta, Georgia-based Atrium Hospitality.

In this new role, O’Donnell will lead Aimbridge’s select-service division with an emphasis on operational performance. He will also ensure the division remains aligned with Aimbridge’s balanced scorecard framework, which tracks key metrics including market share, profitability and guest satisfaction across properties.

“Chris is a proven leader with deep expertise in the hospitality landscape and a strong track record of driving operational excellence,” said Craig Smith, CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality. “I’m confident in his ability to lead this important division and build on the strong foundation already in place.”

“I’m honored to join Aimbridge at such a pivotal time,” O’Donnell said. “The select-service division is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional value to owners and memorable experiences to guests. I look forward to working with our talented teams to build on the strong foundation already in place.”

The third-party management giant also recently launched a dedicated all-inclusive division. It expects to finalize its first deal “in the coming months” and begin operations by year-end. Aimbridge already has infrastructure in place with operations across all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. That division will be based in Miami.