BRANSON, Mo., January 24, 2014 – When it was announced earlier this month that effective midnight on March 31, Hilton Worldwide, Inc., would no longer be managing the Hilton Promenade and the Branson Hilton Convention Center hotels in downtown Branson, the CEO of HCW Development Company, LLC (HCW) which own both hotels, Rick Huffman, pointed out that the impact of the announcement relates solely to the entity that is managing the hotel and would be transparent to the majority of employees and the experience that the hotel’s guests would have. He said that HCW still owns both hotels, will retain the “Hilton” name and brand for at least the next 20 years and was in the process of finding a new management company.
This week it was announced that HCW had selected Pillar Hotels & Resorts (Pillar) “to oversee the ongoing operations” of both hotels beginning April 1. In the announcement, Huffman said, “We are pleased to welcome Pillar to the Branson community. We believe they have the proven expertise to assist us in maximizing resources and achieving optimal guest experience.”
Pillar’s CEO, Chris Russell said, “We are pleased with the opportunity to come to Branson and look forward to working with HCW and the City of Branson staff and administration. Pillar has successfully transitioned hospitality management teams throughout the country and recognizes that it is the people that make the difference, therefore, we will be transitioning most of the current staff to Pillar.” Pillar, “headquartered in the Las Colinas business suburb of Irving, Texas” oversees hotel operations and represents brands such as Marriott, IHG and Hilton in over 35 states and is one of the largest such companies in the United States.
