Caymanian promoted to hotel manager role at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman – the Caribbean’s only Forbes Triple Five-Star awarded hotel – has announced the promotion of Keisha Parcells Robb – the first Caymanian to hold the position of Hotel Manager at the iconic property. She brings over 18 years of hospitality, events and operational experience to the role.

Parcells Robb, who started her career planning weddings for cruise ship visitors, has steadily risen through the ranks and now assists General Manager Marc Langevin in leading a team of more than 800 employees through daily operations and service strategies at the Dart-owned property to ensure that guests and visitors to the property create memorable experiences.

Having started her on-island career at Celebrations in 2003, Parcells Robb joined the Ritz-Carlton team in 2013 as an associate director for meetings and special events, where she was able to use her decade of on-island event planning and execution experiences to enliven the event offerings at the property. Within four years, she was promoted to director, meetings and special events and elevated to be a member of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman’s executive team.

“Having received the Global Event Management (GEM) award in 2019 when she held the position of director of meetings and special events, Keisha’s proven track record of achievements speaks volumes about her leadership skills,” Langevin says. “The GEM award is presented to event management leaders across the globe, who have excelled in the discipline throughout Marriott International.”

Langevin added, “Not only is she recognised as an exceptional leader within Marriott International’s portfolio of luxury brands, but she demonstrates an unwavering commitment to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and our Ladies and Gentlemen each and every day. It is an honour to have her on my team and I have no doubt she will lead us down the path to continued success.”

Throughout her career at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Parcells Robb has held several leadership roles, with the most recent being food and beverage director – where she led a large food and beverage team to execute daily operations of six restaurants and bars, 24-hour in room dining, banquets and conferences.

“At Dart, not only are we committed to building sustainable and magnificent properties for the Cayman Islands tourism product, but we are also ensuring that the right people can thrive within the hospitality and tourism industry,” said Enrique Tasende, senior vice president, active investments. “Keisha is a prime example of how commitment to your job and craft can provide you with opportunities to succeed.”

“We hope that Keisha’s story is a motivator to the alumni and the current cohort of the Dart Hospitality Training Programme,” Tasende stated, referring to the Dart initiative that provides firsthand training and industry experience at various Dart-owned hotels in Grand Cayman. He added: “it shows that you can really take charge of your path to success.”

For Parcells Robb, she didn’t always envision herself working in hospitality.

“I never thought I would stay in the industry permanently. But, through my experiences with weddings, events and general hospitality, I fell in love and realised this is where my passion lies,” she said. “I am truly grateful to be able to do every day what I love, so work really never feels like work for me; I just spend my days doing what I enjoy. I wish – and hope – the same to be true for all our Ladies and Gentlemen.”