Jan W. Iftikhar, MBA-MIB

I lead operations for two Hilton-branded assets including a 140-room extended-stay Homewood Suites and the newly developed 272-room Hilton Garden Inn featuring 4,500 sq. ft. meeting space and a 120-seat Signature restaurant. I oversaw the closure of a 175-room Hilton Garden Inn following lease completion while maintaining operational stability and revenue growth.

During my tenure here, I directed this 149-room full-service hotel with a Trio restaurant and 5 versatile banquet spaces (~7,000 sq. ft). I managed a diverse team of 100+ staff and led implementation of strategic initiatives and establish both short-term and long-term goals to enhance operational efficiency and maximize revenue. I also oversaw a luxury renovation comprised of upgrading 90 guest rooms and enhancing dining and banquet facilities. Some of my big wins include attaining a impressive 81% occupancy rate during the pandemic by leveraging dynamic pricing strategies, target-ed social media marketing, and promotional offers for frontline healthcare workers. Additionally, I transformed on-site restaurants from break-even to 30% profitability by revamping restaurant and banquet menus and tailored offerings to target key client segments.

I oversaw operations, F&B, and staff across multiple properties (50+ base employees) while ensuring brand standards, guest satisfaction, and profitability for multiple regional Sandman locations in Hamilton, Oakville, Toronto, and Mississauga. I executed sales initiatives (including site visits and social media management), and supervised office administration, vendor relations, and labour costs. My achievements here include driving RevPAR index from 93% to 115%, surpassed expectations. I managed construction and facilities management for Sandman Signature Ottawa Airport Hotel (204 rooms, on-site Chop restaurant), led market and competitor analysis, site inspections, health & safety (H&S), HR training, and hiring. I also delivered insights and recommendations to Sandman Signature Mississauga Hotel (224 rooms), achieved cost savings and instituted strategies to generated incremental revenue for Sandman Oakville (166 rooms) and Sandman Signature Toronto Airport Hotel (254 rooms).

As GM, I held dual accountability of the Duvernay Studios and the Boutique hotel, Les Suites. Generated monthly reports for sales ($1M in 12 months), market updates, staffing, marketing, sales. I overhauled and renovated the hotel, directed re-opening efforts, hiring, mentoring, training, and coaching. I also doubled monthly sales for Duvernay Studios, leading the renovation of 30 apartment units/condos.