About Us
Our Vision…
Luxury Hotelist is a new consumer website designed to bring travelers, like you, a collection of over 30,000 four and five star hotels, from across the globe- all at great prices! What’s more is that our team has selected a limited number of the top properties in each city, big or small, to recommend to you as our preferred partner hotels. We bring you the best possible rate at each and every property included on our site, so there’s no need to shop around and compare prices. All that’s left for you to do is discover, experience and be delighted by the world of luxury hotels!
Our Roots…
Chairman & Founder
Cal Simmons is one of the most trusted, recognized and successful travel experts in North America. Cal founded Cal Simmons Travel in 1976, which he grew into one of the top travel agencies in the country. Cal is a frequent speaker at travel industry events and has served on the advisory boards of several airlines, hotel companies and a rental car agency. In 2002 he was appointed Chairman of the VA Tourism Corporation by the Governor of Virginia. That same year, Cal published his first online travel guide, The Informed Traveler, which now reaches over 80,000 subscribers. Continuing his success in the online travel field, he launched Five Star Alliance (FSA), an online travel agency for luxury hotels, in 2004.
Director of Sales & Marketing
Kendall Gartlan, Director of Sales & Marketing at LuxuryHotelist.com, loves to travel in luxury and has set an enviable goal of visiting every one of the more than 30,000 hotels on the Web site-all at great prices! She has already travelled extensively in Europe and North America and began her career in the travel industry working in sales and marketing at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, just outside of Washington, DC and across the Potomac River from her hometown of Alexandria, VA.
Kendall is a 2009 graduate of Virginia Tech, where she earned a B.S. in Merchandising Management and a minor in Business. When she is not travelling, Kendall is actively involved in her local community and serves as Co-Chair of Give Back Alexandria, which provides financial and volunteer support for local non-profit organizations.
Online Marketing Director
Hilary Crisafi, Online Marketing Director at LuxuryHotelist.com, graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009 with a B.S. in Apparel, Housing & Resource Management, Concentration in Consumer Studies and a Minor in Business. Upon graduation, Hilary began her career in the Washington D.C. area and acquired a variety of hotel knowledge while working in the Sales and Marketing Office at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. She also gained valuable experience in online and brand marketing through her earlier roles, including the two years she served as a Campus Marketing Consultant for Sports Illustrated at Virginia Tech. Hilary has a passion for travel and has recently relocated to The Aloha State, where she continues to work for LuxuryHotelist.com from her new home, just steps from Waikiki Beach, in Honolulu, HI.
Online Marketing Director
Margaret Kornegay, Online Marketing Director at LuxuryHotelist.com, enjoys the finer things in life – traveling and Hokie football. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Margaret earned her degree in Business, with dual degree concentrations in Management – Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology and in Marketing; and a minor in Psychology. She joins the team, from her home state of North Carolina, with a background in sports marketing. With her background, Margaret brings experience in brand activation, sales, corporate partner relationships and website development. Having recently located to the District, Margaret enjoys visiting the remarkable historical attractions in our nation’s capital.
Web Developer
Nathan Stone, Web Developer at LuxuryHotelist.com, is also the Founder of ASAP WebWorks and serves as its principal consultant. He has over ten years of experience designing websites, managing networks, and advising organizations on technology. His career includes stints on Capitol Hill, Government, Startups, and Higher Education. He has managed networks with ten offices and over 800 users. Nathan holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and B.S. in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University.