photo by John Arundel There's new leadership at the Gaylord National at National Harbor.

Gaylord Hotels has announced that Phillip Coffey will take the reigns as general manager of the recently opened Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
 
Coffey brings to Gaylord more than three decades of hospitality industry experience. In his new position, Coffey will focus on solidifying Gaylord National's position as the leading meeting and convention property on the East Coast and will oversee all aspects of the resort and its management team, including hotel and convention center operations. Gaylord National employs a staff of more than 2,000 full-time, part-time and on-call employees.
 
Coffey most recently served for eight years as the general manager of Marriott's Orlando World Center Resort, one of the largest convention hotels in the Florida market. Contributing to his strong record of leadership, Coffey's previous senior management positions with Marriott International, Inc. include market vice president of Florida and market manager for all lodging brands in Tennessee.
 
"We're very pleased to welcome Phil and we look forward to the unique contributions his wealth of leadership experience will bring to Gaylord National," said Colin V. Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of Gaylord Entertainment. "Through his years in the hospitality industry, Phil has developed an effective leadership style that demonstrates his commitment to his guests and to his staff, which fits well with Gaylord's unique service culture. We're enthusiastic about Gaylord National reaching new levels of success under Phil's leadership."
 
Gaylord National opened in spring 2008. Boasting 470,000 square feet of meeting space and 2,000 guest rooms, the National is the largest combined hotel and convention center on the East Coast. "I'm proud to join Gaylord, a company admired by those in the hospitality sector for its unique business model and unrelenting dedication to service and quality," said Coffey. "The Gaylord National quickly generated a level of demand and success that caught my attention, and I look forward to continuing that momentum as we continue to exceed the expectations of guests and meeting planners."