Diana Saumell, Hospitality Management Industry Advisory Board 2021
The spirit of hospitality was instilled in Diana at an early age. Her mother worked in hospitality as a General Manager, and consequently, she fell in love with the industry. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in education in 1998. While attending UCF, Diana worked at a resort as a Front Desk Associate. She enjoyed learning all aspects of hotel operations and never missed an opportunity to attend an educational seminar or cross-train in other departments. Over the years, she worked her way up through the ranks, starting as a Front Desk Associate, Front Desk Manager, Director of Housekeeping, Assistant General Manager, and ultimately achieved her dream of becoming a General Manager. Diana has been a General Manager since 2014. She recently opened two Wyndham brand hotels on International Drive and is now the General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, closest to Universal Orlando.
Diana utilizes what she has learned from her education degree every day as a General Manager. She is most passionate about training, teaching, coaching, and mentoring. She observes, “our industry is full of talent, and we must continue to embrace and guide team members so that they too can achieve their dreams and goals.” She believes that “work is not work if you love what you do, and I absolutely love what I do.”