Overview

Rosen Hotels & Resorts names Frank Santos as the company's new chief executive officer. Santos' promotion comes one week after founder and President Harris Rosen's death at the age of 85.

Background and Company Context

In 1985, Rosen personally recruited and hired Santos to become his trusted chief financial officer, a job Santos started in January of 1986 and held for almost 39 years. Santos would later add vice president to his title as he and Rosen worked side by side growing Rosen Hotels & Resorts into a worldwide hospitality leader and the southeast's largest independently owned hotel chain. Currently, the company has more than 4,000 associates and operates seven Orlando-area hotels: Rosen Inn International, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista, Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre, and the largest of all of the properties, Rosen Shingle Creek. Also under the Rosen umbrella are RosenSure, an insurance agency; Millennium Technology Group; multiple foundations and the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center.

Leadership Transition

"It is an honor. I will always be grateful for the privilege to lead this great company that Mr. Rosen poured his heart and soul into building for 50 years," Santos said in a statement. "I do not take this responsibility lightly, and I promise to continue the amazing work in our industry and in our community which Mr. Rosen started."

Community Involvement and Philanthropy

Santos and Rosen also worked together to form the Tangelo Park and Parramore preschool programs, which annually provide children from those underserved communities free preschool to get a head start on their education. After graduating from high school, students are awarded college and vocational scholarships covering tuition, room and board and books. To date, hundreds of students have received Rosen scholarships and the preschool programs have been lauded nationally as game-changers.

Santos also worked with Rosen creating the award-winning RosenCare, a comprehensive healthcare program providing every associate amazing wellness benefits at affordable prices, with no deductibles and 90 percent of all prescriptions, including insulin, available at zero cost to the associate. He also helped Rosen with the formation of the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, the Adam Michael Rosen Foundation and saved what is now the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center twice from sure destruction.

Santos is well-known for his community service and his philanthropy, receiving the 2023 Kenneth F. Murrah, Esq. Award as Central Florida's Outstanding Philanthropist. Santos currently serves on the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts board of directors, as an emeritus board member for the Orlando Shakes and the Orlando Family Stage as a Diman Bengal Foundation board member. He has previously served on the boards of directors at the Orlando Philharmonic, Canine Companions, The American Cancer Society and Runway to Hope.

Santos has also earned Certified Hospitality Account Executive (CHAE+) and Certified Hotel Administration (CHA+) designations. He is also the past president of the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals and has received the group's Paragon award.

Hotel Management Group

Latest Jobs

Rosen Hotels & Resorts names new CEO