Bill Fontes
Bill Fontes, the general manager of the Little Rock Marriott, died Saturday after a brief illness, the hotel and the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau announced on Monday.
Fontes took over the role of general manager of The Peabody Little Rock on Feb. 28, 2013, when BG Excelsior Ltd., an affiliate of Peabody Hotel Group of Memphis, sold the hotel to Fairwood Capital LLC of Memphis. The Peabody was reflagged as a Marriott in the spring of 2013. Davidson Hotels & Resorts, based in Atlanta, operates the Little Rock Marriott.
“We are very saddened by the loss of our wonderful leader and friend,” said Patrick Lupsha, chief operating officer of Davidson Hotels & Resorts. “Bill was dedicated and passionate about everything he did. He loved life and left a lasting impression on his hotels and employees.”
Fontes had been employed by Davidson, based in Atlanta, since 1999.
The 418-room Little Rock Marriott recently completed a $16 million renovation, and hotel officials celebrated completion of the project in October with a gala. The Little Rock Marriott, which has 40,000 SF of its own meeting and ballroom space, is linked to the 200,000-SF Statehouse Convention Center, which is operated by the LRCVB.
Fontes was from Lancaster, Pa. He had worked for 35 years in the hotel industry, including stints as a corporate executive chef, corporate director of food and beverage, hotel manager and general manager with Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Renaissance and Sheraton. He graduated in 1977 with a culinary arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.
A memorial service for Fontes is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at St. Andrews Anglican Church at 8300 Kanis Road in Little Rock.
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