US's Palace Hotel Names First Female GM in 150-Year History

• Angie Clifton has over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry
• She started her career in 1996 as a room attendant and night cleaner at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
• She has served in various capacities before becoming the Director of Rooms at the hotel

For 150 years the Palace Hotel has been an icon of hotels within the USA. It was originally built in 1875 to be one of the first luxury hotels in California and has continued today to be a great representation of luxury and grandeur on America's West Coast.

The Palace Hotel is a member of Marriott International's `Luxury Collection' of hotels under Kyo-Ya Hotels and Resorts.

This San Francisco hotel includes over 556 guest rooms, 3 different dining experiences and 45,000 sq. feet of event space, making the Palace one of the largest hotels in San Francisco.

In addition to these guest offerings, several areas within the hotel offer guests unique experiences that include but are not limited to The Garden Court, The Pied Piper Bar

The Palace Hotel has also introduced its first female General Manager; Angie Clifton announced that she had been given the position and will now oversee the hotel's operations.

With more than 25 years of experience working within the hotel industry, Angie began her career back in 1996 as a Room Attendant and Night Cleaner with the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

She quickly progressed through various positions including obtaining her Director of Rooms title, where she remained for 12 years prior to accepting her most recent appointment as Director of Operations at the Fairmont Washington DC; where she managed both the hotel's operational and guest services functions.

In addition to serving as a Director of Operations, Angie has continued to build her reputation by taking on several high-level hotel operational positions, including holding the roles of Director of Rooms and Executive Hotel Manager at Fairmont Chicago and Fairmont New York, respectively.

The way she leads is about developing people, creating a successful business, and connecting with the community. She promotes workforce development for all individuals who work in the hospitality industry by providing training and other services to help them grow.

She is also involved with many different boards in her area, including the Bay Area Council, the San Francisco Travel Association, and the Hotel Council of San Francisco, where she has been on the board since 2020.

In an interview with Hotel Management, Angie spoke about her ascent through the ranks from housekeeping to general manager at a historic hotel, and what her special role is in maintaining the hotel's heritage while also encouraging innovative changes and working with the surrounding community.

In her interview, she noted that the hospitality industry's focus on fostering female leadership is more important now than ever, as well as how persistence, teamwork, and professional development are critical factors in helping women move forward in their careers within the industry.