Kirk Kinsell, former president of the Americas for Intercontinental Hotels Group and former president/CEO of Loews Hotels & Co, passed away on March 25 at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer.
Kinsell spent nearly two decades with IHG, leading operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) before being named president of the Americas in 2011, where he oversaw more than 3,700 hotels and hundreds of thousands of employees. He later served as president/CEO of Loews Hotels & Resorts from 2015 until his retirement in 2017.
According to his obituary, Kinsell was born Jan. 18, 1955, and raised in Santa Barbara, CA. He graduated from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and entered the industry in 1982 with the Trammell Crow Hotel Company. He was soon named president of the company, where he oversaw the Anatole Hotel expansion and the development of numerous hotels across the U.S.
At IHG, he introduced the “Heart of the House” concept, the idea that a hotel’s back-of-the-house should be as intentional as the hotel lobby. He is also credited with launching and developing some of the most recognizable names in travel. He helped developing the Holiday Inn Express brand in the early 1990s. Under his leadership as SVP, development, Holiday Inn Express became the fastest growing hotel brand in the limited-service category, opening an average of two hotels per week.
After stepping away from the C-suite at Loews in 2017, Kinsell supported the growth of Beachside Church in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. He was alsonvested in his Lake Toxaway, NC, community. He also served as a director for Sonic, Popeyes and the Georgia Aquarium.
At points in his career, Kinsell served in leadership roles on the AHLA board of directors and the AHLA Foundation board of trustees.
“Kirk brought an unmistakable presence to AHLA and the AHLA Foundation and an even bigger heart,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA president/CEO. “He was a friend and trusted advisor, always eager to share an insight, an anecdote or a lesson about our industry. Kirk loved the hotel business passionately. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him closely years ago on several AHLA and AHLA Foundation initiatives and saw firsthand his commitment to supporting young people preparing for careers in hotels. I will miss his guidance and his big, hearty laugh, and love of life, but I’m so grateful for the legacy he left us all.”
Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation president/CEO and AHLA COO, added, “I had the pleasure of first meeting Kirk in his role as president of Loews Hotels during my time with American Express, and it was immediately clear that he was both an exceptional business leader and someone committed to giving back to the industry. I reconnected with Kirk when I joined AHLA and was thrilled to work closely with him and Peggy Berg to merge the Castell Project with AHLA, building an even stronger FORWARD initiative. Whether leading one of the largest hotel brands in the world, raising funds to propel the mission of the AHLA Foundation or leaning in to advance the representation of women in industry leadership roles, Kirk made a lasting impact. At the AHLA Foundation, we are committed to carrying on Kirk’s legacy of creating opportunity and access to advance the people of the industry.”
Kinsell is survived by his wife, Carrie; his children, Kyle and Catelyn; their respective spouses, Jaclyn and Chris; and his five grandchildren, Rae, Theo, Calvin, Remy and Nash. He is also survived by his sister, Suzanne (Steve) Padrick, and brother Jeff Kinsell.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10 at the Georgia Aquarium.
To honor Kinsell’s legacy as a mentor and bridge-builder, the family requests donations be made to the Georgia Aquarium, Beachside Church and the Mayo Clinic.
So sad – what an amazing leader!
He was a good man. Sad to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family.