The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown is getting a new General Manager starting in January.  John Shideler will be taking the helm following the retirement of Jim Miles who been in the position since 2012.  According to AllOTSEGO, both men became connected in Virginia through the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation when Miles was executive vice president and Shideler, fresh out of college, joined the organization as executive steward.

Most recently Shideler was with Fieldstone Hospitality, developing boutique historical hotels in the South, and it was about to be sold. That's when Shidler got a call from Miles asking if he would be interested in taking over as GM. The answer was a resounding "Yes!".

Shideler follows in big footsteps as Miles made many significant changes to the hotel during his tenure including: the renovation of the lobby and public rooms, adding the fire pit bar, the expansion and renovation of the Hawkeye Bar & Grill, and this past summer,  a high-end restaurant, 1909 was added.

With that said, Shideler has an impressive resume: by 2005, Shideler was Williamsburg Inn’s operations manager, where he oversaw a $98 million renovations project at the Williamsburg Lodge & Conference Center, a two-year undertaking that added 45,000 square feet of meeting space, a new spa and a range of other updates. He then became director of food and beverage for Colonial Williamsburg Resorts, and since 2013 has been the general manager there.

 

Shideler will be working with Miles before taking over in January and will spend a week a month in Cooperstown pursuing special projects.  In fact, Shideler has connected with SUNY Delhi’s Hotel & Restaurant Management Program with the intention of collaborating to meet the needs of both institutions.

This story provided in partnership with AllOTSEGO. To find out more, click here.

 

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