Team Biographies
Scott M. Kneer – Regional Manager
Scott Kneer joined Urgo Hotels in 1999 as Assistant General Manager. In his impressive career with the company,
Mr. Kneer has directed the sales and operations efforts of our White Plains Residence Inn and our New Rochelle
Residence Inn, as well as directed sales and training efforts at other hotels in our portfolio. Mr. Kneer was
recognized by Marriott International in 2004 as “Direct Sales Leader of the Year”, and the hotels under his
leadership have consistently been recognized with ADR, OCC and Revpar awards from Marriott. Mr. Kneer began his
hospitality career in catering sales and conference services management, before joining Novotel as Front Office
Manager in 1994. His passion for training, sales, associate development, quality assurance, and his extensive
experience with Marriott branded hotels, has prepared Mr. Kneer Regional Manger.
John J. Rish – Regional Manager
John Rish joined Urgo Hotels in August 2004, as Assistant General Manager at our 300-room Hilton Garden Inn in
Washington DC. He was promoted to General Manager in 2005, and some of his accomplishments at this hotel
include managing a complete renovation of guest rooms and public space; revamping the food and beverage
programs to ensure quality service and profitability; and repositioning the hotel to dominate the market, resulting
in RevPAR indexes of over 130 as measured by Smith Travel Research. Mr. Rish led his team in achieving the “2008
Hotel of the Year” for Urgo Hotels. Mr. Rish has over 20 years of hospitality industry experience, with extensive
experience in operations, owner relations, budgeting and forecasting, and revenue management. His experience
with the Hilton and Sheraton brands, as well as independent full service hotels, has afforded him the title of
Regional Manager.
Larry Saward – Regional Vice President
Larry Saward is a senior executive with over 35 years experience in the marketing and operations of high profile,
multi-national luxury hotel chains. Mr. Saward started as a management trainee at the Westin Benson Hotel in
Portland, Oregon after graduating with a B.S. from Pacific University. He held a variety of positions within Starwood
Hotels (Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien) including Resident Manager, General Manager, and Vice President
Operations. Having managed hotels in Singapore, Mexico, and Spain, Mr. Saward has a diverse and global
perspective. Prior to joining Urgo Hotels in 2010, Mr. Saward was National Hotel Operations Manager for American
Property Management Corp. where he provided oversight to a portfolio of hotels which included Hilton, Starwood,
Carlson and Independent properties.
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