Hospitality 2024: JAMES CARROLL

A former Navy fighter pilot with a Harvard MBA, Carroll parlayed his financial management expertise into running one of the largest independent hotel operators in the country.

Founded in 2000, Crestline Hotels and Resorts operates more than 17,600 rooms in 28 states and Washington, D.C. Recently, the company was selected to manage the luxury Kimpton Alton Hotel Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and the Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown in North Carolina.

Carroll joined Crestline in 2004 as senior vice president and treasurer, after holding various financial positions at Dell. He was promoted to chief financial officer in 2006 and chief operating officer in 2009, before becoming the hotel management company’s president and CEO in 2010. Carroll also was involved in the formation and growth of Playa Hotels and Resorts, an international private equity real estate venture.

Crestline has about 5,000 employees and operates 125 hotels under 32 brands, including Marriott, Hyatt Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group. It’s an indirect subsidiary of the Barceló Group, based in Mallorca, Spain.

Carroll sits on the boards of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Virginia Beach-based real estate investment trust Armada Hoffler Properties.