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whittKaren Whitt

Ms. Karen Whitt is the Vice-President Marketing and Brand Development for the Hartling Group, taking reign of the Sands, The Palms and The Shore Club resorts all in Turks and Caicos. A native of Dallas, Texas, she brings 20+ years of hospitality industry experience to these
landmark properties.

Hartling Group resorts are the resijk,mdence of choice for the most discriminating visitors and under her management the resorts have been consistently recognized as a luxury leaders in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and among the top resorts in the world by the leading travel publications too numerous to list including, Condé Nast Traveler Gold List; Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards Number 1 in Turks & Caicos; World Travel Awards – Caribbean Leading Spa Resort and World’s Leading Spa Resort.

No stranger to the Caribbean, Ms. Whitt moved to Turks and Caicos from Jamaica in 2005 as General Manager of the Somerset Resort, and moved to The Palms in 2011. Ms. Whitt has remained an active member of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, and held
the role of President of the TCHTA from 2008 to 2013. In June, 2014 Ms. Whitt was elected as 3 rd Vice-President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, the regional governing body of the Hotel Association.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Turks and Caicos Community College Foundation, a Board member of the TCHTA, and she serves as a volunteer to numerous civic and professional organizations on the island. An avid supporter of the National Cancer Society,
she has spearheaded many fundraising events contributing to the local organization including the successful “In the Pink” event. In 2010 and 2012 Ms. Whitt was named “Hotelier of the Year” in Turks and Caicos. In 2014 Ms. Whitt was awarded the prestigious title of “Top General Manager Worldwide” by Luxury Travel Advisor at their March, 2014 Awards of Excellence Ultra Summit in Chicago, Illinois. Most recently, she was awarded as “Ultimate Hotelier” at the Island Destination product launch in New York City, October, 2015. In May, 2016 she will appeared on the coveted panel of distinguished GM’s in Dana Point, California at the Ultra Summit.

During her free time, she enjoys a variety of activities from event planning, traveling and cooking.