Mary Rogers General Manager Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Tell us about you...

Give us the background story on the Galway Girl finishing up in Miami Beach as GM of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

After working in a Bed and Breakfast in Salthill, Galway for five summers, I decided to study hotel management in college. After graduating with a degree in Hotel and Catering Management from GMIT, I was recruited to join

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. I worked for Ritz-Carlton for ten years in five different locations – Washington D.C., Orlando, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Las Vegas. In 2009 I received a phone call from a former colleague encouraging me to move to Miami Beach and join the opening team of the famed Fontainebleau Hotel. I have worked at Fontainebleau for ten years now and for the past two years I have led the operations team in my role as Vice President and General Manager; the first female General Manager since Fontainebleau opened in 1954. I maybe a resident of Miami now but I am, and always will be, a Galway Girl at heart.

What’s your favourite Wild Atlantic Way place to visit

My favourite Wild Atlantic Way place to visit is Inis Mor on the Aran Islands. Inis Mor holds a very special place in my heart, as we used to go there every summer when I was a little girl with my father. We would catch the ferry from Rossaveel and spend our day playing on Kilmurvey Beach and bicycling around the island, while our father purchased cattle from the local farmers.

What do you love about your home town of Galway?

Galway has it all – city vibes, culture, arts, thriving tourism, excellent choice of restaurants, unique pubs, seaside beaches and of course gorgeous landscapes in Connemara. The people of Galway are super friendly, optimistic and very welcoming. I simply love my home town and I am so proud to be a Galway Girl.

What do you miss most

about Ireland?

I miss the food, especially my mother’s brown bread. I miss Irish humour and having the craic. But mostly, I miss my family. I have five sisters and two brothers and I have watched with great pride their families grow and grow over the years but missing birthdays, communions and special occasions always makes me home sick.

Will you get the chance to visit Ireland this year?

I have lived in America for twenty years and I am very thankful that I have travelled home every year to see my family. I was home this past February and plan on going home again in October to celebrate my mother’s birthday.

Future plans for your hotel

Thanks to the vision of our owner Jeffrey Soffer, every year we invest in a different area of the hotel. Every decision and investment made is to improve the guest experience. This year, we are working on two very exciting projects: renovating our lobby bar, Bleau Bar and renovating all rooms and public spaces in our Sorrento tower.

Bleau Bar is our iconic bar located right off the main lobby. The new design will blend sophistication and glamour to create a modern take on the hotel’s iconic architecture. We are completely reconfiguring the entire space including brand new bar, floors, furniture, seating areas. We’re also adding a series of decorative screens throughout a portion of the perimeter in order to create a bit more separation between the bar and the lobby.

Sorrento is one of our all suite towers – we’ll be renovating all 275 rooms – including the penthouse and all the public spaces. This includes brand new furniture, carpeting, colour scheme, accessories, etc.

What’s your key advice or places to visit for Irish holiday makers visiting Miami Beach?

Well, first I highly recommend that Irish holiday makers stay at Fontainebleau. It is an ionic, luxury, ocean-front hotel, with lots to do and see and the GM is Irish!

In addition, Miami Beach has wonderful beaches, great shopping, fun late night restaurants and lounges, world-class art museums and the best Cuban coffee.

And one last piece of advice… don’t forget to pack sun screen. It gets very hot in Miami Beach!