A World of Romance by Christopher Shields

Investing in the Flagstaff community is also on his list of priorities. Currently, he is a member of the Elks Lodge trustee board and on the business advocacy committee at the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. One of Shields’ goals at Sonesta is getting to know his team well, learning the culture of the company and continuing to grow the brand. “I’ve never worked in an extended-stay product before. Coming up from sales in 800-plus room hotels, I enjoy the small intimacy here. We just began our breakfast offering and it gives me a chance to get to know our customers, which I really like.” We lived in Phoenix for 15 years and hardly knew our neighbors.” “We love the community of Flagstaff and the fact that wherever we go we bump into someone we know. Purchasing a home at Aspen Valley Golf Club was a dream for Shields, an avid golfer, and his wife, Susan. We worked hard and he reminded me to make sure to stop and appreciate my successes.”

I shared my exciting news and he did a celebration dance. “I had just booked my first big group and Chris just happened to call right after. “For the last 15 years, I’ve served as general manager.”ĭual Marketing Director of Sales for Sonesta ES Suites in Flagstaff and Tucson Ellen Jimenez has worked with Shields for 10 years at the Radisson in Tucson and Phoenix. “Chris is a leader. He also likes to win and he helps his team accomplish that goal as a team. His positive attitude is contagious and I’m excited to come in to work. I feel like I’ve accomplished something when it’s time to go home.”Ī favorite memory for Jimenez was working for Radisson in Tucson. Shields graduated from the University of Arizona and began working in the hotel industry as a bellman, eventually leading to sales and marketing at hotels in the Valley.

Spending the bulk of his career in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area, Shields was born in Detroit and says he appreciates Flagstaff’s four seasons. “It’s a nice slow pace here and my wife and I have made a lot of friends. What we really like about Flagstaff is that anywhere in town is less than 10 minutes away.”, “The Sonesta motto is based on the culture of caring, so we take good care of our team and they have been long-term.”

“I’ve been here at Sonesta for four months and I love the company,” he said. Today, he oversees the operations of Flagstaff’s Sonesta Extended Stay Suites as the property’s general manager. He has spent a dozen years in this mountain town and more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, including working with Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt. Avid golfer is a fan of the extended-stay product and the Flagstaff lifestyle.Chris Shields is in love with Flagstaff and also his career.

A World of Romance by Christopher Shields