Frank Santos will lead Rosen Hotels & Resorts as CEO following the death of founder Harris Rosen, the company announced Tuesday.
Santos worked “side-by-side” with Rosen for nearly 40 years, the company shared. Rosen died last week at the age of 85.
Santos was personally recruited by Rosen in 1985 to join Orlando, Florida-based Rosen Hotels & Resorts, where he served as chief financial officer for nearly four decades. As CFO, Santos helped grow Rosen Hotels & Resorts into the Southeast’s largest independently owned hotel chain, according to the company.
Rosen Hotels & Resorts now employs more than 4,000 people and operates seven Orlando-area hotels: Rosen Inn International, Rosen Inn — Universal, Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista, Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek.
Santos called his appointment “an honor.”
“I will always be grateful for the privilege to lead this great company that Mr. Rosen poured his heart and soul into building for 50 years,” he said, in a statement. “I do not take this responsibility lightly, and I promise to continue the amazing work in our industry and in our community which Mr. Rosen started.”
Throughout his career, Santos assisted Rosen with the philanthropic endeavors the late hotelier was known for. Those efforts include educational programs in Tangelo Park, Florida, and the Parramore neighborhood of Orlando, which annually provide children from underserved communities free preschool and, after high school, college and vocational school scholarships.
Santos also created a comprehensive healthcare program, RosenCare, alongside Rosen, which offers all Rosen Hotels & Resorts associates wellness benefits at “affordable” prices, according to the company. Santos also helped Rosen establish the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Santos pledged to continue Rosen’s philanthropic legacy and ruled out the possibility of a sale of the company, saying “not on my watch.”
