As a testamate to the success of the Emerald Grande project, Peter Bos has been named the 2011 Florida Hotelier of the Year. You can learn more about McMullen Development’s work with Emerald Grande by reviewing our Emerald Grande Case Study here.
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Peter Bos, CEO of Legendary Inc., was recently named Hotelier of the Year by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.
It was the first time someone based exclusively in Northwest Florida received the recognition, said Carol Dover, the association’s CEO.
“I viewed it as not only what an unbelievable recognition,” Bos said of the award. “The competition to be Hotelier of the Year in a state with more hotels than any other state, with that competition to be singled out … by that peer group was extra special. It was the nicest award that I have every received. It’s the highest reward I can get in my career field.
“It’s not me,” he added. “This is all about the people who worked for me because they have done it. I may have had the idea, but they all made it happen.”
Dover said Bos and Legendary stepped up as leaders in the state hotel industry following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010.
“Peter and Bruce (Crual, Legendary’s chief operating officer) and his hotel, particularly with the oil spill, were front and center, always offering their site for meetings and getting (Gulf Coast Claims Facility Administrator Ken) Feinberg in,” Dover said. “There was a lot of dedication on behalf of Peter and his team for everything from the oil spill to legislative issues, anything that impacts the industry they have always been there.
“They have made a huge impact in our association,” she added.
Past winners of the Hotelier of the Year award include Harris Rosen, president and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando and Frank Flautt, who owns several hotels, including the Hilton Sandestin and Mariott in Panama City.
Bos said his recognition shows that Northwest Florida is a competitive region with Central and South Florida.
“We can hold our head high and we can compete in any market. We’re as good as anywhere, anytime,” Bos said.
