No stranger to paradise
Dudley named GM at Hilton on Pensacola Beach

Dudley

Gina Dudley, who has been with Hilton Garden Inn since its opening five years ago is no stranger to hotel industry experience or paradise.

She was born among five children in Oahu, HI where she resided since 1996. However, her first job had nothing to do with check-ins or room service.

"My father forced my brother and I to work at the Dole Plantation Cannery at the North Shore in Oahu." she said. "Just thinking of me every time you eat canned pineapple," she chuckles.

After getting her hands dirty, Dudley then went to use her infectious smile by becoming a lei greeter at the Honolulu International Airport. It was here that she fell in love with watching other people happy. Then, while attending the University of Hawaii, she took an internship as concierge at the Waikiki Beach Tower Hotel.

"That was a fun job. There were a lot of special, special, special requests," she said. That experience lead her to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, one of the chain's largest, for management training. The match seemed natural.

"That's when I knew I ultimately wanted to be with the Hilton," said Dudley. After learning all the departmental aspects of a Hilton, Dudley nearly transferred to Japan or Guam to further her hotel career.

"I was a true Blue Island Girl. I thought I'd miss the water and the outdoors too much," she said. In 1996, Dudley moved to Pensacola with her two children, Blaise, 16, and Ajer Skye, 13 and began working in Orange Beach. She heard there was an opportunity to work at the Hilton Garden Inn and within a short amount of time, she was called by former GM Ken Strelzyk and the rest was history.

As for the future of the hotel, Dudley feels that the mission is clear and concise.

"The future of the hotel is plain and simple: we basically want to be the first choice for destinations on the beautiful Emerald Coast. We plan to achieve that by delivering exceptional service and providing upscale amenities," she said.