The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center has a new general manager. Tom Cupo assumed the post in late November after being named to the role by Benchmark Hospitality International, the Houston-based company that manages the Virginia Tech property.
Greg Champion, Benchmark’s president and chief operating officer for Benchmark Hospitality, made the announcement, pointing to Cupo’s experience as general manager of The Chattanoogan in Tennessee.
“Not only is he an extremely experienced leader, he knows the Inn at Virginia Tech and the Virginia market intimately, having overseen the property for many years,” Champion said.
In Chattanooga, Cupo was the regional managing director providing oversight not only for the Inn at Virginia Tech but also for Stonewall Resort of Roanoke, West Virginia and The Tennessean and Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park, both in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has also served as managing director for Virginia Crossings Resort in Richmond, which Benchmark operated at the time.
In addition to the Blacksburg property, Cupo’s responsibilities include overseeing the university’s highly ranked Pete Dye River Course, as well as providing guidance and direction for the historic Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.
Cupo has held leadership positions in Benchmark’s operations and senior management departments for more than two decades. He is a certified real property administrator and facilities management administrator, designations he earned from the Building Owners and Managers Institute of Arnold, Maryland.
At the inn, Virginia Tech students are afforded the opportunity for high-level hospitality experience, offered in conjunction with their hospitality and tourism management studies in the Pamplin College of Business. Students work as servers and front-desk staff, with part-time jobs typically involving banquets and work at Preston’s Restaurant.
The hotel has 147 guest rooms and suites, and the conference facilities offer 23,000 square feet of meeting space. The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center falls within Outreach and International Affairs at Virginia Tech.
Benchmark Resorts & Hotels has managed the property since 2011. Benchmark Hospitality International brings four decades of experience operating properties within the Virginias and elsewhere.
For additional information about Benchmark Hospitality, contact Ken Ellens Communications at (201) 758-2864.
