Guests, Inc. was founded by the late Guy O. Farley, Jr. in 1989. It is on his foundation and beliefs that Guests, Inc. will continue to thrive for generations.
Treat guests in the hotels like friends in your home.
Always refer to them as guests.
Provide them with clean, safe well-maintained rooms.
Recognize and appreciate the value and importance of every person in the company.
Well before the modern-day guest satisfaction surveys, Guy had his ninety-year-old father travel regularly to the hotels and retrieve the guest comment cards from a locked box. He would then compile and review the results with the Hosts.
Guy didn’t like the industry standard title of General Manager, as he felt “Host” was a more hospitable title.
These are just a few of the building blocks on which this successful company is based.
To this day, the hotel phones are still answered with “We Love Guests” and the team member’s title is Host.
The first person Guy brought on board in 1989 to help him realize his vision was Keith Stephens. With a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management from Virginia Tech and working as a Regional Director of Sales at another hotel management company, he was the right person for the job.
Since Guy’s passing in 1998, Keith has been leading the company and is the owner and CEO. Raised on a farm in rural Virginia, Keith would have to give up his bedroom in the fall for the “paying guests” as his family transformed their large farmhouse into a modern-day Inn or Airbnb.
“We were land rich and cash poor. So, my parents generated a little extra income by renting rooms and providing meals to people from the “city” along with a place to hunt on our large farm. That gave us a little extra money, so I got a few new clothes at Christmas instead of hand-me-downs from my older siblings. We also had a small country store just down the gravel road from our home where we sold everything from nails to made-to-order sandwiches to gas. I learned to make change from the old wooden cash drawer and lots of other business lessons from working in this store.”
The store has closed but he and his siblings still own their family farm. Keith has been an entrepreneur and in the hospitality industry his entire life. He would welcome the opportunity to allow his team of hospitality professionals to help you grow your business.
Are you passionate about guest service and the hospitality industry? We have openings in all facets of hotel operations from behind the scenes to front desk, join our incredible staff today! Are you positive, energetic and looking for a rewarding career? Whether you are just getting started or you have a degree in hospitality, we are eager to hear from you!
“As a significant part of our overall property performance analysis, we are continually analyzing the best franchise options and renovation upgrades for the optimal success of our hotels in the markets in which they compete.”
Chairman of the Board of Guests, Inc.
Chairman of the Board of Guests, Inc.
Managing Member of Gateway Partnerships & Companies
Keith D. Stephens is the Managing Member of Gateway Partnerships & Companies and the Chairman of the Board of Guests, Inc.
Stephens, a lifetime resident of Virginia, obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Virginia Tech in 1988.
Stephens was the first employee of Guests, Inc. and the Gateway Partnerships family when Guests, Inc. began to manage hotels in April 1989. Between 1989 and 1995 he served as the Vice President and Director of Marketing. In 1995 he was appointed the Executive Director of the Gateway Partnerships and Companies. In 2005, he acquired the controlling interest in Gateway Partnerships and Guests, Inc.
Over the course of his career, Stephens has facilitated a wide variety of hospitality and real estate transactions and investments. He has led the acquisition and disposition of multiple hotel properties and currently owns the managing interest of nine of the 17 hotels in the Guests, Inc. portfolio.
Stephens has served on numerous boards and committees of community and industry organizations. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Shenandoah County Chapter of Young Life, the Shenandoah County Fair Board of Directors and the Luray/Page County VA Airport Authority. He has served on other local boards including the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce, the Community Christian School, and the National Marketing Committee of the Choice Hotels Owner’s Council. In 2014 he received the Michael D. Olsen Award as the Outstanding Alumnus from the Department of Hospitality Tourism Management from Virginia Tech. He spends his free time farming with his wife Donna of 32 years.
David is a hospitality professional with over twenty-seven years of extensive experience and successful career progression with both major and independent hotel brands, which include, Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham and Choice Hotel franchises.
Prior to joining the Guests, Inc. team, David spent the last twelve years with Marshall Hotels and Resorts. In his most recent position, he was Regional Vice President of Operations. In that role David was responsible for a variety of franchises including Hilton and Marriott. David has expertise in leading and directing sales & marketing, operations and financial activities that drive revenue and ROI. David also demonstrates the ability to plan and execute new builds, conversions, and major renovation (PIP) construction projects.
A 34 year veteran of the hospitality industry, Ken began his career with Marriott Corporation where he supported the development of the Courtyard by Marriott brand and later as a DOS for Renaissance and Sheraton properties in the Washington DC area. He recently joined Guests, Inc. in April 2023 after spending the past 24 years as a successful Regional and/or VP of Sales and Revenue generation leader for IHG, Wyndham, and CHOICE corporate owned and managed hotels. His extensive and diverse experience encompasses Luxury, Up-scale, Full-service, Mid-scale, Select-service, Extended Stay, Boutique, and Independent properties throughout the US and Canada.
Ken lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife of 24 years and their two children. A huge outdoor enthusiast when he’s not working, you’ll find Ken kayak fishing, mountain biking, snowboarding/skiing, and camping with family/friends.
With over 20 years of experience in finance, Shannon has demonstrated career growth in all areas of accounting. Shannon joined Guests Inc. in April of 2008. In her current role as Director of Finance she is responsible for the entire accounting direction and controls with Guests, Inc. and its property operations. Shannon is hands on with establishing the banking procedures and credit card processing with all our hotels. Other responsibilities include establishing licensing and verifying sales tax compliance. She is also involved with our auditing procedures, protocols and controls. Finally, Shannon is associated with our IT department as it relates to our network and all PCI compliance procedures.
Randy joined Guests, Inc. in February of 2018 as the Host /General Manager of the Hampton Inn in Barboursville, WV. He has over 30 years of experience in all areas of hospitality. Randy also offers experience with handling PIP’s from start to finish and new construction.
Randy started his career in Myrtle Beach, SC where he quickly worked his way up the management team of Camelot by the Sea, Myrtle Beach’s first themed resort.
In 2001, Randy and his wife moved to West Virginia where he was the General Manager of a Best Western. During his 16 years with Best Western, he served as a Governor for District VII, served and chaired several Advisory Boards and he was the recipient of the “All Star Governor Award” on two separate occasions.
Through his service to the hospitality industry, Randy has served on the WVHTA Board, Hatfield and McCoy CVB Board, Logan County Chamber Board, Coalfield CVB Board, and is currently serving on the Huntington Area CVB Board.
Amanda has over sixteen years of hospitality sales and operations experience. For the last four years she has been with Guests, Inc. as Regional Sales Director working in the West Virginia market and starting in 2023 as the Director of Revenue Management for the entire portfolio. Amanda plays a key role with her multifaceted approach to sales, marketing and maximizing annual revenues throughout the Guests, Inc. portfolio. Amanda is hands on with the hotels by providing support and leadership with the hotels marketing plans and revenue generation. She builds relationships with her team members and provides guidance to help meet their revenue goals. Amanda is experienced with Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice and Wyndham franchises and holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and History from Columbia College.
Mr. Wallace joined Guests, Inc. in 1988 as the Maintenance Engineer at the Radford Comfort Inn and Best Western. He was promoted to the position of Assistant Maintenance Engineer for all of the Guests Inc. hotel properties and in August, 2000, he was promoted to the Chief Maintenance Engineer. His responsibilities include the Guests, Inc. Preventive Maintenance Program, property maintenance training, mechanical maintenance as well as the inventory and purchasing for the maintenance program. He also maintains property safety program data (OSHA conformance) and the EPA compliance program for the Guests-operated properties.
Mr. Wallace has over forty (40) years of maintenance experience. He has a degree in automotive technology from New River Community College and building and maintenance from Commonwealth of Virginia college.
Prior to joining Guests, Inc. Mr. Wallace served as a maintenance engineer with the Radford University.
He is licensed in EPA regulations and he has completed numerous certification programs.
Tim joined the Guests, Inc. team in 2007. He serves as a Senior Advisor after his recent retirement. Tim provides guidance and education to the team at Guests, Inc. on day to day operations and special projects.
Prior to joining the Guests, Inc. team, he served as the General Manager of the Quaker Square Crowne Plaza Hotel in Akron, Ohio. This hotel contained 190 guest rooms, 50,000 square feet of meeting and conference space, multiple food and beverage outlets and 55,000 square feet of office and retail space. During his tenure at this hotel, he led the efforts to increase RevPar by 5% and increased the profitability of the food and beverage operation by 7.5%.
Tim was the Vice President of Hotel and Golf Operations from 1991-2005 with BriLyn, a Cincinnati, OH based hotel company. In this role, he was responsible for the support and oversight of nine hotels with total annual sales of $16,500,000. The five golf courses under his supervision produced annual food and beverage revenue in excess of $4,000,000.
Over the course of his career, Tim has also overseen construction, opening and renovation of restaurants, hotels and golf course clubhouses. Since joining Guests, Inc. he has supervised numerous capital projects, PIP’s, and property brand conversions. Three of these projects received awards including the Mimslyn Inn, the Holiday Inn Express Fredericksburg, VA and the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Lynchburg, VA.
Tim has served in numerous multi-unit management positions overseeing full service hotels and restaurants with three other companies: Snavely Management Services, Harley Hotels and Hospitality Motor Inns. He has served on numerous Advisory Boards and Committees and from 1996 to 2005 he was a Trustee for the Board of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association.
He has a B.S. in Hotel Management & Food Service from The Pennsylvania State University.
The hospitality industry is a fast-paced environment. With continuing education, franchise updates, and continually changing government information, there is a lot to learn and keep up with. Luckily, our staff is on it. We keep your establishment up to date when it comes to the health, safety, and maintenance requirements of your hotel.
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