General Manager, Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front Hotel

Gina Dudley grew up in Hawai’i where ‘the Aloha Spirit’ is a cultural tradition and travel and tourism is a major industry.  The hospitality industry was a natural career choice for Ms. Dudley and her industry experience now spans over two decades.  During this time she worked her way up through the ranks and in doing so has gained expertise in every aspect of hotel operations. 

Ms. Dudley started her hospitality career as a teenager working in the gift shop of the Dole Cannery Plantation and later as a lei greeter at the Honolulu International Airport where she welcomed visitors with a warm Aloha and a real flower lei. Upon finishing high school Ms. Dudley enrolled in the University of Hawaii-Manoa and was accepted into the College of Business, majoring in Accounting and Finance.  During her second year she was recruited by the Dean of the School of Travel Industry Management to join his department.  While in college she was one of  then one of only four people offered an management internship at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. 

Ms. Dudley graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, specializing in Hotel and Restaurant Management and was subsequently offered a position at Hilton hotels in Guam and Japan; however she decided to stay in Hawai’i and take advantage of the abundant opportunities in the local hospitality industry.  She accepted a job as Assistant Housekeeping Manager at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel; a 1500 room full service property.  Within a year she was promoted to Front Desk Manager, then to Assistant Hotel Manager and then again to Senior Assistant Hotel Manager.

She resigned from the Hawaiian Regent to accept a position at the Ala Moana Hotel, a 1346 room full service property as their Director of Front Office Operations.  Here she managed 100 employees, Front Desk, Reservations, Telecommunications, and Uniformed Services.

Ms. Dudley left this job in April 1996 to move to Pensacola Florida with her family.   Shortly after her arrival she was recruited by Innisfree Hotels to be the Assistant General Manager for the Hilton Garden Inn on Pensacola Beach, which opened in March 2003 and was later converted into a full service Hilton.  In 2007, she was promoted to General Manager.