On Friday, Hill received the 2023 Tourism Legacy Award during an annual industry appreciation event, put on by Collier County's tourism bureau. The bureau handed out 12 Tourism Star Awards this year. Hill has served as the only general manager for Hilton Naples. Owner/operator Cooper Hotels chose him for the job during construction, and he eagerly took it. "I was thrilled," he recalled. "In fact, I was on site for most of the time that the hotel was being built." He's been with Cooper Hotels for more than 36 years. Previously, he'd opened the Holiday Inn Select and Homewood Suites in Fort Myers for the company, before moving on to Naples. "I love the ocean, the Gulf, and I knew I wanted to stay close to that and we certainly have a pristine, gorgeous long stretch of beach," Hill remarked.
Over the years, the Hilton Naples has consistently ranked among the top hotels under the Hilton umbrella for service delivery. The hotel has been recognized for leadership in environmental sustainability, ethnic and cultural diversity in the workplace, community volunteering, and philanthropy. It's a flagship property for Cooper Hotels. The property received a Hilton Brand Award of Excellence for 2022. The award is presented annually to the top performing Hilton properties worldwide and recognizes outstanding performance in guest loyalty, service, property condition and cleanliness, based on the brand’s guest satisfaction and quality evaluation scores. The hotel is home to the award-winning Shula's Steak House, named one of the top five steak houses in America. It operates as a franchise.
