As the opening date nears, SAM ZABAWSKY has been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing for the Sandpearl Resort, the first new resort on Clearwater Beach in over 25 years. The 253-room, eight-story luxury hotel is being constructed on 700 feet of Gulf of Mexico waterfront and is slated to open in the spring of 2007.

Zabawsky boasts over 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, most recently serving as director of resort sales & marketing for the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Prior to that position, he served as regional vice president of sales for Wyndham International, which included overseeing resorts from South Carolina to Key West, Fla. Other past positions included Interstate Hotel Corporation, where he opened the Marriott Grand Hotel in Moscow, Russia as director of sales & marketing, and converted the Doral at the Beach in Miami, Fla. to the Westin Miami Beach as director of marketing & sales.

“The Sandpearl Resort is extremely important to JMC and Coral Hospitality and we’re excited to be adding a director of sales & marketing as impressive as Sam Zabawsky,” stated Lee Weeks, CEO of Coral Hospitality. “We know Sam’s background will ensure effective positioning and the financial success of this exciting new resort.” 

In 1995 and 1997, Interstate Hotel Corporation recognized Zabawsky as “Director of Marketing & Sales of the year.” He won similar awards with Marriott International in 1985, 1986 and 1989. Zabawsky graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Marketing.

Zabawsky, and all future additions to the Sandpearl Resort team, will be based out of a pre-opening office located at 600 Cleveland Street in Clearwater until the resort opens in the spring.

The Sandpearl Resort is being developed by JMC Communities (www.jmccommunities.com) of St. Petersburg, Fla., and is managed by Naples, Fla.-based Coral Hospitality (www.coralhospitality.com).

Founded in 1978, JMC Communities is a Florida-based real estate development company specializing in premier waterfront residential properties that preserve and accentuate the state’s natural beauty and uniqueness. JMC Communities has developed more than 3,700 waterfront condominium homes in Florida, including many highly successful developments in the Gulf Coast area.

Coral Hospitality is a full service management company with a diverse portfolio of resorts, hotels, condominiums, private golf and tennis clubs and community associations. Currently managing a collection of 35 properties throughout Florida and Georgia, Coral operates each with a core belief in providing thoughtful service in unique surroundings.