To know Joe Kelly is to know a straight-forward, caring leader and a high achiever.  He serves as “Coach” to multiple Meyer Jabara Hotels ensuring operational excellence and outstanding guest experiences.  He embraces the foundational principles and tools of the unique Meyer Jabara Journey culture and inculcates it throughout the hotels he coaches.  Joe also serves as General Manager of the beautiful Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa in Stamford Connecticut bringing to life the fine experiences for which Connecticut is famous.  

Joe is an active contributor in the community, recently honored as the Stamford Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year.  He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Arthritis Foundation of Southern New England, Yale Eye Center and the Stamford Chamber of Commerce.  He can most frequently be found coaching youth basketball…a favorite pastime of his for the last ten years.

Joe started with Meyer Jabara Hotels in 1998 as the General Manager of the 502-room, 6-suite Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa. He embraced a company environment that truly allowed people to grow and learn.  He empowered people to do what was best for the guest.  The guests noticed and, under Joe’s leadership, the Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa was recently recognized in the top 5% in Overall Meeting Satisfaction for Marriott Hotels & Resorts.

When Joe found his home at Meyer Jabara he brought with him skills he had developed from working five years with Loews Hotels, serving as General Manager of the Regency, the company’s 360-room flagship property in New York City.

It had been a natural progression for Joe to move into the role of General Manager at Loews, for he had been serving with Princess Hotels as Corporate Director of Rooms responsible for oversight of their properties in Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico and Arizona. 

After graduating in 1980 with an Associates Degree in Hotel Management from Paul Smith’s College, Joe began his career in hospitality with Westin Hotels.  For seven years he held various positions in sales, convention services, and food and beverage before being promoted to Senior Rooms Division Director at Westin Hotels in New York, Philadelphia and Dallas. 

Joe lives in Westport, Connecticut with his wife, Lori and their two sons, Evan and Jeff.