Credit: AHLA
Kirk Kinsell, the former CEO of Loews Hotels & Co. and former president of the Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts, died of cancer on March 25, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association. He was 71.
Kinsell spent nearly two decades at IHG, overseeing operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa before being named as president of the Americas in 2011. He's credited with launching several IHG brands, including Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo and Even Hotels. Kinsell took the helm of Loews Hotels in 2015 and retired two years later.
"[Kirk] was a friend and trusted advisor, always eager to share an insight, an anecdote, or a lesson about our industry," AHLA president and CEO Rosanna Maietta said in a statement.
Kinsell held various leadership roles on AHLA's board of directors and the AHLA Foundation board of trustees. According to his obituary, Kinsell helped raise millions for the AHLA Foundation "to ensure the next generation of hotel employees had a clear path to leadership."