Manchester Names GM of Whitetail Club & Resort

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. October 14, 2008

MCCALL, ID, November 29, 2006. Thomas Allen James - previously with The Lodge at Torrey Pines Golf & Spa Resort in La Jolla, CA - has been named general manager of Whitetail Club & Resort, a luxury lakefront resort in Northern Idaho owned and operated by San Diego-based Manchester Grand Resorts. As Whitetail's general manager, James will direct the day-to-day operations of this popular destination on Payette Lake, which is located on 1,200 pristine acres in McCall, a small mountain town 100 miles north of Boise.

James will work closely with Whitetail President John Sabala to oversee the resort, which includes 77 suites, casual and formal dining venues, a spectacular 18-hole championship golf course and clubhouse, a swimming pool, a lakefront marina, 13,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities and two tennis courts.

According to Sabala, James is "an experienced hotelier with a well-rounded background, which will be key as we work to establish Whitetail as a luxury mountain retreat for all seasons."

With nearly 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, James has extensive hands-on expertise in sales and labor management, staff development, budgeting, conference services and food service delivery for a variety of high-end properties. He was most recently the director of food and beverage at The Lodge at Torrey Pines Golf & Spa Resort, a 175-room property that he helped open in 2002. James was instrumental in helping this acclaimed resort achieve a Five Diamond rating from AAA within its first year of operation.

Prior positions include director of catering and conferences services at the Carmel Valley Rancho Resort and Golf Club, a luxury property in Carmel, CA; director of event management at Marriott's Westfields Conference Center and Golf Resort in Chantilly, VA; and assistant director of conference services at Marriott's Tan-Tar-A Resort and Country Club on Lake of the Ozark in Missouri.

A native of Seattle, WA, he attended Arizona State University.

A long-celebrated part of McCall history, Whitetail was originally opened in 1948 as the Shore Lodge. In 1993, San Diego-based Manchester Grand Resorts purchased the resort and in 1999 embarked on an ambitious $25 million renovation - creating a luxurious resort and country club. Following the refurbishment, the number of rooms went from 116 to 77, turning Whitetail into an all-suite resort; and the level of service and number of amenities and luxuries increased dramatically.

Resort highlights now include: 18 holes of championship golf; two tennis courts; a racquetball court; boating and water activities; two restaurants (fine dining and casual venues); a bar adjacent to the lobby; a sandy beach; a swimming pool; two expansive hot tubs; a 45-seat movie theater; facial and massage treatment rooms; a sauna and state-of-the-art fitness facilities.

Despite its secluded location, Whitetail is remarkably easy to reach. Eight major airlines service Boise International Airport. From Boise, travelers enjoy a beautiful two-hour drive up Highway 55 - along the Payette River - to Whitetail Club & Resort.