Salamander's CEO Sheila C. Johnson is One of D.C.'s 10 Most Powerful Women Says ELLE Magazine

According to industry survey, Johnson's D.C. area-based Salamander group also ranked as the third fastest-growing hotel management company in the country

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. March 28, 2012

Middleburg, VA - March 27, 2012 - Sheila C. Johnson , the impassioned and entrepreneurial CEO and founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts has been recognized as one of Washington, D.C.'s 10 most powerful women by ELLE magazine.

The publication revealed the list in its April issue, which features nine other D.C. “Capital Dames,” including ABC Anchor Christiane Amanpour, CBS White House Correspondent Norah O'Donnell and Democratic National Committee Leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Not only was Johnson recognized for her business acumen in founding Salamander and co-founding Black Entertainment Television, but editors also hailed her philanthropic efforts, including the production of documentaries on AIDS and homelessness.

Johnson, a former music teacher, likes to combine her business and charitable interests by “connecting the dots,” highlighted by a recent humanitarian trip to Haiti with her friend, renowned designer Donna Karan, where she procured merchandise from artisans to sell in her Salamander hotels and resorts. All retail profits are directed back to Haiti.

Her hotel company, which she founded in 2005 just outside Washington, D.C., was also recently recognized as one of the fastest growing in the country by Hotel Management magazine. According to a recent survey of 171 hotel management companies, Salamander ranked third among those reporting with a 219% increase in revenue from 2010-2011.

“Salamander's targeted growth reflects our uncompromising commitment to achieving the quality and excellence for which Sheila stands,” said Prem Devadas , president of Salamander Hotels & Resorts. “It has also been made possible because of the hands-on involvement of our experienced and talented management team, which is resulting in financial turnarounds for our properties.”

These rankings were achieved without the inclusion of two recent additions to the Salamander portfolio because the survey did not include international properties. In October 2011, Salamander launched the Grand Resorts at Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, which features the luxurious 176-suite oceanfront Sanctuary resort, and the 298-suite brand new Fishing Lodge resort, which overlooks Cap Cana's spectacular marina.

The US-based Salamander collection includes the newly formed Grand Golf Resorts of Florida, which features Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay, Reunion Resort in Orlando and Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast. The company also manages the Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Woodlands Inn near Charleston, SC, and is developing the luxurious Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA, which will open in 2013 and is just 35 minutes from Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.

About Salamander Hotels & Resorts

Salamander Hotels & Resorts is a privately owned and operated company based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, D.C. Founded by entrepreneur Sheila C. Johnson in 2005, the company has a portfolio that features the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida, a collection of three stellar golf resorts including the recently renovated Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay, Reunion Resort in Orlando and the oceanfront Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast; Grand Resorts at Cap Cana, a collection of luxurious properties in the Dominican Republic including the oceanfront Sanctuary Cap Cana, the new marina-inspired Fishing Lodge Cap Cana, and the future Ocean Club Cap Cana; the Forbes Five-Star- and AAA Five Diamond-rated Woodlands Inn near Charleston, SC; and the eagerly anticipated Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, a 340-acre equestrian-themed, ultra-luxury resort located near Washington, D.C. opening in 2013. For additional information, call (540) 687-3710 or visit www.salamanderhotels.com.