The other day, Mark Kirsch was out front of the Hyatt Regency Valencia as a bellhop.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Kirsch garnered a few odd glances from staffers as he bussed tables inside the hotel’s newly renovated restaurant.
He’s stripped beds and helped tidy guest rooms, too.
Those chores aren’t part of his job description as general manager of the Santa Clarita Valley’s most prominent hotel, the 244-room Hyatt on Town Center Drive, but Kirsch simply can’t help himself.
“I love serving people,” he said.
After nearly three decades in hospitality, Kirsch has joined Hyatt for the first time, adding to a resume that already includes work with the country’s two largest hotel chains, Marriott and Hilton. Prior to starting in Valencia in mid-May, Kirsch had been regional director of operations for Kentucky-based Lakshmi Narayan Hospitality Group, a position that entailed oversight of four hotel properties.
His move to Southern California was in the plans: His wife, Roxy, went to school in Los Angeles and wanted to come home again, plus one of his daughters will be schooling at UCLA beginning in the fall. Another daughter hopes to pursue an acting career.
And, coincidentally, Kirsch himself is a lifelong fan of the NFL’s Chargers, who played their inaugural season in L.A. in 2017 following a move from San Diego.
“It’s just amazing that Valencia popped up (on the job boards),” he said.
Kirsch added, “This is going to be home. I’m not just passing through.”
On the job, Kirsch said he will focus on creating a rich and positive culture – for his staff and the hotel’s guests – and strive to network within the Santa Clarita business community to both foster existing partnerships and build new relationships.
Also, Kirsch will play an integral role in the Hyatt Regency’s 20th anniversary celebration set for October. The event will also mark the completion of a top-to-bottom, multi-million makeover that began earlier this year.
Of his management style, Kirsch said, “If you take care of your people, they’ll take care of your guests.”
The Hyatt’s level of service will be important for another reason, too: “The way (our guests are) treated by us will likely be what they remember about Santa Clarita,” he said. “It’s important that we put our best foot forward every time somebody comes into the hotel.”
To learn more about the Hyatt Regency Valencia, go online to www.valencia.regency.hyatt.com or call 661-799-1234.
