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Hartling Group is the most experienced real estate development and management group in the Turks & Caicos Islands of the Caribbean. Founded by Stan Hartling in 1997, Hartling Group has three significant resort developments in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A team of handpicked professionals, each with successful track records in their respective fields, complements The Hartling Group’s corporate philosophy by providing vital support services such as revenue management, financial and accounting reporting, design and support services, and internal marketing.
Learn more about our exceptional executive team!
As CEO and lead partner, Stan Hartling plays a vital role in all aspects of The Hartling Group’s development projects – from initial design, feasibility studies, financing and promotion.
Under his leadership, The Hartling Group has grown to become one of the largest employers within the Turks and Caicos Islands with over 800 employees. The Hartling Group’s three luxury resorts have received the industry’s highest awards for design and excellence and are valued at over $500 million.
The Group also has interests in large-scale construction and advertising and is a cofounder of the largest private yacht charter operations in the Caribbean.
Stan graduated Honors Cum Laude from St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1986. He also earned his Chartered Accountant designation while articling with Deloitte & Touche, one of Canada’s leading professional services firms.
In 2023 Stan Hartling was awarded the highest honor St Mary’s University can bestow, being an
Honorary Doctorate in Commerce in recognition of his entrepreneurial achievements and extensive philanthropic efforts.
His passion is to be able to mentor and inspire others to pursue entrepreneurial careers.
Pierre is responsible for the Asset Management of all Hartling Group’s properties. Pierre serves as Vice President of Resort Assets, following 6 years as General Manager at The Sands at Grace Bay. He is responsible for the Asset Management of all Hartling Group’s properties including The Sands at Grace Bay, The Palms, and The Shore Club on Long Bay.
Originally from Jamaica, Pierre Beswick graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1996, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Restaurant and Travel Administration. Pierre began his hospitality career in the Food and Beverage sector in Hadley, Massachusetts immediately after graduation. Since then, he has worked in various hospitality-related services and marketing positions in the United States and the Caribbean.
Pierre joined Hartling Group in December of 2004 after five successful years with The Island Outpost Group, where he served as Hotel Manager of The Caves in Negril, Jamaica, voted one of Robb Report’s “Ten Best Getaways for 2004”.
As Hotel Manager, Pierre oversaw all departments of the hotel’s operations including rooms, food and beverage, accounts payable, purchasing and distribution, and inventory.
In his role as General Manager of The Sands at Grace Bay, Pierre oversaw all aspects of the 116-suite luxury resort ranging from the front office, housekeeping, human resource, security, maintenance, pool & beach, as well as landscaping.
In 2009, Pierre was the recipient of the “Hotelier of the Year” Award at the Star Awards, Turks and Caicos, as well as being voted “Manager of the Year” by his peers at The Sands at Grace Bay in 2009. In 2010, he also received the “Shining Star” Award at the Star Awards, Turks and Caicos.
Joan Hagan manages the relationship between the owners of the individual condominium units and the management for both The Sands at Grace Bay and The Shore Club.
Joan joined Hartling Group as Director of Owner Relations in January 2005. She manages the relationship between the owners of the individual condominium units and the management of both resorts as well as works alongside Stan Hartling (CEO) as his Executive Assistant. She also played a key role in the opening of The Palms Turks & Caicos, which was chosen by Forbes magazine as “One of the Top Ten Places We Wish We Could Stay in 2006”. Among her many roles, Joan is also the primary liaison to help owners with refurbishments, accounting inquiries, guest scheduling, and enquiries of a similar nature.
Beginning her career in the hospitality industry in the mid- 1980s, Joan assumed progressively responsible positions at various luxury hotels in the New Jersey-New York region.
Her previous roles included Executive Assistant to senior executives at luxury properties such as the AAA Five Diamond New York Palace Hotel, The Plaza, The Omni Berkshire and The Hotel Inter-Continental in New York. She began her career in the hospitality industry in such roles as Night Manager and Assistant Hotel Manager at the Stanhope Hotel, Doral Park, Helmsley Park Lane and Headquarters Plaza Hotels. In these positions Joan coordinated numerous large-scale gala events and charity functions, implemented guest feedback programs, supervised sales assistants and Business Center personnel, and oversaw all correspondence to guests and employees.
As CFO for Hartling Group, Patrick heads all finance related matters, including accounting, reporting, internal control & procedures, forecasting, budgets, insurance, bank relations, external audits, I.T. and purchasing.
This includes all companies under the umbrella of Hartling Group being existing resorts, strata plans, future projects, construction company, luxury yacht charter company and other related companies.
Prior to assuming this role in 2014, he served as Financial Controller at The Palms Turks & Caicos for eight years.
Before moving to the Turks & Caicos, Patrick worked as Financial Controller for Europe’s largest hotel company in different countries in Europe and the Caribbean for almost 20 years. He is a seasoned industry professional with experience going from 2* hotels to 5* luxury resorts and from traditional hotels to all-inclusive, managed resorts, franchising, fully owned resorts, resort openings, take-overs and more.
Patrick is an accounting graduate form P.I.H.O. Ghent Belgium and speaks multiple languages.
Karen S. Whitt is the Vice-President of Marketing and Brand Development for Hartling Group Turks and Caicos, managing the award-winning resorts the Sands at Grace Bay, The Palms Turks and Caicos and The Shore Club Long Bay Beach resorts in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A native of Dallas, Texas, she brings 25+ years of hospitality industry experience to these landmark properties.
Ms. Whitt began her hospitality career in Texas, Jamaica, and then Turks and Caicos Islands in 2005 as General Manager of the Somerset Resort on Grace Bay. She became General Manager of The Palms Turks and Caicos in February 2011, and to Senior Vice-President with Hartling Group in 2015 where she was instrumental in the opening of The Shore Club on Long Bay Beach.
Ms. Whitt is an active Board member of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association serving as President from 2008 to 2013. She is also an Executive Board member of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and currently serves as Chairman of the CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace.
She is the Chairman of the TCI International Film Festival, and volunteers to numerous civic and professional organizations on the island. An avid supporter of the National Cancer Society, she created and chaired the successful “In the Pink” for the last 12 years. Ms. Whitt was named “Hotelier of the Year” in Turks and Caicos Islands, “Ultimate Hotelier” by Island Destinations and “Top General Manager Worldwide” by Luxury Travel Advisor.
Ms. Whitt holds a Bachelor of Business Management and Communications from Eastern New Mexico University and Hospitality Management Degree from The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
Yadviga was born in Poland and emigrated to Canada where she completed her hospitality education and quickly gained managerial experience in cruise industry, hotels and resorts in Europe, North America, Asia and the Caribbean.
She started her career with the Hartling Group in 2006, initially at The Palms and then became instrumental in the opening of The Shore Club. In her corporate capacity she works to support departments in selecting and maintaining the FF&E throughout the resort and restaurants and creating event decorations and designs.
Yadviga has coordinated multiple renovation projects that required high level of technical and organization skills and prompt implementation. She is creative, resourceful and focused on delivering outstanding guest services to their satisfaction.
She is deeply involved in local charities, loves gardening, house renovations and rescuing potcakes, the local dogs of the islands.
Marc Romkey’s main area of responsibly is the management of The Hartling Group’s commercial assets. He is a key player, contributing to the success of the recent renovations at The Sands at Grace Bay, where he continues to coordinate the final phases of the project and reconcile the costs of renovation.
Marc brings to the company years of experience in the property management and maintenance industries in Halifax, Canada.
As a graduate from Queens University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Marc combines his enthusiasm for commercial property and project management with the most innovative management skills from his academic background.
Marc’s keen eye for handling detailed transactions makes him an important part of the accounting and financial management aspects of the enterprise as well as the notable part of all renovation projects.
Born and raised in Halifax, Marc sought the challenges and rewards of property and asset management in the active Turks & Caicos development market.
Julie was born in the United Kingdom and joined the Hartling Group in February 2022. She moved to St Lucia with her family in 2008 and has Eastern Caribbean citizenship.
Julie graduated with a degree in Law in 1985 and is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) the professional body for HR and people Development. She is a dedicated, driven, and versatile individual with over 30 years’ professional experience, including 15 at managerial and director level across the telecommunications, construction, new media, publishing, retail and more recently hospitality industries. She has worked extensively throughout the Eastern Caribbean and spent six months living and working in Guyana.
Julie has a proven track record of implementing effective strategies to support company growth and embed positive change with expertise in employment law interpretation, compliance, policy creation and implementation, staffing plans, compensation & benefits, performance management, on/off-boarding, employment law, and staff/industrial relations, policy implementation and recruitment.
Julie is a natural leader, who manages, motivates and develops personnel to maximise performance and has the interpersonal and communication skills to build positive relationships with colleagues and clients of all levels. Personable, approachable and supportive, passionate about people and process improvement, and excels in challenging working environments.
She has two adult children who reside in the UK. When at home, Julie enjoys watching British crime and legal dramas and reading fantasy novels.
Raymond has over 25 years of experience in the field of Hospitality Management working, with a 20-year focus on Revenue Management. Originally from Toronto Canada, he graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelors of Commerce – specializing in Hospitality and Tourism management.
While he enjoyed working in traditional managerial and executive level positions across multiple brands and service levels, he was always been fascinated with, and drawn to the Revenue Management discipline. He was given the opportunity to jump start his Revenue Management career with Hilton International in their Leadership Development program and later became part of a Taskforce opening and closing hotels around the Caribbean. He joined the Hartling Group in 2008 and is utilizing his knowledge and experience in the Revenue management field to grow the portfolio of the Hartling group. He has called the Turks and Caicos Home for the past 15 years and is a proud father of 3.
Well-established Canadian/Czech expatriate, with excellent technical and professional management skills and proven experience in Czech, Russian, Central Asia, USA, Caribbean and Canadian hospitality property and project management.
Experience in implementation of energy efficiency systems, preventative maintenance, training and management of staff under hardship conditions, management of budget and execution of business plans. Provide resources and support to facilitate compliance with standards, pre-opening and opening for hotels, restaurants, and business complexes, including project management duties.
Execution of renovation projects within budget and time frame. Prepare feasibility studies for related engineering projects and assist Owners in appointments of consultants and contract negotiations, project direction of construction, quality control, cost control, general construction agreement negotiation. Approval of designs, tender, construction drawings, specification and equipment schedules. Manage all Consultants and contractors on the site and supervise the Works at all times to ensure that they comply with the documentation, program, and method statement.
Preparing phases for handover, taking part in commissioning process for all M&E systems, undertaking comprehensive snagging schedules, remedying snagging and defects prior to handover. Communicated Owners expectations to Management Company and to all third parties. Liaise with owners’ representatives, consultant design teams and construction teams during the project development and construction process leading up to soft opening or completion of renovation/refurbishment.
Ovidio de Felipe is an experienced General Manager of luxury hotels with
over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry. His career includes
transforming hotels to exceed their growth goals, achieving recognitions as
some of the best hotels in the world and in Latin America. Ovidio is known for
his motivating leadership style and his passion for quality service.
Born in Spain, Ovidio was raised in various countries in Latin America,
accompanying his father, who was also a hotelier. He returned to Spain to
complete his final years of school and his university education, earning a
degree in Hotel Management from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and
completing Sales Management training at Cornell University.
Throughout his career, he has held key positions in renowned hotel chains
such as Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Recently,
Ovidio was the Hotel Manager of the Westin Reserva Conchal in Costa Rica, an
all-inclusive resort. Under his leadership, the resort exceeded financial and
quality expectations, earning recognitions such as the Best Westin Premium
Resort of the Year in the CALA region and being nominated as the Best Family
Resort in Mexico and Central America by the World Travel Awards in 2021.
Previously, Ovidio has held leadership roles at The Westin Lima and the
Tambo del Inka Luxury Collection in Peru, where he implemented innovative
strategies to improve customer satisfaction and hotel profitability. In these
three hotels, both in Marriott and Starwood, we managed to be the Best Hotel of
the Year in each of their brands and concepts. In the case of the Westin Lima,
it was the first hotel in South America to achieve this recognition. His work
has been recognized with multiple international awards, including the 10th Best
Hotel in the World by Travel & Leisure Magazine and the Best Resort in Peru
by the World Travel Awards.
Ovidio is a polyglot, mastering Spanish, Portuguese, English and French,
allowing him to effectively communicate in various international contexts. His
focus on staff training and motivation, along with his ability to manage
stakeholder relationships and finances, make him a valuable leader in the hotel
industry.
Naji is a passionate hotelier with extensive high-end luxury resort experience and proven capabilities in leading and opening high-profile properties with large food and beverage units. He has strong experience in restructuring and running profitable food and beverage outlets, rooms, and SPA.
During his career, he has worked extensively with international restaurant brands such as the Buddha Bar (opening and running), Belgian Café (opening and running), and a multitude of pop-up restaurants with Michelin-stars chefs. Naji gained extensive experience in the Indian Ocean and the GCC countries. He is able to deliver high-end guest experience and satisfaction while minimizing labor costs and enhancing colleague engagement. Solid leadership experience was gained with international hotel chains such as Intercontinental IHG, Anantara, and Shangri-La, where he earned a proven track record of successfully leading organizational departments and projects.
Naji is an expert in driving revenue for food and beverage and SPA and focus on ADR and occupancy through well-thought rate strategies and keeps a solid relationship with Owners, Owner’s Reps, and headquarters.
Terry Drummey is an affiliate of The Hartling Group. As Managing Partner and hands-on operator of Hemingway’s Restaurant, he plays an integral part in the Turks & Caicos experience.
Terry Drummey knows more about creating enjoyable, beach front dining than most people. As owner and hands-on operator of Hemingway’s Restaurant, Terry plays an integral part in the Turks & Caicos experience.
Originally from Seattle, Washington, Terry’s interest in the food and beverage industry earned him the role of Regional Area Beverage Manager for Club Med encompassing the Caribbean, Mexico and the USA. However, his move to Provo, and in particular to the pristine beaches of Grace Bay is what brought Terry the greatest satisfaction. Terry recognized that the oceanfront location at The Sands at Grace Bay was a prime setting for a restaurant, and paid homage to Ernest Hemingway when choosing a name. Today, Hemingway’s staff has grown to 55 members and the restaurant receives ongoing praise for its signature dishes.
Terry’s menus feature fresh, local cuisine – delicious conch, sumptuous fish dishes, perfectly cooked Angus beef and rack of lamb – making Hemingway’s the pride of the island. The restaurant is an accepted gathering location for watching sunsets, watching live music, sipping cocktails, mingling with locals and enjoying the tranquil beauty of the island, and no visit to the Turks & Caicos would be complete without a meal at Hemingway’s.
Terry’s passions spread farther than the restaurant industry; he is a Founding member and chairman of the Ed Gartland Youth Center, as well as a strong supporter of several local charities and organizations.
