The Arlo Washington, D.C., slated to open in the autumn, got its debut general manager this spring—an industry veteran who opened two of the brand's New York City hotels.
But hospitality was not on Cordell Nelson's mind when he went to Howard University in the early aughts to study architecture. “I was really in love with art,” he recalled. “I love design. I really liked the unique structures of buildings. But I quickly realized that spending 16 hours in the studio every day was definitely not my calling.”
As he considered alternative majors, he decided he wanted a career in which he could focus on making people happy. His advisor recommended the hospitality management program at the school, which only had about 40 students at the time. (Today, he said, the program has expanded significantly thanks to an alliance with Marriott International.) “She really enlightened me on how much opportunity there was in hospitality, seeing that people of course will always need to travel,” Nelson said. “So I figured I'd give it a shot.”
Several months in, during a career day, a number of hotel general managers came to speak at the school. Out of all the visitors, Nelson said that only one was an African American man, a manager who had worked his way up to the top spot over more than a decade. “After meeting him, I really knew, of course, it was possible for me to become a GM one day, and I knew I wouldn't stop until I reached that goal.”
During his junior year, Nelson went to work as a front-desk agent at a Hilton Garden Inn in the D.C. area, where he learned enough about the daily operations of a hotel to take a job as a manager on duty at the Hotel Rouge, a Kimpton hotel, after graduation.
Luxury Education
Moving to New York City in 2012, Nelson found many hotels wanted local experience for management positions, so he spent half a year as a front-desk agent at the Waldorf Astoria. At the historic property, he learned how to deliver “five-star experience” to all of the hotel’s guests and how to cater to their specific needs. “I really learned how to have that white-glove type of service,” he said. “Whether it was having the guests’ favorite snacks waiting for them in the room with their favorite magazine or booking last-minute, front-row seats at Wicked on Broadway—pretty much anything that our guests could dream of, we made it happen at the Waldorf.”
By the end of 2012, Nelson got the management role he had been looking for at the Millennium Hotel Broadway Times Square. He spent two years as the front-office manager before moving on to the Omni Berkshire Place as the assistant director of front office. At these hotels, he said, he “learned how to manage different personalities and really encourage the motivated team members to excel, to reach their full potential.”
Embracing DNA
Nelson joined the Arlo team in 2016, helping to open the Arlo NoMad as director of front-office operations before rising to director of operations and then general manager in 2019. He oversaw the hotel through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, then moved downtown to open the Arlo SoHo in 2021.
After 12 years in New York City, Nelson was ready to return to Washington, D.C.—and Arlo was ready to expand its footprint into the nation’s capital. “It’s, of course, a full-circle moment for me,” Nelson said, noting that when he left the city in 2012, Kimpton was the only boutique brand with a strong presence “Boutique hotels were not really as prevalent in D.C. as they were in New York. So I really feel like Arlo has an opportunity to set ourselves apart from the rest of the hotels in D.C.”
Nelson has spent so many years with Arlo because of the company’s core values, particularly the “Embrace Your DNA” pillar. “We encourage our team members to bring their personalities to work and express their true selves in a professional manner—while still providing a high level of hospitality to our guests,” he said. “It really helps our guests to connect with real people and it makes them feel as if they're home with friends or family.”
Cordell Nelson's Secrets to Success
Create great hospitality, not just great service. “Make people feel great about the job you're doing for them.”
Put the team first. “If you provide great hospitality to your team, they will always pay it forward and provide great hospitality to your guests.”
Embrace your DNA. “Not only will your guests be more inclined to connect with your team and create lasting connections, but it will also help naturally create a family environment where teamwork is the main priority.”
Hope and optimism. “It's important that you not only take care of your mental health, but you mentor your team and give them hope,” Nelson said. “Give them confidence that we are going to get on the other side of this, we are going to push through, there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Arlo Washington, D.C.
- Opening year: 2024
- Number of guestrooms: 445
- Owner: Quadrum Global
- Management company: Arlo Hotels
This article was originally published in the June edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.