ST. CHARLES – The man who has guided the city's landmark resort property for the past five years has accepted a management post at a high profile hotel in Chicago's downtown.
On Friday, Joe Pinto, general manager at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, will end his run directing operations at the resort property on the city's east side.
Pinto began working for Pheasant Run's parent company, Oakbrook Hotels, five years ago, serving as the vice president of hotel operations. In that role, he supervised Pheasant Run and Oakbrook's other hotel properties.
Last year, when Pheasant Run restructured its leadership structure, Pinto became general manager at Pheasant Run, as well.
Pinto said he is leaving Pheasant Run to take on a property management position at the Omni Chicago Hotel, which is located on Michigan Avenue at Huron Street in Chicago.
"This is a fantastic opportunity, one that I really couldn't turn down," Pinto said. "These kinds of opportunities, to manage a property like this in downtown Chicago, open up very rarely."
Pinto's departure has not yet been announced by Oakbrook Hotels. He said he would not be assisting the company in selecting a replacement for him at Pheasant Run.
Pinto said he believes he is leaving Pheasant Run on an upswing.
He said the resort is experiencing "double-digit percent" gains in revenue and profit this year.
And, he said, advanced bookings for 2012 look solid, as well.
"They're ahead of the pace compared to where they'd normally be," Pinto said.
He acknowledged that the resort experienced "cash flow problems" in the early part of this year, as bookings were down.
Crain's Chicago Business reported in April that a report from Bloomberg L.P. revealed that Pheasant Run had missed a $169,992 monthly payment on a $27.3 million loan that is due in 2016.
The resort also has struggled in generating revenue, Bloomberg reported, with revenue falling annually since 2007 from $27.4 million to just $19 million in 2010.
