Executive Team

Don Ayres Jr. was raised in Los Angeles, attended Hollywood High School, received his Bachelor’s in Business Management for Advertising from USC and has passed his love for sailing and the water down to his children.

In 1955, he joined the long legacy and family business of land development started by his grandfather, Frank H. Ayres in 1905 where Frank H. Ayres & Son developed land throughout LA County. When Don joined, his father, Don Ayres Sr. had spent years in the business starting in the roaring ’20s developing several single-family home sites, apartments and commercial units in the Pico/Robertson area. Frank was also instrumental in connecting Santa Monica to the greater Los Angeles area, where he formed Westchester - one of the first planned cities in the United States of over 3,000 acres and he developed the Portuguese Bend on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. At Don Jr’s arrival into the business, it was decided Don Sr. would take over the land subdividing division of the business and Don Jr. would start the firm’s homebuilding interests from San Fernando Valley to San Diego.

Don Jr. developed the concept of European boutique hotels after a trip to Europe with his daughter, Allyson Ayres-D’Eliscu in the early ’80s. By 1984, the first Ayres hotel location opened, named ‘Cardiff Country Side Inn’ in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California where Allyson played a significant role in the interior design of the hotel. This began the tradition of the Ayres family as builders, owners, and operators.

In 1979, Don’s son, Bruce, joined the business with a focus on land acquisition. In 1986, another son, Don III, joined and started his hotel career at their Country Side Inn hotel in Costa Mesa. Soon after and in 1989, Don Jr.’s youngest son, Doug, entered the family business. Doug focused on land acquisition and the construction of the acquired land. Allyson remained influential in the interior design of their hotels for 11 years. All 3 sons remain involved and active today.

Don remains actively involved today in business decisions and direction. He has welcomed the newest generation into the business, his two grandsons, Chase and Ethan. He believes in setting up the next generation for success and has had them complete an extensive training program at various Ayres locations working in all departments.

He is married to Janet Ayres who was actively involved in the business for years assisting with Interior Design, Housekeeping Operations, and Maintenance Operations. They reside in Newport Beach. Don enjoys his time with his 5 children and 11 grandchildren.

“It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.”— John Cassis

Don Ayres, III. grew up in Newport Beach and received his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies of Literature and History in 1980 from USC. Passionate about the ocean, Don sailed competitively for many years. And in his twenties, he circumnavigated the Pacific, traveled and worked construction jobs.

His hotel career began in 1986 where he focused on learning operations by working restaurant positions, front desk and sales. After learning about the key elements of operations firsthand, his focus and responsibilities shifted to company branding, corporate marketing, sales collateral, rate strategies and effectively communicating the essence of Ayres Hotels of Southern California.

Don’s passion for people led him to develop the company’s core values (*We Care About People *We Value Teamwork *We Deliver Results). These core values have fostered a positive and team member supportive work culture within the organization that motivates management and team members to practice the company’s core values throughout their daily interactions.

In 2005, Don participated in the growth and success of Ayres Hotels by developing and managing multiple development projects.

Today, he continues to seek out other development opportunities; while maintaining focus on organizational issues and committing to creating a healthy transition to the next generation.

Don has two sons, Don IV and Ethan. He is an avid surfer and traveler. He is a Deacon at Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church, on the board of non-profit NorthEast of the Well and is active in the faith-based recovery program, Teen Challenge. He is a life-long learner and personal growth advocate.

"There are as many ways to do things as there are people; as long as there is goodness."

Bruce Ayres grew up in Newport Beach and graduated from Newport Harbor High School. In 1979, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Comparative Religion from California State University, Long Beach. During his childhood, he was exposed to sailing and later it became a passion. He is still involved in competitive racing today.

Bruce began his career as a construction laborer shoveling gutters and sweeping houses for his father’s housing residential tracks in 1973. He then joined the Ayres Corporate Office in 1979; where he was involved in acquisitions and the construction of self-storages/commercial centers. Starting in 1985, he became involved with hotel acquisitions as well and began processing the projects through respective cities to obtain building permits. By 1988, he built his first hotel for Ayres and since has developed 10 Ayres properties.

Currently, he is still involved with site acquisitions and the management of existing hotels. With his son, Chase, he is developing his 11th property, Ayres Hotel Vista projected to open in early 2020. You will often find him in the field visiting hotels and General Managers to ensure hotels are maintained and operating according to the Ayres standards.

Bruce is happily married to his wife Jill for 32 years. Together, they have raised 3 children; Chase, Hayley, and Beau. He is still a passionate sailor and races in world-class regattas around the world. He has been very successful in the Melges 24. He loves to swim and practice Pilates. His family is his biggest priority and joy.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” —Napoleon Hill

Douglas grew up in Newport Beach and studied Religion and Music at the University of Southern California before embarking on a busy career in sound recording and design. He also completed studies in anthropology while living with a tribe during his time in the Amazon.

Representing the third generation of Ayres hoteliers, he took up the industry of his forebears in 1989 when Doug joined the family business. Since this embarkment, he has gained extensive experience in and personally leads the development of hotel projects (i.e. site selection, entitlement, design, and construction) as well as being critically involved in the pre-opening process and communications with investors and government officials. He was also instrumental in creating the updated European ambiance for which the Ayres Hotels collection is known.

In August 2015, Doug completed the construction of the Allegretto Vineyard Resort by Ayres in Paso Robles, CA. As a hands-on investor, developer, and project manager, Douglas led the project on a daily basis, from land acquisition to the resort’s grand opening. In 2002, Doug was taken with the beauty and agriculture of the region and has populated the hotel with arts and artifacts from his many travels throughout South America, Asia, Europe and beyond. This is his most personal project yet; designed to recreate the peace and proportion of ancient spaces. “Across history, people have expressed their connection to a deeper source through their environment, food, song, dance, and celebration,” he says. “The Allegretto is another of those human expressions. It tells a story in time – a story of joy.”

In the water, Douglas has competed in five transpacific sailboat ocean races. On land, he travels around the world often with his wife Michelle and he is an avid winemaker.

"Cultivate presence and quality as a way of life."

Chase Ayres was raised in Newport Beach and received his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of San Diego.

During high school summers, he would work either as a busboy at Le Chateau Restaurant or as a bellman at Ayres Hotel Costa Mesa/Newport Beach. Early on, he realized the importance of providing a positive “guest experience.” This interest led him to be more eager about how hotel operations worked. In a three-year period, he worked in hotel construction, housekeeping, front desk, sales, maintenance and as an Assistant General Manager.

Later, he constructed an in-fill project of 18 single-family homes in Riverside. His responsibilities included entitling, bidding, project management, superintending the offsite improvements and building the model for this development. Then, he was a co-GP in developing Ayres Hotel, Vista. Currently, he oversees all phases of property acquisition, disposition, 1031 exchange and asset management.

He is focused on continuing the family tradition of real estate development in Southern California.

"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold." – "Zion Train"

Dustin Ayres was introduced to the hospitality industry at an early age. His grandfather, Don Ayres Jr., believed that hard work, staying busy, and gaining real-world experience were essential life lessons. During his younger years, Dustin spent summers working in housekeeping and as a food runner at the Ayres Hotel in Costa Mesa.

Dustin attended the University of San Francisco, and after graduating, he continued building his experience within the family business, working in both maintenance and front desk operations. These hands-on roles gave him a strong appreciation for the dedication and teamwork required to create exceptional guest experiences.

Today, Dustin serves as an Asset Manager, overseeing several retail centers throughout Southern California and Utah. In addition to managing the family's commercial real estate portfolio, he holds a real estate license and actively pursues new investment opportunities that support the continued growth of the company.

Having worked in many areas of the business - from housekeeping to hospitality operations and commercial real estate - Dustin values the lessons learned along the way and enjoys contributing to the next chapter alongside the fifth generation of his family.

Dustin's personal motto is, “Live life, be kind, don’t take things too seriously, but be proactive about achieving your goals - not only in work, but also as a person.”

Don Ayres IV grew up in Newport Beach, California. His hotel career began at just 15 years old while attending Sage Hill High School, where he worked as part of the bell staff at Ayres Hotel Costa Mesa.

Following his high school days, Don pursued higher education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. There, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Finance and a minor in Economics. The summer after graduation, he interned at the Ayres Regional Accounting office before returning to SMU to earn his Master’s in Accounting.

Upon completing his education, Don yearned to broaden his horizons and joined HFF, specializing in capital markets and investment sales for commercial real estate. He later moved on to Aimbridge Hospitality, the world’s largest hotel management company, where he rose to Senior Vice President of Development. These roles allowed him to gain valuable industry insights and management skills.

Don’s personal life is equally fulfilling, with wife, Melissa, and their son, Don V, by his side. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors with his family, traveling, golfing, and spending time on the water.

His return to the Ayres Organization as President of Ayres Hotels is a homecoming that brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of experiences. He looks forward to embracing innovation and continuing the cherished Ayres legacy of fostering a culture of care and delivering outstanding results.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” —Aristotle

Robb Walker is a Canadian-born hospitality executive with more than three decades of experience. Throughout his career, Robb has led a wide range of assets spanning select-service hotels, full-service properties, luxury resorts, and private clubs throughout North America.

Today, Robb leads operations and commercial strategy for Ayres Hotel Group, aligning property-level execution with enterprise growth objectives across the portfolio. His focus includes strengthening Ayres’ revenue disciplines, improving operational efficiency and consistency, and elevating the guest and team member experience across all properties.

Robb is based in Laguna Beach with his wife, Judi. Together they share a blended family - his son, Ryan, and Judi’s daughters, Jessica and Chelsea - and are proud grandparents to four grandchildren. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor pursuits, travel, and the culinary arts, always looking ahead to the next adventure.

Scott is a 30-year hospitality-industry veteran, focusing on hotel operations. He studied hotel management at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and San Francisco State University. When joining Ayres Hotels, Scott brought a wide range of experience. He previously worked with various organizations, including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Kimpton, Ritz-Carlton, and Joie de Vivre Hotels. His background includes 15 years with La Quinta Inns and Suites where he was a Regional Vice President of Operations with responsibility for 28 hotels.

In 2019 he came on board as the General Manager of Ayres Hotel Vista/Carlsbad. His impressive and highly successful opening of that location and his previous achievements led Scott to his current role as Senior Area Director of Operations. In this role, he oversees the daily operations of eight Ayres properties, including Ayres Hotel Vista/Carlsbad, Ayres Suites Mission Viejo, Ayres Hotel & Spa Mission Viejo, Ayres Hotel Laguna Woods, Ayres Suites Diamond Bar, Ayres Hotel Chino Hills, Ayres Suites Ontario, and Ayres Hotel Ontario.

When he is not zeroing in on ensuring exceptional guest experiences, Scott loves the outdoors and is enthusiastic about many hobbies relating to nature. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Alex and his four sons, Boone, Warren, Elliott, and Brooks.

Hospitality has been part of Steve's life from the very beginning. He grew up watching his father manage resorts throughout the Caribbean, which sparked his passion for the industry at an early age.

With more than 35 years in hospitality, Steve has built a diverse career across limited-service, full-service, and resort properties. His background includes hotel operations, food & beverage, revenue strategy, property openings, repositioning, and team development.

He has also owned and operated a small inn, giving him firsthand experience on the ownership side and a deeper understanding of the balance between people, guest experience, operations, and financial performance.

Throughout his career, Steve has had the opportunity to open, transition, and reposition properties across the West Coast. He enjoys the challenge of improving performance, developing strong teams, and helping properties reach their full potential.

After more than three decades in hospitality, Steve is still passionate about the business—and especially the people behind it. He believes great hotels are built by great teams, strong leadership, attention to detail, and a genuine commitment to the guest experience.

 "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Garrett grew up in the city of Orange, California. He competitively wrestled, ran track and cross country at El Modena High School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State University of Fullerton in 1990. 

After graduating from California State University of Fullerton, Garrett specialized in the real estate sector working for Kenneth Leventhal, CPAs, Equitable Real Estate and Majestic Realty. Garrett is a licensed CPA in the state of California. After working 19 years at Majestic Realty, Garrett started working with the Ayres’ business in 2015.

Today, Garrett is responsible for corporate financial and governmental compliance reporting. He assists the Ayres family members with acquisitions and disposition of real estate properties and capital market requirements.

Garrett is married to Kristine and they have twins, Andrew and Abigail. He enjoys outdoor fitness and activities with his family. They are active with a local church in Santa Ana, California and as opportunities allow, they volunteer for overseas mission trips.

"The difficulties in life are designed to make us better, not bitter." —Anonymous

Gregg was born in Washington DC. The family moved to Madison, Alabama, when he was an infant; where he grew up. He was involved in sports from an early age; including baseball, football, and basketball; lettering in baseball and football in high school.

Often people do not know the most momentous moments in life. He secured his first position in the hotel business on a coin toss. He learned hospitality was in his blood early on and has had the luxury of following his passion for virtually his entire career. His hotel career began in 1977 where he started as a house person while in high school. He worked his way up in the hotel business moving to bell person, front desk, night audit, accounting, Controller, Assistant General Manager and back to his forte, Controller.

Gregg arrived at Ayres as the Controller of the Ayres Hotel and Suites, Costa Mesa; one of three hotels owned and operated by the Ayres in 1987. His department soon applied their expertise to all three Ayres Hotels; thus, developing the centralized accounting and human resources departments; a centralized strategy that continues today. As the company grew, the Ayres recognized the need to remain competitive. He is proud of his participation in many key initiatives during his career at Ayres and has honed his negotiating skills.

As Executive Vice President, he is a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Executive Committee's Governance Committee. The Governance Committee is responsible for evaluating and recommending procedures, practices, and structures of the affairs and businesses of the organization to achieve its strategic, operational, and financial objectives.

He enjoys the outdoors; hiking regularly at local wilderness preserves and places such as the Smoky Mountains National Park, national parks in Utah and the Grand Canyon, rim to rim to rim.

Gregg is married to Jean Ann. They have two children and one granddaughter, Mica, Matt, and Makayla respectively. He enjoys hiking, golfing, skiing and traveling. He actively participated in youth sports programs when his children were growing up; including coaching several soccer teams and refereeing youth soccer for 21 years. He is a parishioner of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Ladera Ranch since inception.

"Whether you think you can or you think you can’t—you’re right." —Henry Ford

Jana Beekman is a native to Orange County where she has resided since 1990 after spending her childhood years in the Inland Empire. She began her journey into the world of construction by working for an electrical company in high school as well as a plumbing, heating, and a/c company during college. She later became familiar with property management by managing large apartment complexes in Orange County. After joining Ayres Hotels, she pursued her college degree receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English from Cal State Fullerton in 2007. An enthusiast for travel and experiences, Jana enjoys creating adventures and great memories with her family.

Joining the Ayres team in 1995 enabled Jana to utilize her background. Beginning as an administrative assistant/project coordinator, she strove to learn about construction and development. As she gained experience, she grew with the company into her current position as Vice President of Design & Construction. Jana now handles projects from the entitlement stage through design, permitting, and construction phases. Having been involved in the building of over 20 of Ayres’ hotels, commercial projects and housing tracts, as well as multiple hotel renovations, she has been an integral part of the growth of Ayres Hotel’s portfolio.

Today, Jana strives to streamline the design and development processes while also supporting the needs of our operating hotel teams. With the talented team members she leads, she seeks to provide excellence in all areas of design and construction. She is excited to welcome Ayres’ fifth-generation, share her experience with them, and expand her knowledge by gaining insights from their fresh outlooks on hospitality development.

She is married to Mike, and they have two sons, Michael and Matthew. She enjoys spending time with her kids and supporting their activities, loves opera and travel, and trying new adventures.

We Care About People. Be kind and treat people the way you want to be treated.

We Value Teamwork. Together we can do so much more.

We Deliver Results. A team who respects, trusts, and cares for each other will achieve greater results.

Veronica Arguello grew up in Orange County and received her Human Resources Management Certificate from the University of California Riverside.

Her parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States in the 1960s. Admiring her parents’ integrity and strong work ethics, encouraged her to become the hard-working individual she is today.

Her hotel career began in 2000 where she was hired at Ayres Hotel Costa Mesa as a reservationist through an internship from the Regional Occupational Program in Orange County.

Veronica achieved a position in the hotel accounting and human resource office in 2001 as an administrative/payroll assistant. Her passion and vision for human resources grew each day; which led her to multiple promotions from Director of Human Resources in 2018 to her current position as Vice President - Human Resources.

Today, she continues to focus on organizational strategies to maintain a safe and good work environment for team members, including collaborating on new initiatives, such as the Hiring and Retention programs. Veronica provides leadership in exemplifying the Ayres Core Values with integrity and a culture of caring. She leads the Human Resource department and is well versed in labor and employment compliance, payroll, workers compensation, and company benefits.

In her personal time, Veronica enjoys traveling, watching baseball games, and spending time with her family. Additionally, she achieved her SHRM California Law HR Specialty Credential and is a member of the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) as well as the PIHRA (Professionals in Human Resources Association).

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" —Mark 8:36

Tim grew up in Arkansas and earned his BA from Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) and his MBA in finance from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY).

Prior to joining Ayres in 2016, Tim specialized in real estate finance, working on both the developer side and the lender side for residential and commercial real estate development. His focus at the Ayres Corporate office has been on process improvements and systems enhancements to help streamline workflows and simplify procedures.

Tim is married and the father of two. He loves sports and is constantly amazed by the beautiful weather that Southern California offers. He also enjoys traveling with his family and spending as much time as possible with them.

“Enthusiasm is absolutely necessary if you want to accomplish anything of value.” - Henry Ford
 

Cassidi Haskell grew up in Moreno Valley, CA and took classes in Early Childhood Development at Riverside Community College. Her first job was working at Sears in the Human Resources office as a receptionist, where she was able to start her career in customer service. This is the moment Cassidi knew she loved talking to customers and working with team members. Cassidi then moved to Corona, CA; where she was introduced to Ayres Hotel Corona East.

Her hotel career began in 2000; where she focused on learning operations by working the front desk at Ayres Hotel Corona East. After learning the fundamentals of the front desk, she then went on to become a supervisor at the Ayres Hotel Anaheim, where she was able to start working on leading a team. Excelling in this role, she was promoted to Assistant General Manager at the Ayres Hotel in Mission Viejo; where she gained extensive knowledge on running a hotel.

Cassidi always had a passion for sales. When she was introduced into the Sales Coordinator role at the Ayres Suites in Yorba Linda, she started making connections and building strong client relationships. These strong connections led her to her next promotion of Sales Manager, where she was able to increase year-over-year goals. Cassidi took all of her sales knowledge and pushed further by becoming Director of Sales at the Ayres Hotel Diamond Bar; where she was able to showcase her passion for sales, team leadership, and client connections.

After years of working with Ayres Hotels, Cassidi was able to take all of her knowledge and proven success to an Area Director of Sales position with 247 Hotel Management; where she was responsible for the sales teams at multiple brands. Cassidi continued to take this to the next level and into a Regional Director of Sales position with 247 Hotel Management. In this Regional role, she continued to lead multiple brand hotel teams with the goal of increasing year over years and building strong teams. She also opened new hotels and assisted in multiple transitions.

Cassidi’s current role is the Vice President of Sales for Ayres Hotels, where she will continue her passion for training and developing, increasing revenue, building solid relationships, and being the Sales advocate for property leaders. Cassidi will continue to lead her team by caring about people, valuing teamwork, and delivering results.

Cassidi has been married for 15 years to Brian Haskell, and has two daughters; Madison and Kennadi. Cassidi is so passionate about family and always makes sure this is her number 1 priority. Cassidi’s hobbies are running, working out, and attending cycle class when she has free time. Cassidi’s personal goal is to always encourage and guide a team on a daily basis, inspire action, collaborate, and continue to ensure teams feel valued and supported.