Our Story
Hotel Commonwealth stands in the heart of Kenmore Square, and Kenmore Square is at the heart of Hotel Commonwealth.
Originally conceived as part of an urban renewal project undertaken by Boston University in 2003, Hotel Commonwealth was built from the ground up in reverence to the surrounding architecture, and also underwent a radical renovation in 2015 which added over 8,000 square feet of premium event spaces and 96 luxurious modern guestrooms. Since the beginning, we have been at the forefront of a neighborhood renaissance that has seen Kenmore Square energized as the cultural and entertainment hub of Boston!
You’ll find nods to our storied past all over the property: from artwork by local artists gracing our lobby and hallways, to elevators signed by Baseball luminaries, to uniquely appointed Signature Suites celebrating Boston’s literary greats, Baseball, and the (in)famous Rathskeller live music venue – the grandaddy of Boston Rock – which once stood on this very spot.
We’re enormously proud of the role the hotel has had and continues to play in the Fenway/Kenmore area’s evolution, and it’s this commitment to our community that sets us apart. Today, Hotel Commonwealth is the official hotel of the Boston Red Sox, with over 50 rooms overlooking the iconic Fenway Park’s Green Monster, and exclusive baseball packages you won’t find anywhere else. We also champion local charities, donating over $10,000 a year to various causes, and maintain close ties to Boston University along with a whole host of local businesses.
And even as we support our neighborhood, we tend the Earth we all share with environmental initiatives including refillable PATH water bottles, energy and water saving laundry, the use of phosphate and NPE-free detergents, single-stream recycling, and our in-house Clean Earth Clean Air Program. In addition, we compost all food waste from our kitchen and event services, allowing for zero-waste meetings and events.
But more than anything else, it’s our people who make Hotel Commonwealth one of Boston’s top-rated hotels, year in, year out. From front of house to heart of house, our staff care passionately about unscripted service and genuine hospitality, always willing to go above and beyond for our guests.
Whether you’re travelling for business or celebrating a special event, taking in a Baseball game, concert, or just looking for an escape, we look forward to being a part of your story, and to welcoming you into ours!
Meet Hotel Commonwealth
Executive Leadership
Heather Southard
Director of People and Culture
Heather Southard
Director of People and Culture
Heather joined the Hotel Commonwealth in early 2015 as the Director of People and Culture. Her role as Human Resources Business Partner spans all facets of HR; including labor relations, recruiting, recognition, and training and development. Prior to her position with the Hotel Commonwealth, Heather spent time in Human Resources at other luxury hotels in the Boston area, including the InterContinental Boston and the Boston Harbor Hotel, where she spent her time building her HR knowledge and fostering her love of the industry. Having grown up in Florida, she now considers herself a New Englander after 17 years in Boston, and enjoys spending her free time with her husband, 2 young children, and rescue pup.
Chris Duff
Director of Finance
Chris Duff
Director of Finance
Chris has worked in the hospitality industry for over 40 years, joining the Hotel Commonwealth in 2022 as the Director of Finance. Prior to Hotel Commonwealth, Chris was with Loews Hotels for 9 years at the Loews Boston Hotel, a former police station. Interestingly, he also worked at The Liberty Hotel, which had formerly been an old jail, for 2 years as Director of Finance. Prior to the Liberty Hotel, Chris spent 5 years with Kimpton Hotels, serving in finance roles at the Nine Zero Hotel. Chris was also able to assist in the opening of Hotel @ MIT, which at the time was managed by Hilton Hotels. Through all of his experiences, he credits his career to all the mentors he has met along the way, and believes the best parts of all of his roles has been working alongside amazing hotel professionals who now have become lifelong friends. While originally from Vermont, Chris came to the Boston area after college and found himself never wanting to leave! Discovering the amazing state of Maine has kept him busy and intrigued through vacation visits, and he hopes to eventually retire there.
Ali DeMilia
Director of Rooms
Ali DeMilia
Director of Rooms
As Director of Rooms, Ali oversees all Front Office and Housekeeping operations. Her top priority is providing guests with the best experience possible through personalized service and beautifully maintained guestrooms. Ali brings just over a decade of hospitality experience to Hotel Commonwealth. Prior to joining the team, Ali held a variety of managerial and task force positions with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Stonebridge Companies, and Highgate Hotels. While with Kimpton, she was also a key operations trainer for its openings & transitions team. Ali graduated with a BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring Boston’s food & beverage scene and is often found cheering in the crowd at as many Celtics games as possible.
Lou Sanderson
Director of Engineering
Lou Sanderson
Director of Engineering
Lou joined the Hotel Commonwealth as Director of Engineering in January 2020. Lou oversees all areas of the building, from building maintenance and system operations, to ensuring the guest rooms, public space, and everything in between is well maintained and in good condition. Lou has over 25 years of experience in hotel engineering, beginning his career with Marriott Hotels in New York. He came to Boston in 2006, where he held various engineering leadership roles with Hilton, Hyatt, the Sheraton Boston among other Marriott properties in the city. Lou oversees capital construction projects, and a team of engineers to ensure the property is ready to welcome both guests and associates alike every day. While he loves working at the official hotel of the Boston Red Sox, Lou remains a Yankees fan at heart.
Susan Cotton
Director of Sales and Marketing
Susan Cotton
Director of Sales and Marketing
Susan has been leading the sales and marketing strategy for Hotel Commonwealth for nearly a decade. She has more than 25 years of luxury, independent hotel experience including city center hotels and destination resorts around the country. Prior to joining Hotel Commonwealth, Susan held the Sales Director role in the New England market for TravelClick where she focused on implementing new technology, digital marketing and revenue channels for hospitality clients. She is a graduate of the University of CA Berkeley.
Corinne LeMay
Director of Revenue
Corinne LeMay
Director of Revenue
Corinne has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry focused in the independent luxury environment. She joined Hotel Commonwealth in 2011 as Director of Revenue. In her role, she is responsible for revenue optimization, strategic pricing & analysis, channel distribution, forecasting, and market share growth. She brings positivity, motivation, and a competitive nature to work each day. Her career began with Marriott International where she built a strong foundation in Reservations, Group and Catering Sales. After 8 years with Marriott, Corinne joined The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts. She held several positions including Director of Transient Sales and Area Director of Revenue Management. She spends her free time with her husband, 2 children and puppy.
Shane McWeeny
General Manager
Shane McWeeny
General Manager
Shane is a hospitality veteran with over 20 years of experience in leading luxury hotels. Known for his strategic vision and guest-first approach, He has managed iconic 4-Diamond and 5-Diamond properties, including Hilton Boston Park Plaza, Beverly Hills Hotel, and Ritz-Carlton Boston Common. Mr. McWeeny’s expertise spans operational leadership, team mentoring, and financial performance, with a proven track record of elevating service standards, achieving record-breaking guest satisfaction scores, and driving sustainability efforts. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he is dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind guest experiences and fostering collaborative, innovative team environments.
Sales & Catering
Gordon Beebe
Director of Group Sales
Gordon Beebe
Director of Group Sales
Gordon has over 25 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry. He joined Hotel Commonwealth in 2015 as Senior Group Sales Manager and has been the hotel’s Director of Group Sales since 2018. Experienced, principled with a strong track record of creating successful outcomes for diverse groups of key-stakeholders through effective sales management and active engagement with clients. Prior to Hotel Commonwealth, his career journey included sales roles at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Langham Hotels & Resorts and independent luxury-tier hotels in Boston. A native New Englander, he enjoys local sports, great food and wine and spending time in the Berkshires with his partner Alex and their dog, Sheeba.
Andrea Danilowicz
Director of Catering
Andrea Danilowicz
Director of Catering
Andrea brings 15 years of hotel & hospitality experience while creating memorable experiences for catered events at the Hotel. She thrives on welcoming people to Boston, her favorite city, all while making sure every last event detail is executed to make each program successful. Her achievements at Hotel Commonwealth include being a part of the team that opened the new wing of the Hotel in 2016, as well as Manager of the Year in 2018. Originally hailing from Tampa, Florida & an Event Management graduate of the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College; Massachusetts is now her beloved home and she thoroughly enjoys the iconic New England summers as much as possible.
Kevin Bowdidge
Executive Chef
Kevin Bowdidge
Executive Chef
Chef Kevin Bowdidge brings over a decade of corporate culinary experience and training to his role as Executive Chef at Hotel Commonwealth. Long before joining The Walsh Hospitality Group, Bowdidge grew up in Stoneham, MA, where he was always drawn to helping in the kitchen. After attending college, he decided to pursue his love for cooking further by attending the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, Professional Chefs Program in Cambridge, MA. Upon graduation, Bowdidge landed his first professional culinary role as Sous Chef at Boston Cafe and Catering in Woburn MA. He was responsible for assisting the Head Chef in daily operations such as prepping and preparing dishes, overseeing and cooking outside catering events and managing the staff to ensure and enforce safety and company standards, and eventually rose the ranks to take over as Head Event Chef. He then went on to work as Chef and Manager of Rita’s Catering in Waltham Massachusetts from 2014 to 2016 and became Corporate Executive Chef in 2019. In this role, Bowdidge oversaw multiple chef managers and staff as well as developed weekly specials for ten corporate cafes- providing him with invaluable experience that he would draw on for his next role at Walsh Hospitality Group’s Hotel Commonwealth. As Executive Chef at Hotel Commonwealth, Bowdidge oversees all culinary programming and planning for the hotel. He is passionate about fostering team development and is committed to drawing on his past experience and successes to further elevate each and every guest’s culinary experience to ensure that it is a memorable, and delicious, one.
Allison Thomas
Senior Catering Sales Manager
Allison Thomas
Senior Catering Sales Manager
Growing up just North of Boston not only made Allison a built-in New England Sports fan, but also gave her a passion for Boston. She knew from a very young age that Boston was where she wanted to end up and she always knew she wanted to work in the events industry. Allison was “planning” events for her family for as long as she can remember! Allison graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Hospitality Management Degree in 2013, and started her career as an Event Manager in Burlington MA at The Café Escadrille, then as a Banquet Manager at The Four Seasons Boston, and now currently serves as the Catering and Event Manager in one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the city. Besides getting to work with the most amazing clientele, Allison loves getting to do so next to one of America’s favorite ballparks! When not working, you can probably find Allison in the North End eating lots of Italian Food or with her Goldendoodle, Lincoln.
Gillian Scannell
Conference Services Manager
Gillian Scannell
Conference Services Manager
Gillian Scannell currently holds the position of Conference Service Manager where she is responsible for detailing corporate group contracts while working closely with the banquet team to curate menus and select event setups. Previously she served as the Banquet Manager where was responsible for supervising the daily operations of the F&B team while working alongside sales to deliver seamless private events. Prior to starting her career at Hotel Commonwealth, Gillian worked for Hay Creek Hotels, at their 907 Main property in Cambridge, MA. She served as the Human Resource and Finance Manager, and originally joined 907 Main as an intern. Gillian is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire Hospitality Management Program.
Sean Minnihan
Conference Services Manager
Sean Minnihan
Conference Services Manager
Sean Minnihan is our newest Conference Services Manager, but is not new to the Hotel Commonwealth. Previously working as a Reservations Agent at Hotel Commonwealth from 2015-2016 and again in Summer 2022, Sean now returns to combine his customer service and operations skills in preparing for incoming room blocks and group events. Starting in 2011 at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, CA as a Bellman, Sean expanded his hospitality repertoire with time spent as a Concierge, Front Desk Agent, and Front Office Supervisor before coming to Boston where he was Front Desk Agent and Overnight Supervisor at the Langham Hotel in Boston. In his free time, Sean is an avid tabletop board game player, accomplished sailor, and attends as many Red Sox games as possible during the season.
Omri Kadim
Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Omri Kadim
Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Omri was born in London and also grew up in Paris, Tel Aviv, Athens, and Vienna. He began his hospitality journey in New York in 2015, where he learned the ropes as a Front Desk Agent at the Casablanca Hotel in Times Square, and the Frederick Hotel – TriBeCa, before moving abroad to Ireland for a year. There he worked as Reception Supervisor at the Alex Hotel in Dublin, before returning to the US and settling in Boston. He joined the Hotel Commonwealth team in May 2022 and, after a brief stint as Assistant Front Office Manager, he transitioned into the sales department, where he now works as HC’s Sales and Marketing Coordinator supporting the sales team, acting as office administrator, and booking social room blocks and small executive meetings at the hotel. Omri is also an avid illustrator and makes extra money drawing people’s Dungeons and Dragons characters!