LaKota Hotels & Resorts has named Sam L. Haigh general manager of LaKota Oaks, the event and conference center formerly known as Dolce Norwalk. Haigh will be responsible for all aspects of the operation, including sales, marketing, guest experience, culinary, human resources and property management.
A Norwalk resident, Haigh brings over 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry as a leader of luxury resorts, conference centers and boutique hotels to LaKota Oaks. He previously served as corporate director of operations for LaKota Hotels & Resorts and provided consulting services to hotel owners and operators through his company, Fairwater Hospitality LLC.
He also served as general manager for the 239-room Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey; led operations at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa in Long Branch, New Jersey; and served in key management roles at several properties with Hyatt Regency Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and InterContinental Hotels.
“This facility has been Connecticut”™s best-kept secret far too long,” Haigh remarked. “With our amazing team, we”™re geared to quickly make it the destination of choice for social events, conferences and offsite retreats.”
Situated on 66 acres at 32 Weed Ave., the 10,500-square-foot LaKota Oaks includes 120 guest rooms; 20 collaborative spaces for training, strategic planning and team building; and a recreation center that features a four-lane lap pool, a full-sized basketball court, racquet ball courts and a fitness center.
The former Dolce Norwalk was acquired in June by Queens Plaza West LLC, a real estate investment and development company headquartered in Dix Hills, New York, for an undisclosed sum.
