As a hotelier located in one of the most popular resort towns on the East Coast, Residence Inn by Marriott-Ocean City General Manager Keith Whisenant preaches customer service as a fundamental rule. To be the very best, a goal he and his staff aspire to achieve, their collective philosophy is rooted in a commitment to growth, attainment of personal and team goals and a dedication to reach new heights of hospitality in a results-oriented industry.

Residence Inn by Marriott-Ocean City has been a top-three-ranked property by Tripadvisor from 2018-2022 and has won multiple Coastal Style Best Of Readers’ Poll awards, including Best Hotel (2020, 2022) and Best Event Planner, Courtney Blackford (2022). Keith said these honors prove just how hard their team works each day — but there’s also more than meets the eye.

“We have a large Marriott name on the side of the building, however we are a small company,” Keith said. “Along with very supportive owners and our vice president, we essentially do it all ourselves. We’ve learned to manage a business, as if it was our own, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Rich Palmer, Barry Gosnell and Brian Cook all taught us how to be true stewards in this business. We couldn’t ask for better men to work for.”