About Telluride Mountain Lodging

Southwest Lodging, Inc. is a property management company owned and operated by senior and accomplished hoteliers to provide management, consulting and other services to second homeowners, lenders and other institutions in need of flexible, entrepreneurial and ownership-responsive hospitality services. 

Our primary management objective is to maximize financial returns on investments for resort properties targeted in the southwest Colorado region that have substantial up-side potential. These assets would be professionally managed by uniquely qualified and experienced hotel and resort professionals, Southwest Lodging, Inc.

The following is a brief background description of the senior management group of Southwest Lodging, Inc.

Frank Ruggeri III

Co-Owner / Vice-President / Director of Marketing with over twenty-eight years of group and FIT sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry.  Additionally, Frank directs all activities for travel agent reservations, local events, group planners, film crews, wholesalers and other travel industry efforts.  Frank currently sits on the Market Telluride, Inc. board and also holds a seat as Vice-Chair on the San Miguel County Lodging Tax Panel board.  His past experience includes Director of Sales and Marketing positions with The Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa (Tucson, Arizona), The Enchantment Resort (Sedona, Arizona), Tamarron Resort (Durango, Colorado), as well as management positions with South Seas Plantation (Captiva Island, Florida) and The Grand Teton Lodging Company (Jackson Hole, Wyoming).  Frank is a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill, New York and Fort Lewis College in Colorado majoring in Business Administration.

Larry Mallard

Co-Owner / President /Director of Operations with over thirteen years of operational management experience in high end fractional ownership properties as well as destination ski and golf resorts. Larry has extensive knowledge in the cultivation and implementation of 4 and 5 star operational service standards and he stresses the value of developing long lasting client relationships. His experience includes The Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort in (Arizona), TM Eagle Golf Resort Management in (Oklahoma) and Fairmont Heritage Place Franz Klammer Lodge in (Telluride, CO). Larry, along with his wife and two daughters, has called Telluride home since 1995 and is very active in the community. Larry is the current chairman of the Telluride Lodging Association and is a founding member of Public Access Preservation Association (PAPA). Larry is a military veteran and served in Operation Desert Storm as a member of the United States Air Force. Larry studied Economics and Finance at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. 

Chris Esch

Co-Owner/ Secretary / Director or Sales with over seven years of experience in the hospitality industry specializing in luxury hotel operations and sales and marketing.  Chris has extensive experience working with travel agencies and tour operators and spends a significant amount of time traveling the United States developing relationships with travel professionals and selling the Telluride experience.  His work experience prior to joining the team at Telluride Mountain Lodging include Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort (Litchfield Beach, SC), Fairmont Heritage Place Franz Klammer Lodge (Telluride, CO) and The Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort (Casa Grande, AZ).  Chris is a graduate of Western State College of Colorado majoring in Hotel and Resort Management.