Frank Rainieri Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

By CHRIS conference.

Frank Rainieri, Chairman and Founder of Grupo Puntacana, receives the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) on May 16-18, 2018, in Miami, Florida. This prominent award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the hospitality industry over his lifetime through their actions, deeds, and great accomplishments.

Mr. Rainieri is a renowned and visionary leader in the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic. Considered to be the pioneer of the Punta Cana tourist destination, located on the east side of the Dominican Republic, he began his career in 1970 with the inauguration of the Punta Cana Club, which he established with American entrepreneur, Mr. Theodore Kheel. Years later, this project originally consisting of ten small bungalows, has served as groundwork for the development of one of the most exclusive, complete, and elegant tourist complexes, Puntacana Resort & Club.

His contributions to the community have earned him numerous recognitions both locally and internationally, such as “Outstanding Youth” in 1978 by Jaycees Intl. He received the “Presidential Citation Award” in 1985 by the then President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, for his social work in San José de Ocoa, Dominican Republic, with the Reverend Luis Quinn, SFM. In that same year, he was selected by the United Nations Organization as a representative for Latin America in the seminar for Young Entrepreneurs of Developing Countries, celebrated in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1999, he was awarded “Hotelier of the Year” by the Caribbean Hotel Association and received the “5 Diamond Award” from the American Academy of Hospitality Science (AAHS) for his vision and leadership in the development of the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic, and for his lifetime achievements. In 2011, he was recognized by the Dominican Congress for his merits, vision, and lifetime contributions to the tourism industry in his country.

In 2014, he was appointed by the Grand Council of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Rome, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotenciary of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Dominican Republic. In 2015, Mr. Rainieri received the distinction of “Italiani che Onorano L’Italia nel Mondo” (Honorable Italian of the World) by the Italian Parliament and the Italian Senate, for his valuable contribution to the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic. Most recently in November of 2017, the UNTWO in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism of Jamaica, recognized Mr. Rainieri with the award Global Legends of the Caribbean, highlighting his merits in the creation of one of the most important tourism destinations in the world, Punta Cana.

In addition to his business pursuits, Mr. Rainieri has made numerous philanthropic and social contributions. In 2006, he became an active member of two renowned international non-profit institutions, YPO International and the Clinton Global Initiative. Recently he became Council Member of the World Travel and Tourism Council. Mr. Rainieri is the Chairman & CEO of Grupo Puntacana; and Grupo Puntacana Foundation, a non-profit entity dedicated to the development and execution of social and environmental awareness programs in favor of the communities of the Punta Cana zone. He has also built schools, churches, a clinic, and a pediatric center for the less fortunate in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic with the collaboration of religious groups. He is also involved in other communities such as Cambita, San Cristóbal; La Vega; and La 40, in Santo Domingo with Monsignor Antonio Camilo. Currently, his company runs a Polytechnic Institute in Punta Cana with the Catholic Church, where more than 500 students are preparing themselves for their future with technical careers.
He has been married to Mrs. Haydee Kuret Rainieri since 1973, and has three children, Paola, Francesca, and Frank Elías, and six grandchildren. Mrs. Rainieri currently serves as Vice-President of Human Resources and Hospitality for Grupo Puntacana, and all three of his children are profoundly committed to the business group as well.

About Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS)

Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) is the Caribbean’s most important hotel and tourism investment conference. The conference immediately follows a second important event, the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference. The back-to-back nature of the two events provides a venue for the hotel investment community that is interested not only in the Caribbean, but also in Latin America, to conduct their business while in Miami. CHRIS and HOLA are produced by Northstar Travel Group in association with Burba Hotel Network (BHN).