EXECUTIVE TEAM

Bret Matteson

An established hotelier and restaurateur, Bret Matteson's expertise draws from over 20 years of extensive hospitality experience. Earlier in his career, Bret opened luxury hotels around the world for both Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons. He now considers himself a recluse from the world of large corporate hospitality companies, preferring the hands-on involvement with team members, owners, and guests that Columbia Hospitality's premier hospitality projects offer. Since joining Columbia Hospitality Bret has been a significant contributor in the growth of the portfolio of properties, taking the company into international operations and expanding the wealth of services provided to its clients.

His industry knowledge and management expertise is diverse and well-rounded, including operations, finance, human resources, food and beverage, training and development, process improvement, labor relations, pre-opening development, and  overall management of luxury hotel properties.

Prior to joining Columbia Hospitality in 2001, Bret was the opening general manager for the 425-room Elliott Hotel in Seattle. He also made his mark on the opposite coast, serving as food and beverage director of the 900-room, five-diamond New York Palace Hotel. He was on the opening team for the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, California, and five separate Ritz-Carlton Hotels in California, Hawaii, and Australia. During his career, Bret also opened and operated two 400-seat restaurants, which included the launching of off-site catering and wholesale baking companies.

Bret is active in the hospitality industry, serving on the board of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Washington State Lodging Association. He has also authored hospitality expert columns and articles for the Puget Sound Business Journal and National Hotel Executive.

Bret earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Finance from San Diego State University.

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