By Tom Moore

The recent addition of general manager Robert E. Stanfield and food and beverage director Fernando Mendiola to the staff of La Posada Hotel/Suites brings more than 60 years of experience in the hospitality business to the historic downtown establishment.

Robert E. Stanfield comes to Laredo from Sandals Hotels and Resorts in Nassau, the Bahamas, with corporate offices in Miami.

"I think it's a great opportunity, being that I had been in Texas before and that I love Texas," said Stanfield, who started out with Hilton Hotels in Dallas and San Antonio, and later in New York City. In addition to Hilton Hotels, Stanfield spent 12 years with Sheraton Hotels in Latin America and Mexico, five years with the Omni Hotel in Chicago, and three years with Radisson Hotels in Puerta Vallarta and Manzanilla.

"La Posada is a very beautiful hotel with tremendous potential. The fact that it is in Laredo, mixing Texan culture with Mexican culture, Texas business with Mexican business, makes it interesting," said Stanfield.

"I think Laredo is very special as far as the people are concerned. They are very, very friendly. I see it in the staff. They excel in giving service to the guests," he said, adding that he intends to "maintain and/or improve the potential of the hotel and continue to keep it the civic and social center hotel of Laredo." A part of those goals includes the expansion of the San Agustín Ballroom to 600-person capacity.

"La Posada is a downtown business hotel, with many executives and businesspeople as customers," Stanfield said. "The hotel enjoys a very good occupancy and food and beverage business. I see a very good future as far as the recent addition of two flights to Mexico City with Azteca and Mexicana, which will bring more customers."

Stanfield is married to his wife of 40 years, Mabel. They have six children and nine grandchildren.

"We do extremely good on the weekends," Stanfield said. "Generally every weekend we're sold out. And we do have the best food in town."

Food and beverage director Fernando Mendiola was general manager of the Holiday Inn Civic Center in McAllen prior to joining La Posada. He began his career as a busboy at La Posada in McAllen. He served first as restaurant manager for Embassy Suites and later as its food and beverage director, as well as F & B director for the Holiday Inn Civic Center McAllen. He also owned his own restaurant, the Golden Rose in McAllen.

As food and beverage director for La Posada, Mendiola is responsible for the full operation of its three restaurants, the banquet facilities, and the kitchen. The workday varies, Mendiola said, and when the occasion arises he fills in as necessary as chef or setting up banquets. "I do what it takes to serve the guests," he said.

Part of the restaurant operation consists of last-minute banquet preparations, as well as planning menus weeks ahead, usually a year in advance for special events such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas, or the upcoming Mother's Day Brunch in the San Agustín Ballroom. "We do the marketing for the whole year, what we are bringing in, who we are going to target," said Mendiola.

"I bring the many years of experience that I have, starting from the bottom to the top, back in the line, in the kitchen," he said. "My goal is to improve the overall service for the guests' satisfaction, to improve revenues -- to improve the bottom line, basically, so we get guests to return."

A native of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Mendiola is married to Rosie Mendiola, employed with Doctors Hospital. They have two children.