Photography by Sandrasonik
For many, the name Vanessa Williams brings to mind the actress and singer known for Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. But those in the know—both locally and in the international hospitality industry—are aware of another Vanessa Williams, one with an equally commanding presence, devoted following and intriguing celebrity connections.
Before she ever made her way to Florida, Williams had built a nearly three‑decade career in luxury hotel leadership, with key roles at iconic properties including Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Sandy Lane in Barbados, Sukhothai Bangkok, Waldorf Astoria Beijing, Conrad Seoul and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Her reputation as a leader in luxury hospitality made her highly sought after across the globe—from Asia to the Caribbean and the United States—which eventually led to an offer from The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club. Once there, she oversaw a historic $100 million plus renovation and rebrand that elevated the hotel’s luxury standing and helped solidify St. Pete’s emerging profile as a premier Florida destination.
It was the perfect challenge for the highly sought-after executive who has historically found herself at the top of the list when an elite property has either needed a prestige makeover or a glamorous coming out moment. And with her ladylike refinement, gamine good looks reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and a distinctly aristocratic South African accent, she arrived like a fairy godmother to the fading grand dame of St. Pete’s downtown waterfront with enough magic to give the Vinoy the next chapter it so richly deserved.
Not surprisingly, she was an instant hit among the city’s old guard, who found her professional pedigree fascinating and her sophisticated sense of style impossible to ignore.Williams is fresh off a flight from New York when we sit down for a chat. She spends about half her time there, guiding the evolution of her newest project as the managing director at the ultra-elite boutique hotel The Manner, which Vogue describes as being akin to a “private member’s club” and “like staying at the home of the most stylish person you know.” Its European elegance and contemporary glamour have made it a favorite with fashion design houses like Marc Jacobs and Maison Margiela.
“It makes me crazy when people say we have left. St. Pete is my home,” Williams declares in response to the notion that she and her husband Eric have relocated. “I'm working in New York. I'm passionate about about hospitality, but it's as I say, ‘I'm here because I want to be here, not because I need to be here.' Sure, I would prefer to be at home with my husband and my dog in my community, but I also want to continue to pick and choose the projects I want to work on. I've done that my whole career. I'll keep doing it, but I will remain anchored here. It's phenomenal to be at that stage in your life where you can make those kinds of choices.”
She left her native South Africa in the late ‘80s to work in Europe, which began her period of professional exploration as a global citizen.
She and Eric first met in New York, through friends, when she was there opening a property.
“We were both out socially with friends and someone in our group brought Eric over to meet me,” Williams recalls. “We dated for six months and then I got offered a position back in Beverly Hills and I told him, ‘I don't want to do long distance. So, either you consider a move or we'll just write off the last six months as a most amazing dating experience.’ Because of work, he couldn't just up and leave, but he flew to LA every single weekend on a Friday night and then would get a red eye back on Sunday for eight months straight. That’s when I knew it was meant to be.”
During those years in Beverly Hills, she earned the trust of high-profile clients who valued her discretion and protection.
“On Oscars night 2003, I had nine guests at the hotel who had won an Academy Award that evening. Everybody came back to our bar afterwards and when they went to bed, I was left with four Academy Awards that were left in the lounge,” Williams shares. “Obviously when celebrities stay at your property, you have to be incredibly discreet and their presence in the hotel is kept at the highest level of confidentiality. I remember when Michael Jackson stayed with me for seven weeks at the Raffles property with his two children. I was the only person in the hotel who knew he was there and it was my job to protect his privacy for as long as I could. It’s a small industry and your reputation really does precede you. I love that people know that if you're going to send this person to me, I will make sure they are taken care of properly.”
“Wherever we were, it always felt like home.”
In 2016, after years of crisscrossing the globe for various posts, she and Eric returned to the States for a different opportunity and realized they were ready to put down roots.
“Working in hospitality all around the world, I was always determined not to become one of those people who arrive at each new place with just a suitcase and a box,” she admits. “I never wanted to feel ‘temporary’ anywhere, so when Eric and I were first married and I took the job in Hong Kong, we left with a 20-foot container of furniture, with the idea that we're going to find a home and surround ourselves with what we know. I always felt that way and I loved setting up home in each country. I loved that first morning when we woke up in our own place. You’d look out of the window and you're in Beijing, or you're in Seoul… you look out of the window and the Forbidden City is right there. Wherever we were, it always felt like home in this fantastic country that we got to live in. Granted, Eric said to me many years later that it was starting to feel heavy to move around with containers of furniture. The hardest part was that we loved all the things we collected during our travels, so the container got bigger and bigger. Everything had meaning, but eventually it got to the point that we had a 20-foot container of furniture in storage.”
She admits that Florida was originally not on their radar and although she knew her role at The Vinoy was something with a finite timeline, she was somewhat surprised how much St. Pete felt like home.
“Once we returned to the United States, I think we both thought we would probably end up in Georgia. We love Atlanta,” she shares. “So, it was a surprise and a gift all at the same time.
“When I took the position at The Vinoy, I did not know how long the renovation was going to take, but as we got through everything, the last piece of that being the opening of Elliot Aster, I felt I had achieved what I had joined the Vinoy to do. The timing of my transition was right. I wanted to leave on a high, having accomplished everything I had set out to do. I loved every minute of being there and I’m incredibly proud of it. I'm friends with some of our members and it fills me with pride when they say, ‘We can't walk into the hotel without thinking about you. There is a piece of you all over the place.’ I love that legacy. I have employees I’m still in touch with, because they had become like family.”
What the couple also love is the sense of place they have found here and their strong community ties.
“St. Pete has something special about it. It feels like a community. We've made lots of very close friends from all different walks of life here,” Eric offers. “This is the first time we've settled down in a place in a long time…that we can truly call home.”
During the photo shoot for this story, they guided me through many of their collected treasures in their stylish downtown home, from intricate tribal masks and sacred objects to vibrant photos of smiling school children and young monks that they took themselves and Vanessa had printed on canvas.
“I don't think I've ever felt more comfortable anywhere,” she asserts. “After years of being global, we have found our home in St. Pete. Our connection to this community is steadfast.”
