Longboat Key Club hires new director of resort operations

The Longboat Key Club has a new director of resort operations.

Diane Rodriguez is taking over for general manager Rick Benninghove, who resigned from his position in January. Benninghove has decided to pursue a business with his wife, according to Key Club managing director Rick Konsavage.

Rodriguez comes to the Key Club from Miami with two decades of experience in hospitality management.

“I bring passion. I bring tenacity. I bring a love of people,” Rodriguez said. “If you treat your associates right, they’re going turn around and treat your guests right. And so for me, I live by that philosophy.

“The reflection of the experience that you receive is a reflection of the leadership.”

Rodriguez is responsible for overseeing the Key Club’s Resort property from the units themselves, lobby area, pool and restaurants.

“This is my baby, here,” Rodriguez said.

As managing director, Konsavage oversees the club’s golf facilities, membership, tennis and spa facilities.

Rodriguez has worked with Marriott International, Hilton Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group and Ocean Properties Hotels and Resorts.

As part of Marriott’s Florida regional sales office, she represented more than 60 hotels and 21 brands from Key Largo to Jacksonville. She has worked with Konsavage since October 2010 as part of Ocean Properties, the owner of the Key Club.

Rodriguez is also a licensed Florida real estate associate. She holds a business administration associate of arts degree from Miami-Dade College, and a certificate in hospitality and tourism management from Florida Atlantic University.

In October 2020, Condé Nast Traveler named the Resort at the Longboat Key Club as its 23rd best resort in Florida.

Condé Nast’s rankings came out before the Resort finished renovations late last year.

It includes redoing the pool deck, and the additions of the Banyan Poolside Lounge and Latitudes restaurant.

“It’s put us at another level,” Konsavage said. “When they come back and redo [the] rankings, I think we’re going to even move up even further.”

Even with the Resort’s recent renovations, Rodriguez sees opportunities for improvements. She said it includes renovating the exterior of the buildings to enhance the arrival experience and making sure the Key Club provides top-notch customer service.

“Eventually, I’d love to see this as a five-diamond property,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez spoke highly of her relationship with Konsavage for the past decade, when she worked for the company from 2010-2019. It’s something she hopes to continue in her new role with the Key Club.

“It’s just elevating the service,” Rodriguez said. “It really is my entire tenure coming to fruition and seeing it in its basically in its full capacity. It’s bringing everything I’ve learned and everything that I know here.”

Rodriguez hopes to bring the Key Club a fresh set of eyes. The Miami native is also proud of her female leadership and Hispanic heritage.

“There’s a beautiful culture in Longboat Key. The people that have been here [say] 16 years, right now, I’m a student. I’m learning from them,” she said. “I just want to basically merge both the culture here at Longboat Key, and also my culture as well.”