Deniz Omurgonulsen ’00
The Story
Hotel Ezra Cornell 74 – 1999
Deniz Omurgonulsen – Human Resources Director
HEC 74, Simmer with Style, was “the best ever” for these two reasons: a great Board of Directors who worked tirelessly with many fun nights pulling it all together; and a group of students and friends who worked together to make an amazing experience for the students and the guests.
Hotel Ezra Cornell 75 – 2000
Deniz Omurgonulsen – Managing Director
Once in a Lifetime was the theme of HEC 75. Most special about HEC 75 was the launch of the Millennium Endowment. The vision was that the endowment would support the evolving F&B programs in addition to introducing educational, technological, and service innovations. With over 500 students working for HEC 75, they accomplished their goal to build upon a shared passion that celebrates the past and stands the test of time.
Excerpt from: The Best Ever: Memories of Hotel Ezra Cornell
Deniz Omurgonulsen’s journey in hospitality began with her family’s roots in Turkey. Her grandparents started a small restaurant in 1961, which her parents later grew into a family business that included hotels. This foundation instilled in her an appreciation for service and hospitality and perhaps explains why her parents made the bold decision to send Deniz and her sister, Melis ’97, to Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.
Future Cornellians
Left: Melis and Deniz at Bonjour family restaurant
– Izmir, Turkey, 1982
Below:Deniz and Melis – Izmir, Turkey 1978
Cornell: Creating Community and Family
At Cornell, Deniz embraced her role as an international student. Rather than staying only within the international circle, she sought out friendships across cultures and backgrounds, enriching her own experience while sharing her perspective with her American peers. She was also “adopted” by Ithaca families— George ’51 and Ann Bantuvanis, and Phil ’83 and Yasamin Miller—who welcomed her into their homes and provided comfort and support far from her own family.
Her academic journey was shaped by faculty like Giuseppe Pezotti ’84, MPS ’96, whose grace and passion for hospitality left a lasting imprint. During Hotel Ezra Cornell, where she served first as HR director and later as managing director, Deniz learned how to inspire peers, lead through complexity, and bring a vision to life under pressure.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Early in her career, a seemingly small moment had a profound impact. While working as a student at Banfi’s, Deniz impressed John Sharpe ’65, then COO of Four Seasons, by remembering his preference for sectioned grapefruit at breakfast. That detail earned his respect and later opened the door to her first professional opportunity. At Four Seasons, Deniz began her career in Housekeeping, a role often underestimated but which she discovered to be the heart of hotel operations. There she learned that true hospitality is rooted in empathy, precision, and pride, and she witnessed leadership by example. Those lessons in uncompromising standards and authentic service set the tone for her professional path.
Her career was further shaped by mentors, including Ed Evans ’74 of Aramark, who instilled operational discipline, and Phil Miller ’83, whose integrity and coaching influenced her leadership philosophy. Over time, Deniz found her voice in the industry, and a defining moment came when Ted Teng ’79, then CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), entrusted her to help lead the company’s strategic transformation.
Deniz with Ted Teng ’79
Icon of the Industry Award Event – 2014
The Leading Hotels of the World
When she joined LHW, the company faced existential challenges—joint ventures, quality and revenue struggles, OTA threats, and questions of survival. Deniz helped reimagine quality, strategy, and value for members by exploring different business frameworks. The result was a member-centric model that responded to hoteliers’ pains—distribution pressure, rising costs, shifting guest expectations—and created gains through differentiation, innovation, and growth.
During her tenure at LHW, Deniz navigated CEO transitions and the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, which demanded resilience, solidarity, and creativity across the industry. Today, as Vice President, Hotel Member Experience, Deniz oversees relationships with more than 400 independent luxury hotels in over 80 countries, strengthening a truly global community. Of the 400+ members of LHW, Deniz has signed more than half of them in her twenty years at LHW. When it comes to the hotel membership side of LHW, no one has had a greater impact than Deniz.
LHW Annual Convention – Shanghai – 2018
Cornellians Ted Teng ’79, Deniz Omurgonulsen ’00, Marissa Brady ’06, Nina Laknani MMH ’14.
Giving Back to Cornell
Deniz is committed to giving back to the community that gave her so much. She remains engaged with the Cornell Hotel Society, serving the New York Chapter, the Global Board and its Foundation, and hosting the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Regional Conference in Istanbul.
2024 EMEA Regional Conference in Istanbul
Liv Gussing Burgess ‘91, Deniz Omurgonulsen ’00, Susan Boyle ’87,
Dexter Wood ’87, Robert Mandelbaum ’81, Bill Minnock ’79,
Jeanne Sander ’66, Raj Chandnani ’95.
A Focus on Health, Family, and Presence
In 2017, Deniz’s personal journey was tested by a stroke, a sudden reminder that everything can change in an instant. Recovery was humbling, requiring her to slow down, listen inward, and focus on health, family, and presence. She emerged more intentional, more grateful, and more whole.
Her life is deeply anchored by family. She credits her parents, sisters, her husband Noyan, and daughters Leyla and Ayla for grounding her through every high and low. One defining personal story exemplifies her philosophy: Leyla was conceived because her boss encouraged her to leave LHW’s most important annual event early, affirming that while business matters, family must come first.
Deniz with husband Noyan
and their daughters, Leyla and Ayla.
Three generations at the family restaurant “Bonjour”
Grandparents: Orhan, Sevim, and Atif
Parents: Suna and Timur Gonulsen
Children (sisters): Deniz ’00, Guniz, and Melis ’97
Hotelie for Life
Deniz as CHS Global President – 2015
Throughout her career, Deniz has embodied the belief that hospitality is about creating space for people to feel seen, understood, and inspired. Her story is one of gratitude, resilience, and transformation, shaped by mentors, colleagues, and communities around the world. She remains proud of the impact she has made—transformations led, communities built, lives touched—and looks forward with optimism to the next chapter in hospitality, at LHW, and in her own life.
