Born and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts, Frank Santos never envisioned life would lead him to Florida, let alone Orlando. In itself, Fall River has a rich, fascinating history tucked up against Rhode Island. Once a prominent hub for textile manufacturing and best known as the home to the Lizzie Borden trial, Emeril Lagasse and George Stephanopoulos, the city grew into itself with a diverse cultural population and enduring charm. It was home for Santos and while he did not know what the future held, he never envisioned leaving New England.
Santos got his start in hospitality as a teenager, working as a busboy at the local Holiday Inn. He ascended along the way with multiple promotions under the tutelage of his mentor, Chris Tustin. As he was climbing the ranks at the Holiday Inn, Santos was studying culinary arts at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. Cooking had always been one of Santos’s passions and that remains the case to this day.
Santos encountered his first real-life crossroads when he was offered a full scholarship at the Culinary Institute of America. At the same time, Tustin offered Santos the opportunity to follow him to Merritt Island and be part of the opening team for a new Holiday Inn. Like most success stories, Santos took a chance on himself and his future by moving to Florida.
He thought he would spend two, maybe three years in Florida and then move elsewhere, but in 1975 he was offered the opportunity to be the controller of the Red Carpet Inn on International Drive, as well as the Altamonte Springs Inn and Racquet Club and Lord Chumley’s restaurant.
Several years later, another soon-to-be mentor came calling. Her name was Lou Lou Castro. Santos worked under her direction as regional controller of five Central Florida hotels.
In 1982, Hilton Hotels sought out and appointed Santos as regional controller for Hilton Hotels Orlando/Kissimmee, owned by Finley Hamilton and led by Clayne Dice
In September of 1985, a young, rising hotelier named Harris Rosen was looking for someone to fill his Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position at his Orlando-based company, then known as Tamar Inns. He called Lou Lou Castro and she recommended Santos. Rosen called Santos, told him about the position and asked for a meeting. When they met, their bond was practically cemented from the start. After multiple interviews with other people at Tamar Inns and a polygraph test, Rosen offered Santos his CFO position in December of 1985. Santos started in January of 1986 and the rest, as they say, is history.
In the decades that followed, Santos worked hand-in-hand with Rosen to build the company into the Southeast’s largest independently owned hotel chain. Santos helped oversee the construction and openings of four hotels (Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista, Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek), along with multiple renovations and expansion projects. The company has been debt-free for years and years, an achievement few can boast.
Santos played a pivotal role in spearheading additional key initiatives such as RosenCare, the company’s award-winning healthcare program, the Tangelo Park and Parramore preschool programs serving families in underserved communities by providing free early education and college scholarships and a decades-long commitment delivering water, medical supplies and housing to the people of Haiti.
Santos also worked with Rosen to create the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which is now the nation’s leading hospitality school, the Adam Michael Rosen Foundation, which helps cancer patients and their families and twice, he helped save what is now the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center from permanent closure. These efforts further diversified the company’s impact and earned him notable industry recognition, including receiving the first-ever CFO of the Year (Large Company) award from the Orlando Business Journal in 2009.
Santos is well known for his community service, his generosity and his longstanding commitment to philanthropy, receiving the Kenneth F. Murrah, Esq. Award as Central Florida’s Outstanding Philanthropist in 2023. He currently serves on the Dr. Phillips for the Performing Arts Board of Directors, as an Emeritus Board member for the Orlando Shakes and the Orlando Family Stage, and as a Diman Bengal Foundation Board member. He has previously served on the boards of directors at the Orlando Philharmonic, Canine Companions, The American Cancer Society and Runway to Hope.
Santos also earned prestigious Certified Hospitality Account Executive (CHAE+) and Certified Hotel Administration (CHA+) designations. He has also served as the global president of the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and is a recipient of the group’s distinguished Paragon award.
In his free time, Santos enjoys traveling, cooking, live theater and high-energy exercise.
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