Charissa Benjamin, the regional director for public relations for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, recently left her position to launch Savor, a new PR venture in the DC area. With Savor, Benjamin has the freedom to promote what she is most passionate about.
"I love to eat and I love to travel. And I love to run. These are all things you can savor,” she explains. Her current clientele reflects some of her interests, as well as her restaurant and hospitality background. In addition to helping out at Kimpton while they fill her position, Benjamin is handling the PR needs of
Astro Doughnuts;
Sips and Suppers, a fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table; and Zamas, a small boutique hotel in Tulum, Mexico.
“I fell in love with Tulum,” Benjamin says. “It’s a great place to detox and unplug. It’s about 90 miles south of Cancun. It’s completely off the grid—[it uses] all solar and wind power. Zamas is all about sustainability and recyclability, which are all buzzwords in the industry now.” Zamas, she explains, had to be sustainable from the beginning.
Benjamin leaves Kimpton after more than four years with the company. "I loved my experience at Kimpton," she says. “But I come from a family where people run their own businesses. So this is just something I felt I had to do."