Peggy Benua

Chair

Peggy Benua was appointed to the MBVCA in January 2020.  Peggy has spent the last 20 years working on Miami Beach, currently as the General Manager at Dream South Beach hotel.  Peggy relocated back to the area in 2000 when she joined Marriott as Resident Manager at the Eden Roc Renaissance. Prior to accepting the role as opening General Manager for Dream South Beach in 2008, Peggy was General Manager at the Marriott South Beach.   

Peggy earned her BFA from the University of North Florida, where she graduated cum laude.  Peggy has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry since earning her master’s degree in Hotel and Food Service Management from Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. 

After completing a management training program with ITT Sheraton, she held various rooms operations positions in San Diego and Los Angeles area Sheraton Hotels, including the Sheraton LAX and the Sheraton Grande, part of the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection.  Prior to relocating back to Miami, Peggy was Hotel Manager at Le Meridien Dallas from 1994 to 1999.

Peggy sits on the Executive Board of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association and was Board Chair in 2014 and 2015. She served as a Board member of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority from 2012 through 2017 and was Board Chair from 2014 to 2017.  Peggy is also a member of the AOHT Advisory Board as well as the Miami Beach Chamber Board of Governors.  She previously served as a member of the Miami Beach CCAB and has Miami Beach Commission for Women.

Peggy is the recipient of the 2022 Miami Beach Chamber’s “Excellence in Tourism” award, 2016 Miami Beach Commission for Women “Women Worth Knowing” Award, 2014 Recipient of the Red Cross “Sara Hopkins Woodruff Spectrum Awards for Women,” and 2012 Recipient HSMAI South Florida Chapter’s “General Manager of the Year”.  In October 2016 she was listed by Florida Trend as a Miami Dade “Must Know Contact”.

When not operating her hotel or participating in industry-related activities, she enjoys outdoor activities such as cycling and scuba diving.