Ralph Taylor is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arcadia Hotels & Resorts, a new hotel brand that owns and manages The SOCO Hotel in Barbados. Responsible for the introduction of the all-inclusive concept to Barbados, in 1991 he acquired the Divi Resort and rebranded it as the Almond Beach Club & Spa in St James, Barbados.
He served as Chairman and Managing Director of Almond Resorts Inc. for the next 20 years and spearheaded the successful expansion of Almond’s all-inclusive product, from one to five hotels with over 1,500 rooms in both Barbados and St. Lucia.
Named the “Caribbean Hotelier of the Year” by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association in 1995, Mr. Taylor was recognized as the “Caribbean Tourism Media Personality of the Year” by the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism in 2003. He was awarded the inaugural Barbados Minister of Tourism’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 for his outstanding contribution to Caribbean tourism.
He was appointed Chairman of the Regional Marketing Trust by Caribbean Governments to oversee the umbrella program for the marketing of the Caribbean Region.
Mr. Taylor has served on regional boards and is a past President and Chairman of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association. He has also served on several local boards including Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority, Chairman of the Tourism Development Corporation, President of the Barbados Hotel Association and Chairman of
The Advisory Council of the Minister of Tourism. He served as a Director of the Canadian Listed Company Biovale.
Having earned his MBA from Bradford University, he is a member of the Hotel Catering Institute Management Association and holds the designation of Certified Hotel Administrator from the American Hotel and Motel School.
He received his tourism formal training at the famous Imperial in Torquay and London Hyde Park hotel. He is a former cricketer, an avid golfer and holds an appointment as a Justice of the Peace.