Langham Hospitality Group appointed a chief executive officer, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts named a director of Saudisation and Onyx Hospitality Group brought aboard an executive vice president of human resources. Read on for more of this week’s industry appointments and promotions.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts appointed Abdul Rahman Al Harbi director of Saudisation, responsible for leading the firm’s Saudisation strategy across its 11 current and five upcoming properties in Saudi Arabia. Al Harbi joined Mövenpick in 2015 as human resources manager at Mövenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Sundial Park Group announced Edgar Alvarado as senior advisor. Alvarado had been group head of Allstate’s Real Estate Equity Investments and head of EA Advisory.
Corinthia Hotels appointed Rebecca Barrie to the newly created role of senior director – marketing, based in London, England. Barrie joined the company from British Airways where she led the airline’s global marketing strategy, planning and performance.
Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Lanai City, Hawaii hired a leisure travel sales team. Joseph Bell was named travel industry sales manager, and Kristy Daley and Ashlea Varca both were named senior travel industry sales managers. Bell is responsible for the West Coast territory, Daley will oversee the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic territories and Varca will manage the U.S. Central and Southeast regions.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts announced that Jeremy Buffam and Julian Buffam, sons of founder David Buffam, will lead the company. Gerry Chase, longtime president and COO, is retiring at the end of June.
ThirdHome named Randy Burgess senior vice president of business development alongside Roger Conner, also senior vice president of business development. Prior to joining the company, Burgess completed the sell-out of The Cloister Ocean Residences on Sea Island, Georgia, where he used ThirdHome as a benefit to his purchasers.
Ronan Cadorel joined Park Hyatt Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan as executive chef. Cadorel, who has worked with renowned chefs including Jacque Maximin, Daniel Boulud and Gordon Ramsay, joined the Hyatt group in 2015 as executive chef at Hyatt Regency Casablanca in Casablanca, Morocco.
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences and Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection appointed Lauren Carr area director of sales and marketing for the group’s two Cabo San Lucas, Mexico properties. Carr had been director of sales and marketing at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
Will Chamberlin is now the director of food and beverage at The Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa in Tampa Bay, Florida. Chamberlin worked as operating partner and general manager of Blue Martini in Tampa Bay and as general manager for Vintage Ultra Lounge in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Coral Hospitality-GA, LLC appointed general managers at Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge and Unicoi State Park & Lodge in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia native Libby Cook joins Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge in a permanent capacity, after serving as interim task force general manager for the property and Unicoi State Park & Lodge since earlier this year. Brian Berry joins Unicoi State Park & Lodge, having worked for nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry specifically. A graduate of the University of Texas, Berry has held a number of strategic positions including corporate director of operations, general manager and director of development for a variety of brands including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Intercontinental, La Quinta and Choice.
The Estate Yountville in Yountville, California appointed Katie Cotten director of catering and conference services. Cotton joins the property from Montage Kapalua Resort and Spa in Lahaina, Hawaii where she was director of catering and conference services.
Certified sommelier Kyle Erickson joined Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in Solvang, California as food and beverage director. Erikson began his restaurant career in the Santa Ynez Valley in California at The Red Barn Steakhouse, later moving to The Wine Cask in Santa Barbara, California where he met Alisal’s executive chef.
Montage Hotels & Resorts appointed Anne-Marie Houston general manager of Montage Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach, California. Houston joined the property in September 2017 as resort manager. Prior to that, she worked with Six Sense Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Bangkok, Thailand as corporate director of operations.
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego appointed Daniel Kuperschmid area vice president and general manager of the San Diego hotel. Kuperschmid formerly was general manager of Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona and was regional vice president of sales for Hyatt Hotels in Chicago.
Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas appointed Erwin Latief general manager of the members-only Crescent Club. Latief brings more than 25 years of industry experience with luxury properties in Dallas and Indonesia.
Langham Hospitality Group appointed Stefan Leser chief executive officer. Based in Hong Kong, Leser will oversee all aspects of the group’s global portfolio of hotels, resorts and residences. Leser most recently was with Jumeirah International where he was the group chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors.
The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida named Thomas List general manager of the hotel, which is celebrating its 70th year. List is a third-general hotelier who has managed several upscale, boutique properties.
The Moxy Chicago Downtown named Rob Mastro as captain and Kayla Arthur as general manager, food and beverage of the Chicago hotel. Mastro has worked in resort, select and full-service hotels and holds a 13-year tenure with White Lodging. Arthur spent time as assistant director of food and beverage at The Kimpton Gray Hotel, general manager at theWit Hotel’s State and Lake Chicago Tavern and in other Chicago-based positions.
Marriott International appointed W Hotels veteran Joanna McCreary to general manager of W Austin in Austin, Texas. McCreary most recently was hotel manager at the W Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington. She also served on the opening team at W Austin as director of rooms.
Onyx Hospitality Group appointed Gen McKenzie executive vice president of human resources. McKenzie joins the company from integrated marketing and communications agency MullenLowe Group where she was regional head of talent management, based in Singapore.
Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami appointed Luis Mendez director of sales. Mendez departed the InterContinental Miami where he was associate director of sales and marketing.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach in Honolulu appointed Sandy Narvaez director of sales and marketing. Narvaez previously served as director of sales and marketing at Hilton Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.
McKibbon Hospitality promoted Mimi Patterson to regional director of sales and marketing. Patterson previously served as market director of sales in the Fort Myers, Florida area. Patterson worked for Marriott International for 10 years Prior to joining McKibbon Hospitality.
Gavin Philipp is now vice president of operations at Charlestowne Hotels. He joined the company in 2013, previously serving as regional director of operations.
Blue Waters Resort & Spa in Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda announced Kevin Phillips as general manager. A native of Barbados, Phillips most recently was resort manager at Carlisle Bay resort, also in Antigua.
Conrad Bora Bora Nui in French Polynesia named Sebastien Pisano general manager. Prior to joining Conrad Bora Bora Nui, Pisano was director of operations at Conrad Bangkok in Bangkok, Thailand, director of planning and development at Conrad Bangkok and director of human resources at Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa in the Maldives.
Anthony Ploof was named executive chef for The Tennessean Personal Luxury Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ploof was chef de cuisine at The Essex Resort & Spa in Essex, Vermont and director of the resort’s Cook Academy, which offers culinary classes for guests.
Hawaii-based Aqua-Aston Hospitality appointed Chris Port chief development officer. Most recently, Port was a development leader for Kimpton Hotels & Resorts where he led expansion efforts across the western U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Lahaina, Hawaii appointed Christina Richardson associate director of sales. Richardson has served in various sales roles on the island of Oahu, Hawaii for the past 12 years.
AWH Partners hired Chris Russell as chief executive officer of its hospitality management division, Spire Hospitality. Russell formerly was COO of Archon Hospitality and CEO of Pilar Hotels and Resorts.
Broughton Hotels appointed executive team members for the Park James and Oak+Violet restaurant, both opening this summer in Menlo Park, California. Weston Spiegl is general manager, Steven Maybeno is executive chef and Daniel Romero is assistant general manager. Spiegl previously held executive positions for Levy Restaurants at the Staples Center and Microsoft Theater, Maybeno most recently worked at LocoL in Los Angeles and Romero was director of experience at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, California.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in Phuket, Thailand appointed Matthias Sutter general manager. Sutter joined Marriott in 2011 as a hotel manager and recently was assigned to the corporate office, assisting in task force assignments including the St. Regis Singapore in Singapore, and two new Moxy hotels in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.
The Waldorf Astoria Chicago and the Conrad Chicago appointed Todd Temperly general manager of Hilton’s two properties in downtown Chicago. Temperly departed the Grand Waliea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort on the island of Maui in Hawaii where he was hotel manager.
Costa Sur Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico welcomed Salvador Villasen~or Hernandez as director of new business development for the U.S., Canada and Europe. Prior to joining the property, Villasen~or Hernandez was commercial director at Hoteles Canto del Sol, also in Puerto Vallarta.
Dream Hotel Group appointed Kori Yoran general manager for Dream Midtown in Manhattan, New York City. Yoran joined Dream Midtown as director of front office in October 2015 and was promoted to hotel manager in February 2017, working with the managing director to oversee daily operations.