This week, Radisson Hotel Group created a new role: Vice president of IT service management. Marriott International named Liam Brown to president and managing director of Europe, a division within Marriott International that encompasses the United Kingdom, Ireland and Continental Europe. (Brown replaces Amy McPherson, who announced last week that she will be retiring from the company early next year.) And Mandarin Oriental has named a GM for its first project in China’s capital city, scheduled to open in early 2019. Read on for more.
The latest additions to California-based Godfrey Hotel Hollywood’s staff include Clay Andrews as general manager and Konstantine Kabilafkas as hotel manager. Andrews will also serve a dual role as director of operations for the West coast region of Oxford Hotels & Resorts.
Curt Asmussen has been named managing director of Obie Hospitality, a new role for the growing Eugene, Oregon-based company, which recently announced plans to build the third hotel in its expanding portfolio of boutique hotels in Western U.S. communities. Asmussen has more than 15 years of hospitality experience and was most recently the general manager at The Inn at 500 Capitol in Boise, Idaho.
Chris Bird, who has over 20 years of luxury hospitality experience, was appointed general manager of Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown, Massachusetts. Bird joins Harbor View Hotel from Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania.
Mark S. Bradford was named general manager of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, the group’s first project in China’s capital city, scheduled to open in early 2019. Bradford brings more than 17 years of hotel management experience with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to the project. He joined the company in 2001 and was hotel manager at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok and GM of Mandarin Oriental, Chiang Mai. Prior to moving to Beijing, he was the opening GM of the 63-villa resort Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech in Morocco.
Marriott International has named Liam Brown, formerly president, select brands and owner and franchise services, North America to president and managing director of Europe, a division within Marriott International that encompasses the United Kingdom, Ireland and Continental Europe. Brown will replace Amy McPherson, who announced last week that she will be retiring from the company in early 2019.
Hotel Retlaw, opening in December of this year in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has hired two key personnel—Michael Bublitz as general manager and Sue Irizarry as director of sales and catering.
Cheeca Lodge & Spa, a luxury lifestyle hotel in the Florida Keys, named Israel Ferrer food and beverage director. Prior to joining Cheeca, Ferrer was director of food and beverage of the Muse Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants in New York.
Playa Hotels & Resorts appointed Carlos Fresco and Vishal Vaswani to general manager of Jewel Runaway Bay Beach & Golf Resort and Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa, respectively.
Thomas Goval has been appointed director of rooms and guest services at the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne. Most recently, Goval was GM of the Hotel Indigo Berlin – Ku’damm.
Hollywood, Florida-based Seminole Gaming has named David Hoenemeyer chief operating officer. Hoenemeyer joins Seminole Gaming from Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, where he was regional president of three Caesars Entertainment Casinos. The company has also named Steve Bonner president of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa; Larry Buck was named president of Seminole Casino Coconut Creek; and Edward Aguilar has been named general manager of Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, Florida. He is among the highest-ranking Seminole Gaming executives who are also members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The executive team at Georgia-based Barnsley Resort appointed Andy Ippensen director of sales and Gary Schneeberg regional sales manager.
Miami-based Karisma Hotels & Resorts, a luxury hotel collection which owns and manages properties across Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, named Diego Jaramillio general director of Karisma Latin America. Prior to joining Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Jaramillio worked as chief financial officer of Hoteles Decameron in Bogota, Colombia.
Opening in November 2018 as the first California hotel under Marriott International’s Moxy Hotels brand, the 126-room Moxy San Diego has formally announced its executive team. Lindsay Jones will act as general manager; Geneva Maxwell will be director of sales and marketing; and Mark deSalvo will act as food and beverage manager.
Jay Molitor was named regional vice president of Hotel Operations for Stonebridge Companies in Denver, Colorado. Molitor was most recently the regional vice president for operations with Chesapeake Hospitality and has more than 25 years in the hospitality industry.
Atlanta-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts named Rob Morgan to the newly created position of senior vice president of transitions and operations strategy. Morgan joins Davidson Hotels & Resorts with a lifetime of hospitality experience, most recently from launching his own hospitality consulting business.
Florida-based La Concha Key West named Michael Napieralski assistant general manager. With more than ten years of experience in the hospitality industry, Napieralski joins the La Concha Key West team with exceptional guest service expertise in the Key West market.
New York-based Marriott Syracuse Downtown named Melissa Oliver as its new director of sales and marketing. Oliver most recently served as director of sales and marketing at the Crowne Plaza Syracuse.
Phoenix sustainable wellness resort Civana Carefree has named Sharon Otaguro wellness director and Dr. Fabio Almeida M.D. as physician in residence.
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Enchantment Group appointed Andrea Palomo corporate director of marketing and additionally promoted Erica Kline to corporate associate director of brand marketing.
Radisson Hotel Group appointed James (Jamie) Pawlikowski as vice president of IT service management. In this newly created role, Pawlikowski will be responsible for supporting business operations and continuously improving the service performance of Radisson Hotel Group’s current and future platforms. He joins the company from Home Depot where he was the head of IT service management for IT operations.
North Carolina-based Hilton Charlotte University Place appointed Lena Sanok director of business travel. Prior to joining Hilton Charlotte University Place, Lena served two years in the global business travel association ladders mentoring program.
California-based Montage Beverly Hills named Aleksandr Sigalus director of sales, international. Sigalus joined Montage Beverly Hills with over 14 years of experience, and most recently from The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, where he oversaw the diplomatic and Middle East markets as sales director.
Singapore-based lifestyle collection the COMO Group named Tapa Tibble managing director of the Americas. Tibble joins COMO from his role as regional director of Europe for Aman Resorts, where he was responsible for the operation of its European portfolio.
LondonHouse Chicago named Samantha Santiago Torres executive pastry chef. ntiago Torres began her culinary career by studying at the prestigious Camilo José Cela University in Madrid, Spain with a Ferrán Adriá Chair Professorship. From there, she developed her expertise with international experiences in the pastry world.
The Benson, a 287-room property in Portland, Oregon operated and managed by Coast Hotels, named George Schweitzer managing director. Most recently, he served as CEO of West Coast Event Productions, where he managed operations, sales and administration for the company’s Portland headquarters.
Kokua Hospitality and Prodigy Network have promoted Beth Tufekcic from General Manager of New York-based The Assemblage John Street to vice president of house operations for the hotel.
Swiss-based Alpina Gstaad appointed Tim Weiland general manager. Weiland succeeds Eric Favre who retired after serving as managing director of The Alpina Gstaad since October 2013. Most recently, Weiland was GM of Aman Le Mélézin in Courchevel in France.