Hilton has made a big move in its luxury division with a first for the group in its food and beverage department, while IHG welcomes a hospitality veteran as senior vice president of Global Guest Experience Shared Services. Also, multiple appoints were made at new hotels for Chicago’s Aparium Hotel Group and the Fenway Hotel, Dunedin, Florida.
Hard Rock International has appointed Mark Birtha as president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain in California. Birtha most recently was the president of Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park.
Paula Bloemendaal has been appointed general manager of Portland’s White House, a bed & breakfast situated in a 1911 Colonial Revival mansion. Bloemendaal’s career has been with Hilton Hotel’s luxury properties, most recently at the Checkers Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Pride of Britain Hotels, the collection of 50 luxury independently-owned British hotels, has announced that Dan Rose-Bristow, joint managing director of The Torridon, has been voted as its new chairman. Rose-Bristow has been a board member for several years and more recently acted as vice-chairman.
Endeavor Hospitality Group, a New York-based hotel management company, has appointed Shannon Colbert as vice president of sales and marketing. Colbert joined the team in early 2018 and is accountable for all areas of sales, marketing, revenue generation and revenue management. She spent five years as the director of sales and marketing for Hazens Group and Pyramid Hotels.
Florian Connert has been named senior director of sales and marketing at Haven Resorts & Spas, Cancun, Mexico. Prior to joining Haven, Florian served as the director of sales and marketing for the Melia Caribe Tropical and launched The Level concept for Melia Hotels International in the Dominican Republic.
Hilton has appointed Adam Crocini as its first-ever vice president, food & beverage, for the Luxury & Lifestyle Group. He joins Hilton from Capella Hotels and Resorts in Singapore and during his career has overseen the operations and strategic planning for concepts and programing related to restaurants, bars, spa/wellness and rooms for new properties opening in Bangkok, Sydney, Sanya, Ubud, and Male.
Dave Czarnecki has been named regional vice president of hotel operations for Stonebridge Companies in Denver, Colorado. Czarnecki was most recently senior vice president of operations with Interstate Hotels & Resorts.
The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, has named Thierry Delourneaux executive pastry chef. Most recently, Chef Delourneaux worked at The St. Regis Washington, D.C., where he led the pastry department and opened Alhambra restaurant.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre has named Tareq Derbas as general manager. Derbas’s career has included roles with Sheraton, St. Regis, Jumeriah Group at Burj Al Arab, Four Seasons and Le Méridien. He was most recently engaged as area GM for St. Regis in Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan and Iraq.
The Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & The Spa has appointed Michèle Liebermann Dreieras its new director of sales and marketing. She spent seven and a half years at Bern’s Congress + Kruskal, the city’s congress center.
Hotel Yountville in California has named Sean Gazey as general manager. Gazey most recently served in upper level management at Marriott Residence Inn in Jacksonville, Florida, and One Ocean Resort & Spa in Atlantic Beach, Florida.
Benchmark has appointed Douglas Jensen director of finance for The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located near Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Jensen was previously corporate director of accounting for The Kessler Collection of Orlando, Florida.
Kimberly Kantola has been named the director of catering for the new Crowne Plaza North Augusta in North Augusta, South Carolina. Kantola has worked in sales, event planning and restaurant management for the past 25 years, and spent the last 15 years as the director of sales and event planning at Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa in Clymer, New York.
Costa Hollywood Beach Resort in Florida has announced Rafael Linares as its new executive chef. Linares previously served as executive chef for The One Group, a New York City-based company with a collection of fine dining restaurants operating under the international STK brand, in U.S. locations.
The Rose Hotel Chicago/O’Hare, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, has welcomed Nicholas Malloy as executive chef. Chef Malloy comes from the Chicago Marriott Naperville as sous chef.
M&R Hotel Management has appointed Brian Mauro general manager of the 201-room Holiday Inn New York JFK Airport Area. He formerly was general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Long Island City Queensboro Bridge.
Aqua-Aston Hospitality has announced the appointment of Fred Mayo to the role of general manager of its 132-unit Aston at the Maui Banyan rental program, as well as general manager of the property’s Association of Apartment Owners (AOAO). Previously, Mayo served as the general manager of Lahaina Shores Beach Resort, Kapalua Villas and various Aston Hotels & Resorts properties in Hawaii.
IHG welcomes hospitality veteran Brian McGuinness as senior vice president of Global Guest Experience Shared Services. With more than 20 years of hospitality experience, McGuinness most recently served as global brand leader and senior vice president for Marriott, Sheraton and Delta Hotels.
The St. Regis Bangkok has announced the appointment of Christopher Miller as executive chef. Chef Miller spent 15 years with Como Hotels and Resorts, directly liaising with owner and founder Mrs. Christina Ong.
Royal Lahaina Resort on Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii has hired Dylan Montano as its new executive chef. Chef Montano will oversee the culinary direction for the hotel’s signature restaurant, the Royal Ocean Terrace Restaurant & Lounge, as well as other food and beverage initiatives. He most recently served as chef de partie at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Hawaii.
Shelley Perkins has been named chief talent and culture officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. She will lead the global human resources organization as well as provide strategic guidance and support for the hotel group’s growth plan. Previously, Perkins was senior vice president of talent management for AccorHotels.
Aparium Hotel Group named the leadership team for Cyrus Hotel, set to open in Topeka, Kansas in early 2019. The Chicago-based, lifestyle hotel company names industry veteran Jeff Pavone as general manager; Topeka native Stephanie Gassen as director of sales; and Raymond Alexander as director of food & beverage. Pavone joins Aparium from Hilton Hotels and Resorts; Gassen most recently worked as the director of market sales for the Residence Inn Topeka and Fairfield Inn Topeka; Alexander has management experience with Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, JQH Hotels and RL Hotels.
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, in Nevada, has appointed Bernd Pichler as hotel manager. Prior, Pichler served as operations manager at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California.
The recently opened Fenway Hotel, Dunedin, Florida, has named Shawn Routtengeneral manager, Adam Hyatt executive chef and Nancy Calabrese, director of sales. Routten recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with owner-operator Mainsail Lodging & Development; Hyatt was most recently chef partner at Tampa’s Platt Street Borough; and Calabrese was most recently senior event manager at The Mayflower Hotel, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in Washington, D.C.
Marcel Sanchez has been named hotel manager of the new Belleview Inn in Belleair, Florida. Most recently, Sanchez spent the past year in guest services with Norwegian Cruise Lines in Miami.
Benchmark has named Amit Kumar Sen director of food & beverage for Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort on Curaçao. Amit Sen most recently held the position of director of food & beverage outlets for the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana, and prior to this served as director of restaurants for the Gaylord Palms Resort Convention Centre in Kissimmee, Florida.
Solage, an Auberge Resorts Collection property in Calistoga, California, has appointed Donald Stamets as general manager, overseeing all operations of the 89-room resort. Most recently, he oversaw properties in Amelia Island, Orlando, Bedford Springs, Hilton Head and Jacksonville. Stamets also held top management positions at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California, as well as Ritz-Carltons in Palm Beach, South Beach, and Orlando, Florida.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, has named 30-year industry veteran Yuji Tanaka as general manager. Tanaka joins the Tokyo hotel from the Bulgari Resort Bali, where he held the position of General Manager since May 2016.
Luxury resort company Enchantment Group has appointed Matt Vuolo as development manager to help lead the development team and oversee projects across the portfolio. Vuolo most recently served as development manager at Bald Mountain Development, where he helped lead the design and construction operations for the Four Seasons Resort & Residences in Napa Valley, California.
Timbers Resorts has appointed Austin Watkins as global director of sales & marketing – Hospitality. Watkins will lead the sales and marketing efforts for the hotel and residential rental division of Timbers Resorts. Most recently, Watkins was the regional director of sales and marketing based out of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Kona, Hawaii.
The Hyatt Regency Trinidad has appointed Richard Westell as general manager. A London-born, 20-year Hyatt veteran, Westell joins the property after serving as GM at Hyatt Regency Merida in Mexico.