An Argentinian will lead a Miami property’s food and beverage program while an Irish native became general manager of an Orlando resort. Meanwhile, Choice Hotels International and Arlo Hotels both appointed multiple executives. The following people are reaching for their own personal sky within the hospitality industry.
Mandarin Oriental, Miami, located on Brickell Key in Florida, appointed native Argentinian Miguel de Arregui director of food and beverage, and Jamon O’Brien Harper executive pastry chef. De Arregui previously was director of food and beverage at the J.W. Marriott Marquis Miami & Hotel Beaux Arts in Miami. Barbados-born O’Brien Harper most recently was at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California.
Lore Group appointed Kasia Bronisz director of sales and marketing, D.C., for the Riggs Washington DC, a property opening late 2019 in Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood. Bronisz departed the Park Hyatt Washington, D.C., where she was director of sales and marketing.
Choice Hotels International promoted Jill Burke to regional vice president of franchise services, leading a team of franchise operations business consultants throughout the central United States. Burke joined the company in 2013 as an area director and has since held roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as regional area director. Meanwhile, Douglas Lisi joined the firm as vice president of revenue management. Lisi departed Hilton Worldwide, where he held leadership roles in finance, strategy and marketing, most recently leading the media strategy as vice president of media and marketing performance.
The Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop in Denver appointed Melissa Bush director of sales and marketing. Prior to joining The Jacquard, Bush spent 26 years with Marriott International, most recently as the director of hotel sales for Denver Marriott City Center.
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, San Antonio, named Samuel Butzke sous chef of Antlers Lodge, the resort’s upscale dining restaurant. Butzke joined the property from Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia.
PM Hotel Group named Lovell Casiero senior vice president of sales and marketing. Casiero was founder and president of FLC Business Consulting, working with ownership groups on acquisitions, due diligence and revenue enhancement.
La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, named John Cuviello food and beverage director. He departed Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where was food and beverage manager as well as serving as regional director of food and beverage for the Andaluz Management Company.
Franc¸ois Delaire is now executive pastry chef of The Peninsula Hong Kong. Before joining the luxury Hong Kong property, Delaire was head pastry chef at Michelin-starred Rech by Alain Ducasse, also in Hong Kong.
Arlo Hotels promoted Javier Egipciaco to senior vice president and managing director, and appointed Manya duHoffmann vice president of sales and marketing. Egipciaco has been with Arlo Hotels since the brand’s inception in 2014. DuHoffmann came from Journal Hotels where she was regional vice president of sales.
Chuck Engelhardt is now vice president of design and construction for Stonebridge Companies in Denver. Engelhardt has more than 28 years in the hospitality industry and collaborated with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels. He is also a leader in the “green” building movement.
Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, California, named Aaron Garsombke as director of recreation. Before joining the resort, Garsombke was senior restaurant and recreation manager of The Modern Honolulu in Hawaii.
KSL Resorts appointed Ross Greenman vice president and general counsel. Until recently, Greenman was general counsel and vice president of business development for Vista Investments, a hotel development, management and franchise business out of El Segundo, California.
Bequia Beach Hotel, on the island of Bequia in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, appointed Nils-Bertil Hansson executive chef. Hansson most recently spent six years leading Marsvinsholm Bistro & Café, a catering business in his native Sweden.
The Chatwal New York, a Luxury Collection Hotel in New York City, promoted Yina Javier to director of sales and marketing. She joined the property in 2016 as director of corporate sales and marketing.
Park Hyatt Washington, D.C., appointed Ildiko Juhasz special events sales manager and wedding specialist. In 2012, Juhasz, a Hungarian native, joined Park Hyatt Washington, D.C., as a sales assistant. Two years later, she became event planning manager for the property.
Benchmark named David Kohlasch general manager for The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark in Monticello, New York, due to open this March. Kohlasch was general manager of the Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta in St. Louis. The company also named Dan Paradiso director of sales and marketing. He had been global director, memberships east for Club Quarters Hotels.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group appointed Samuel Porreca general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, in Blevio, Italy, scheduled to open this spring. In 2012, Porreca launched J.K. Place Roma in Rome, Italy.
Loews Hotels & Co, in partnership with Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, named John Power general manager of Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, set to open this summer. Originally from Ireland, Power has more than 20 years of hospitality experience, most recently as general manager of Loews Hotel 1000, Seattle, and Loews Minneapolis Hotel.
Philippe Roux-Dessarps is now general manager of Park Hyatt Chicago. Roux-Dessarps has a 28-year career with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, most recently serving at the global headquarters in Chicago as vice president, global brands, overseeing the Park Hyatt and Andaz brands, and as vice president, operations.
Como The Treasury in Perth, Australia, appointed Matthew Sartori as head chef of Wildflower, the property’s farmer-and-forager-driven restaurant. Sartori has been a part of the Wildflower team since its opening and has worked closely under the outgoing executive chef.
JW Marriott Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee, named Alexander Schnoeller as director of food and beverage. Schnoeller departed Eden Roc Miami in Miami Beach, Florida, where he was director of food and beverage, leading a US$40 million food and beverage operation for the hotel’s 600 rooms, six restaurants and banquet facilities at the convention center.
Joelle Shearin is now general manager and president of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. Her most recent role was vice president and general manager of the Argosy Casino Alton in Alton, Illinois.
Saint Kate, an independent arts hotel opening this spring in Milwaukee, named Scott Sloan general manager. Sloan most recently was general manager of The Elizabeth Hotel, an Autograph Collection, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
L’Auberge de Sedona, A Destination Hotel in Sedona, Arizona, welcomed Julie Sokol as director of sales. Sokol was associate director of sales at Kimpton Amara Resort and Spa, also in Sedona.
Kimpton Solamar Hotel in San Diego appointed Rosaline Verhoog group sales manager and promoted Crystal Wagner to executive meeting manager. Verhoog comes to the property from Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa in La Jolla, California, where she was executive meeting sales manager. Wagner, who will also manage social media marketing for the hotel, joined Kimpton Solamar Hotel in 2016 as a guest services agent.
Aimbridge Hospitality named Natalie White executive vice president of marketing. Prior to joining the firm, White owned a marketing consulting firm. She also worked in hotel operations before moving into marketing, previously holding marketing positions at Wyndham Worldwide and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.
Sage Hospitality appointed Tressa Wright director of sales and marketing of Perry Lane Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Savannah, Georgia. Wright had been director of sales and marketing of Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, where she spent more than a decade rising to various leadership roles. She also served as director of sales and marketing at Radisson Hotel Charleston for six years.
Eldorado Resorts appointed Bret Yunker chief financial officer, effective May 2, 2019. Yunker brings more than 20 years of gaming industry investment banking experience, most recently serving as managing director at J.P. Morgan in its real estate investment banking group with primary coverage responsibility for the gaming industry.