Edition Hotels, New York City, a collection of hotels conceived through a collaboration between hotelier Ian Schrager and Marriott International, has appointed Josh Fluhr as senior vice president and global managing director. Fluhr will guide the brand through its growth, overseeing all aspects of its culture, training platform, hotel openings, design evolution, marketing and PR strategy, nightlife programming, and food and beverage concept development.
Fluhr assumes his new role at a critical time for Edition Hotels, which plans to open its 15th property later this year in Tampa, Florida, followed closely by properties in Rome and Riviera Maya.
Fluhr brings over 30 years of luxury hospitality experience to the role. He began his career working in operations at the W New York – Times Square and the W New York – Union Square. From there, he joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ corporate offices to help launch the Aloft Hotels brand. In 2007, Fluhr became vice president, hotel operations at SBE Hotel Group, New York, helping to create, launch, and open the flagship SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, California. In 2010, Fluhr joined Marriott International as a senior team member with the newly launched Edition brand, helping to manage the logistics, training, food and beverage, and openings of the first two Edition properties in Waikiki, Hawaii, and Istanbul, Turkey. In 2011, Fluhr led hotel operations and development for the SLS Las Vegas, and SLS Miami, Florida, and later that year, he joined Morgans Hotel Group, New York, where he worked in senior operations roles, ultimately becoming chief operating officer. In 2016, Fluhr re-joined Marriott and the Edition team, and has been a key leader in establishing the brand’s solid foundation for future growth.
“Edition has held a huge place in my heart since I assisted with the brand’s inception over 10 years ago,” Fluhr said. “I am honored to step into this role and usher Edition into its next chapter as we continue to expand globally and set the standard for luxurious and culturally-connected hospitality.”
Four new general managers have been appointed at IntercityHotel (Deutsche Hospitality, Frankfurt, Germany) since May: Nadjet Bennaceur is the new director of IntercityHotel Geneva Airport; Katrin Schissler is the new general manager of the IntercityHotel Berlin-Brandenburg Airport; Mathias Rusch will be the first general manager at IntercityHotel Berlin Airport BER; and the management of the IntercityHotel Berlin Hauptbahnhof will be assumed by Annelie Richers. Bennaceur previously served as deputy director in global 4- and 5-star categories. Schissler has been with IntercityHotel for 17 years, most recently as director at the hotels in Rostock and Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Rusch was general manager at IntercityHotel Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, whereas Richers has been part of Deutsche Hospitality since 2011 and of IntercityHotel since 2012, most recently working as general manager at Berlin Ostbahnhof.
HVS, London, England, has selected Alexander Bock as director for Germany. Prior to joining HVS, he gained extensive experience in Europe and Asia in development and asset management with companies such as Kempinski, InterContinental Hotels Group and Mandarin Oriental.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts, Ridgefield, Connecticut, has chosen Glenn Bowie as general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian. Bowie has worked with New Castle for more than 25 years and most recently served as the area director of sales and marketing for the company’s Canadian Division.
The Langham, Chicago, Illinois, has appointed Walleska Ciafanelli as the executive pastry chef. Most recently, Ciafanelli held roles at the University Club of Chicago, Palmer House Hotel, and the Sofitel Hotel Magnificent Mile, all in Chicago.
Brian Cripps has been named executive chef of Tre Rivali and The Outsider, a rooftop bar at The Journeyman Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Joining Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and the Task Force Program in 2017, Cripps has assisted restaurants across the country and joined The Outsider in 2021.
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Florida, has named Jillian Dampier as director of group and catering sales and Peter Francis as director of transient sales. Dampier has held various leadership positions with renowned brands such as Hyatt, Conrad Hotels and Resorts, and other properties under the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Francis launched his leisure sales experience just under a decade ago when he joined the team at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Avon, Colorado, and has since gained experience at The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Caribbean and Mexico, and The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, California.
Palm Mountain Resort & Spa, Palm Springs, California, has appointed Patty Davis as its new general manager. Davis has served as general manager at many Columbia Hospitality properties, most recently the MarQueen Hotel in Seattle, Washington.
Graduate Hotels, Nashville, Tennessee, appointed Michele Evans as executive vice president of hospitality for the brand. Most recently, Evans served as vice president of food and beverage for Auberge Resorts, Mill Valley, California.
Forbes Travel Guide, Atlanta, Georgia, has chosen Amanda Frasier as president of ratings. A 17-year veteran of FTG, Frasier founded and chairs the Standards Advisory Committee, and she also leads the planning of the annual Luxury Summit.
CoralTree Hospitality, Denver, Colorado, announced several key new hires. Sean Gazey joins CoralTree as general manager of Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco, California, after his tenure as hotel manager of Hotel Yountville, Napa Valley, California. Jay Dikeman was appointed general manager of Ptarmigan Inn in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Dikeman’s career highlights include stints as the director of sales and marketing at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis and vice president of Lewis Hotels, in Golden, Colorado. Ben Hermon joins the CoralTree home office team as task force director of finance. Most recently, Hermon was the director of finance for the Sheraton Denver Tech Center, Colorado. Mark Bargioni has returned to CoralTree as the company’s payroll systems analyst. Most recently, Bargioni was the payroll manager at Cliff House in Maine. CoralTree also hired Fred Garcia as regional director of finance. Garcia most recently was director of finance for Embassy Suites San Diego Bay, California. Kristin Spivey has joined the design and development team at CoralTree as their newest design and technical services director. Spivey joins CoralTree from Tryba Architects in Denver, Colorado, where she was a senior interior architect.
Senih Geray has been appointed general manager of the Waldorf Astoria Washington, D.C. Previously, Geray served as general manager of The St. Regis New York and Residences.
Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Fairfax, Virginia, has promoted Daniel Johnson, CPA, CMA, CGMA, to senior vice president of taxes. Johnson became part of Crestline in 1998. His most recent role was that of vice president of taxes for Barceló Crestline.
Woodside Hotel Group has appointed Damon Jones as executive chef of The Lodge at Bodega Bay, Sonoma Coast, California. Most recently, he held the role of executive chef at The Golf Club at Newcastle in Newcastle, Washington.
Avion Hospitality, Dallas, Texas, has a new vice president and a new director of accounting: Linh Lai and Joy Gideon, respectively. Prior to joining Avion, Linh was the vice president of accounting at Aimbridge Hospitality, Arlington, Texas. Gideon’s accounting expertise spans multiple industries including hospitality, and commercial real estate.
McKibbon Hospitality, Tampa, Florida, has named Kiel Lombardo vice president of food and beverage. Lombardo was promoted from director of food and beverage for the company’s lifestyle hotels and independent rooftop bar and restaurant concepts.
Max Beach Resort, Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, chose Sarah Mankie as executive chef. Mankie was most recently chef de cuisine at the Corkscrew Bar and Grille in downtown New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
KSL Resorts, Irvine, California, has appointed Kit Pappas as its vice president of asset performance-East. Pappas was most recently the principal of Orlando-based Richmond Street Hospitality, in Florida.
King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, Hawaii, has announced a new executive chef, Michael Quanan. Most recently, Quanan served as director of operations for the Flying Food Group in Kailua-Kona.
Catherine Ryan is the new director of sales and marketing of Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Ryan has served as director of sales and marketing at several Caribbean resorts, including Parrot Cay, Sailrock, and Beach Enclave in Turks & Caicos and The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica.
Lea Seguier, who already represents Singita (Cape Town, South Africa) in Australia and New Zealand, has been appointed as sales manager for Europe.
JW Marriott Tampa Water Street and Tampa Marriott Water Street, Florida, have selected Erica Tortora as the complex’s new senior marketing manager. Most recently, Tortora supervised marketing efforts for The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, also in Florida.