People on the move: Hard Rock Hotel New York, Concord Hospitality, The Biltmore Los Angeles, The Knickerbocker, PEG Hospitality Group

Hard Rock Hotel New York has appointed David Salcfas as general manager. With four decades of experience in hospitality, Salcfas joins the hotel after an extensive tenure with Marriott International, where he was an executive committee member across a portfolio of 16 hotels and five brands. He held 23 positions in sales, catering, events, marketing and operations across the Eastern region. Highlights include hotel manager postings for the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park and the New York Marriott Marquis.   

Jon Lucas, chief operating officer for Hard Rock International, said: “We look forward to seeing David further the invaluable contributions made by the hotel in their first year of opening and strengthening our profound commitment to creating a positive impact in the communities where we do business.  

“I’ve always had deep business connections where I’ve served, and I look forward to uplifting and investing in the vibrant ecosystem to which we belong,” Salcfas shared. 

Concord Hospitality has welcomed Donna Runnels and Lauren Brown as dual general manager and dual director of sales, respectively, for its Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites property set to open in Grand Prairie, Texas, later this year as part of the 172-acre entertainment district EpicCentral.  

A hospitality veteran of over 25 years, Runnels began her career working in full-service hotels in downtown Dallas and has held leadership positions in Island Hospitality and Crescent Hotels and Resorts, among others. As the newly appointed dual general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites, Runnels will oversee the opening of the dual-branded hotel and the day-to-day operations of both the hotel and conference center. 

Working closely alongside Runnels will be Lauren Brown. She previously worked with Hilton and brings an in-depth knowledge of the brand. Before joining the team, Brown held progressive sales and operations positions with SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn by Marriott and Holiday Inn and oversaw the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites in Ft. Worth. In her new role, Brown will oversee sales and marketing strategy to drive new business opportunities and revenue growth.  

The Biltmore Los Angeles, part of Millennium Hotels & Resorts, has announced the appointment of Tiffany Zimmer-Penton as general manager. Joining the beaux-arts institution as it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2023, Zimmer-Penton is now responsible for all operations of the 683-room property, including sales and marketing, guest rooms, food and beverage, meetings and events facilities. 

Zimmer-Penton arrived at the property from The Millennium Hotel, Minneapolis, where, as general manager starting in 2022, she oversaw a soft relaunch and guided an ongoing $1 million renovation of the guestrooms.

 The Knickerbocker, the Manhattan luxury hotel managed by Highgate, has announced three additions to its executive leadership team.  

• Mauricio Aceves, director of sales and marketing. With a 30-year career in strategic international marketing and business development, Aceves brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role. Before joining The Knickerbocker, Aceves was the vice president of business development at Posadas Group, where he supervised strategic international commercial communication and marketing implementation for the company’s portfolio of luxury and upscale curated brands.
• Christine Apergis, director of human resources. With over 25 years of experience in human resources, Apergis joins The Knickerbocker from Public Health Solutions, a non-profit healthcare organization, where she served as the interim chief human resources officer. Before that, she held the position of Corporate HR Director at Amsterdam Hospitality, overseeing 10 hotels and a real estate division. She has also worked with Pestana Hotel Group as their Regional HR Director, managing properties in NYC and Miami. 
• Adam Raskin as executive chef, who assumed the role after a track record in both fine-dining and upscale lifestyle properties. As the former Opening Culinary Director and Executive Chef at Great Jones Distilling Co. in New York City, he was responsible for designing the kitchen and bar, curating activations and creating seasonal tasting menus. 

PEG Hospitality Group has named Braden Nicholes general manager at The Advenire, Autograph Collection. Nicholes was previously assistant general manager and will replace Hank Van Orden, who was promoted to regional director of full-service operations. Nicholes’ previous roles include management positions at Marriott’s Summit Watch Park City and Vibe Hotel in Sydney, Australia.