MAIN STREET HOSPITALITY PROMOTES SCOTT WILLIAMS
Main Street Hospitality has promoted Scott Williams as chief development and brand officer. He will continue working closely with Founder & CEO Sarah Eustis and the executive team with a focus on the strategic growth and evolution of the brand.
Williams will be in charge of leading brand architecture and positioning, development, marketing and communication initiatives and experience design for the independent hospitality group and its portfolio of hotels across the Northeast. Since he joined Main Street Hospitality in 2021, he has transformed and strengthened the brand’s identity and market positioning.
Prior to hospitality, Williams had a career in television with creative and production stints at CBS, ESPN and HBO. He is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and serves on the programming committee at the Harvard Club New York and the Advisory Board of the Independent Lodging Congress.
DESTINATION DC NAMES BOARD CHAIRPERSON
Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for Washington, D.C., has named Meade Atkeson as chair of the DDC Board of Directors. Atkeson currently serves as the area general manager for Royal Sonesta hotels in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore and earlier served as vice chairperson of the DDC board.
In his 38-year career with Marriott and Starwood, he has operated resort properties, lifestyle, luxury, downtown and convention hotels and has knowledge in sales, marketing, revenue management and operations. He was chairman of the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C. during the pandemic, during which he helped develop the tourism recovery plan adopted by the City Council in 2023.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of Destination DC and I’m thrilled to step into this leadership role,” said Atkeson. “Over the past eight years, I’ve fought for the funding that we need to keep attracting and retaining meetings and events of all sizes, from around the world. As chair, advocating for funding will remain at the top of my priorities.”
INTERCONTINENTAL SAN ANTONIO’S NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has announced a new leadership team for the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk, which will open this summer.
Stacy Seaborn has been named director sales and marketing. Bringing more than 30 years of experience in the San Antonio area, she will be responsible for the strategic direction of the hotel’s sales and marketing initiatives. In her most recent position, she worked at the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, first as director of catering and conference services and later as director of sales and marketing.
Stefan Gruvberger has been appointed as general manager. With around three decades of global hospitality experience, Gruverger will helm the opening of the hotel. He began his career in New York City as an assistant director of revenue for The Waldorf Astoria and has since led leadership roles at properties in Lake Tahoe, San Jose, San Francisco and Chicago, including opening general manager of The Lasalle Chicago.
NEW GMs
Laura Santoni has joined The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort, which is anticipated to open in 2025. She will lead daily resort operations and contribute to the resort’s growth and development.
Santoni brings over 30 years of experience to her new role, with knowledge of the Caribbean and Latin American market. Since beginning her career at Marriott in 1991, she has held numerous positions within the group, including serving as general manager for Marriott Village at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando and heading the global sales organization for Caribbean and Latin America. She has served as area vice president for Mexico in the last seven years and led the launch of many hotels in the region.
The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas has appointed Laura Jarvinen as general manager. In her new position, she will leverage her 25 years of experience to enhance the guest experience and drive the strategic vision of the luxury hotel. She will maintain the highest standards of service and hospitality across all hotel operations, including the introduction of enhanced amenities, elevated programming and new executive positions in F&B as well as wellness.
Jarvinen has held key positions at The Ritz-Carlton and W brands across the US and CALA regions. In her most recent position, she served as hotel manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans has welcomed Wayne Morris as general manager. He will be responsible for all aspects of the hotel’s operations, ensuring the brand’s standards of service, hospitality and guest satisfaction, alongside daily operations.
Prior to his new role, Morris served as vice president of the health and wellness division at Ochsner Health. Morris’ luxury hospitality roots are within The Ritz-Carlton, where he began his career in 2000 at the French Quarter hotel and later spending more than eight years with the brand.
Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA has appointed two new general managers:
- Seamus O’Hara as general manager of the upcoming Tribe hotel at the Manchester Airport. Before the new role, O’Hara served as cluster general manager for Radisson, managing Radisson Blu Bristol and Park Inn Cardiff.
- Kim Wantoch as GM for ibis Styles Leeds. Prior to her new role, Wantoch was with Leaf Hospitality and served as cluster general manager at the Hampton by Hilton Humberside and the independent Nightel hotel. Previously, she was the opening general manager for Hampton by Hilton Leeds.
OTHER MOVES
The Chatwal, New York has named Matt Tobin as its director of sales and marketing. Tobin will oversee all aspects of sales and marketing at The Chatwal, New York, focusing on driving revenues for the hotel and collaborating on marketing partnerships.
Prior to his new role, Tobin served as general manager of Hotel Nyack, a JdV by Hyatt Hotel in Nyack, N.Y. Before Hotel Nyack, he was the area director of sales and marketing for Bridge Hospitality Group in New York.
The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua has welcomed Marcus Cornelious as director of sales and marketing. In his most recent position, Cornelious served as director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.
Cornelious has held director of sales and marketing positions at the Sheraton Grand Chicago; The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel; and W Union Square. Â
Clark Albright has been appointed director of sales and marketing for JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa. He brings four decades of experience to his new role and will lead sales and marketing teams for the property, providing daily leadership while encouraging diverse thinking to drive organizational success.
Responsible for achieving booking goals and property revenues, he will manage reactive and proactive sales efforts to ensure sales objectives are met while cultivating corporate relationships for sales, group and leisure business. Albright will oversee the marketing budget to enable the development of property-specific campaigns, promotions and collateral to drive revenue and meet property objectives.
Christy Patterson has been named the director of sales of The Woodstock Inn & Resort. She brings in over 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality sales to her new role. Patterson will head and oversee all group, transient and catering/banquet sales endeavors, develop, implement and manage the objectives and policies governing the sales and reservations department, encompassing corporate and social sales, weddings, leisure guest reservations and more.
Patterson joins the Woodstock Inn & Resort from the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, where she served as the director of sales, leisure from 2022. She was the director of sales, leisure for Auberge Resorts Collection in locations such as Anguilla, Costa Rica, New Mexico and Utah.