OTO DEVELOPMENT’S NEW CEO
Rob Rain has joined OTO Development as CEO. Rain will oversee strategic initiatives that will drive growth across OTO’s portfolio, with an emphasis on increasing efficiency and maximizing profitability while continuing to enhance guest experience.
Rain succeeds OTO’s former CEOs — the late Corry Oakes, who helmed the company for its first 18 years and Todd Turner who recently retired. Rain will be based out of the company’s headquarters in downtown Spartanburg, S.C.
Most recently, Rain served as the president of the industrial division at Johnson Development Associates. He has worked with the Johnson Group family of companies for over 10 years, initially working in private equity with WJ Partners. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Rain spent four years as an infantry officer before his private sector career. His tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and heroism in combat merited a Bronze Star with Valor.
BILL RYAN JOINS BWH HOTELS
BWH Hotels, the hospitality enterprise that consists of WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels, has appointed Bill Ryan as senior vice president and chief technology officer. He will report to BWH Hotels President and CEO Larry Cuculic.
In his new role, Ryan will be in charge of the technology management team and assist the brand’s overarching digital strategy and transformation. In his most recent role, he served as the vice president of digital commerce and customer technology at Backcountry.
Ryan has worked across retail brands for 15 years and enabled revenue growth at consumer-focused brands, including PetSmart, Urban Outfitters and Backcountry, by driving improvements to the customer experience, enabling new capabilities and leading digital transformation.
MORE MOVES
Peachtree Group has welcomed Brent LeBlanc as the executive vice president, business development. He will support Peachtree’s efforts to expand its investment platforms. His responsibilities will include focusing on cross-marketing strategies, fostering business development and partnering with the investment teams to drive innovation and capture new opportunities.
With nearly three decades of hospitality real estate experience, LeBlanc has launched hotel brands and completed complex real estate transactions with the largest hotel operators and developers in the U.S. He joined Peachtree in 2012 to lead a growth strategy to expand the firm’s footprint into the western U.S. and strengthen relationships with premium-branded hotels. Most recently, he served as executive vice president, capital markets, building and expanding the leadership team for Peachtree’s broker-dealer affiliate, Peachtree PC Investors.
Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau has announced four recent hires to its sales team. The new additions to the team include:
- Antonecia Sweeting-Monroe: assistant director of sales
- Beverley Maycock: wedding sales manager
- Felicia Joseph: complex convention service manager
- Sabrina Stubbs: group sales manager
“The resort is thrilled to be welcoming these talented individuals to our team,” said resort managing director Zachary Frangos. “They bring so much combined experience and dedication to their roles. We know they will continue to help our events business grow and strive to make sure all of our event guests have the best experience possible before and during their time with us.”
Nina Hospitality has announced two key management appointments. Julian Ding has joined as group director of finance and Michelle Chung has been named group head of internal control and compliance.
With more than 20 years of finance experience in the hotel industry, Ding will oversee financial operations, aiming to optimize profitability and operational efficiency. Previously, he worked with Four Seasons and Starwood and assumed the role of vice president of finance operations at Langham Hospitality Group.
Chung has over 15 years of experience in internal audit, controls, risk management and compliance. She will develop and implement strategic plans aligning with Nina’s goals, ensuring compliance and brand standards, quality controls and regulatory requirements. She joins from ITC Properties Group Ltd., where she served as head of internal audit and compliance.
Caption by Hyatt Nashville has appointed Abigail Seanez as director of sales. She brings in more than eight years of experience in sales, revenue management and strategic leadership in the hospitality industry.
Most recently, Seanez served as director of sales at Hotel Nashville Brentwood. Prior to that, she held the role of market sales executive at Drury Hotels and senior sales manager at Hotel Indigo.
Delaware North, the global hospitality and entertainment company with casino resorts and other gaming destinations, has appointed David Kopasz to fill the newly created role of chief hospitality officer for the gaming division.
He will work with Jason Gregorec, the new president of Delaware North’s gaming division, and leaders of the company’s gaming locations and their culinary and hotel teams to enhance the guest experience. Kopasz will spearhead development and implementation of programs and services to enhance hospitality experience and optimize efficiency and quality at the restaurants and hotels Delaware North operates at its gaming locations. Kopasz joins from Yaamava Resort & Casino at San Manuel in California, where he worked for almost 10 years in leadership positions, including as chief hospitality officer.
Park Hyatt New York has promoted General Manager Laurent Ebzant to area vice president/general manager. He will report to Senior Vice President, Field Operations Yvette Edwards to support the operations teams within the Park Hyatt portfolio across the Americas region.
Ebzant will lead growth initiatives, ensuring consistency in brand delivery and guest experience at Park Hyatt properties in the Americas. Park Hyatt New York in currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation under Ebzant’s direction.
Rosewood São Paulo has appointed Juliette Granon as director of communications. She will enhance the hotel’s brand visibility and reputation, both nationally and globally and report to Director of Sales and Marketing Silvio Araujo.
Granon brings more than 15 years of experience in luxury communications and public relations. As the founder and director of her own consulting agency, she has executed strategic communications and branding initiatives for a range of clients.
NEW GMs
Ana Gorjão Henriques has been named as general manager of Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Peninsula Papagayo, the brand’s first hotel in Central and South America set to open in 2025.
A 13-year veteran of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand, Henriques earlier led Phulay Bay in Thailand and Mandapa in Bali. Most recently, she served as general manager of Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, in Puerto Rico.
Minor Hotels has appointed Naowarat Arunkong as general manager of the upcoming NH Bangkok Sukhumvit Boulevard in Bangkok. She will lead the hotel’s transition from Boulevard Hotel Bangkok to NH Bangkok Sukhumvit Boulevard.
Arunkong most recently served as cluster general manager for Anantara Hua Hin Resort and Avani+ Hua Hin Resort. Her journey with Minor Hotels began in 1999, when she joined Minor Hotels-owned Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa as front office manager, eventually rising to the position of rooms division manager.
Aparium Hotel Group has named Rod Lapasin as general manager of Hotel Westland at Railspur in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, which will open in spring 2025. He brings in over 35 years of experience to his role, having held senior leadership roles with luxury brands including, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and the Salish Lodge & Spa.
Lapasin will lead daily operations, focusing on elevating guest experience. Additionally, he will serve as managing director of RailSpur, the adaptive reuse development by Urban Villages.
Brian Koenitzer has been appointed general manager of Hilton Richmond Downtown. He brings more than 10 years of managerial experience to his new new role.
He joins from the Embassy Suites Hampton Roads Convention Hotel & Spa, where he served as general manager. Prior to that, Koenitzer held the position of general manager with Remington Hotels.
Aaron Osborne has been named general manager of Hyatt Centric French Quarter. With more than 20 years of experience, Osborne joins from Porto Vista Hotel where he served as regional VP of operations and general manager.
Prior to that, he held a leadership role at The Restoration Hotel as general manager, where he both designed and opened new additions to the boutique property.
Caption by Hyatt Nashville has welcomed Brian Kent as general manager. With over 15 years of hospitality experience, Kent joins from The Dream Hotel by Hyatt where he most recently served as director of front office.
Before that, he held managerial positions at Hyatt House Nashville at Vanderbilt and Hyatt Place Nashville/Hendersonville serving as general manager at both properties and overseeing daily operations.
Hotel Heron in the Old Town district of Alexandria, Va., has welcomed Liz Martinez as the general manager of KILN, the property’s Mid-Atlantic inspired flagship restaurant. She will helm all aspects of KILN’s guest service and dining operations, complementing Maienshein’s hearth-inspired menu and food and beverage programming in continuing to solidify Hotel Heron as a premier culinary destination.
With more than two decades of experience, Martinez brings her experience from the Detroit Foundation Hotel, also part of the Aparium Hotel Group, where she held roles of general manager and sommelier for The Apparatus Room for around two years.