SONESTA APPOINTS NEW CIO
Sonesta has announced the appointment of Jeff Knowlton as chief information officer.
“We welcome Jeff to Sonesta and look forward to leveraging his 25 years of experience leading IT teams and successfully implementing strategic initiatives within the hospitality industry,” said John Murray, President and CEO at Sonesta. “As an accomplished technology executive, Jeff has the comprehensive experience that we believe will fuel Sonesta’s growth and drive innovation in our business.”
Knowlton most recently served as vice president of information technology at Pursuit Collection, a Denver-based hospitality and attractions company, where he built the IT department to support the company’s growth. Before Pursuit Collection, he was vice president of property technology at Sage Hospitality, a hospitality management and investment company.
“I am excited to join Sonesta during this period of tremendous growth,” said Jeff Knowlton, newly appointed CIO at Sonesta. “I look forward to supporting Sonesta’s continued growth by leveraging technology to contribute to creating unforgettable experiences for our guests and great value for our owners.”
DIMENSION HOSPITALITY’S NEW CEO
Dimension Hospitality, a hotel management and development company, has appointed Greg Friedman as CEO following the sudden death of company founder and philanthropist Sam Friedman on July 2. Friedman joined the company in 2000 as general counsel and most recently served as company president.
NEW PRESIDENT AT VIRGIN HOTELS LAS VEGAS
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, has named Cliff Atkinson president of the resort casino, effective July 31.
A hospitality industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience, Atkinson has worked for several high-profile hotels and lodging companies across the U.S., including Luxor Hotel & Casino, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Gramercy Park Hotel and MGM Resorts International.
MORE MOVES
Christopher J. Collins has joined OTO Development as the new VP, food & beverage. Collins began his F&B journey behind the bar at TGI Fridays and most recently served as vice president, food & beverage with Kraft Sports & Entertainment at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots.
MOLLIE Aspen, a new 68-room boutique hotel opening this winter in downtown Aspen, Colo., has appointed Austin Luckett as general manager.
Luckett brings 13 years of hospitality experience to the position. Before this role, he coordinated operations and guest experiences as the director of lodging at The Resort at Paws Up in Montana and held senior-level positions at the Grand Hyatt Macau and Dalian in China.
Thompson Palm Springs has appointed Jeffrey Miller as general manager and Kelly Teo as director of sales & marketing for the forthcoming luxury hotel slated to open in late 2023.
Bringing nearly two decades of industry experience to his role, Miller has served as general manager for Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows and has an extensive background with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.
Most recently, Kelly Teo was the director of sales & marketing at Thompson Dallas. Before joining the Thompson family, Teo led sales and marketing for luxury hotel brands such as Waldorf Astoria, St. Regis, EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton and InterContinental on the West Coast of the U.S. and across the Asia-Pacific.