Designers, chefs, a sommelier and gaming industry executives are some of the industry movers and shakers highlighted during this final week of January.
Ann Barker assumed the role of vice president corporate accounting at New Castle Hotels & Resorts, promoted from her former position of senior director of corporate accounting. Barker will be responsible for the corporate accounting department, overseeing outside tax and financial accounts, real estate tax advisors and attorneys, and corporate accounting staff.
Interior design and architecture firm Looney & Associates promoted four designers. Brian Belcher, Julianne Cary, Mark Cary and Jenna Higginbotham are now associates. The expanded leadership team will help support the firm’s growth, which includes a recently opened office in Honolulu, Hawaii and international hospitality projects.
Leonard Buckley was named general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia in Center City Philadelphia. Buckley has 39 years of hospitality management experience, having spent the majority of his career with Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Most recently, he was general manager of the Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill Hotel.
Antonio Bugarin joined the team at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California as the property’s hotel manager. Bugarin hails from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where he served for 14 years at One&Only Palmilla, including time as acting general manager of the resort.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego appointed Dennis Clark as managing director, responsible for overall operations, performance and strategic direction. Most recently, Clark was general manager at Fairmont Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
White Lodging, which manages the Milwaukee Hotel Collection, promoted Chuck Collins to the position of market vice president for Milwaukee. Collins most recently served as regional vice president of select service for the company.
Tom Fels was named CEO at the Africa-based Singita. Fels has extensive experience leading, innovating and scaling consumer businesses having guided a number of companies through transformation and growth cycles, most recently as managing director of Publicis Machine and CEO of Nurun (South Africa). Luke Bailes, founder of Singita who has served as CEO since the company’s inception in 1993, will continue to serve as executive chairman of Singita’s board of directors.
After a US$115 million redevelopment and launch last December, Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach in Honolulu named Matthew Grauso as general manager. Grauso came from The Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa in Kona, Hawaii where he was general manager.
Peter Hansen was appointed director of operations, food and beverage at The Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles. Prior to joining The Hollywood Roosevelt, Hansen served as director of operations of the Mondrian Park Avenue in New York City.
James Holehouse assumed the role of executive pastry chef at Park Hyatt Tokyo in Japan. The native Canadian, who has competed in many international baking competitions, most recently was the executive pastry chef at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.
Jeffrey Hook is executive vice president of development and marketing at Hard Rock Casinos, where he will be responsible for the company’s global development outside of Asia. Hook was vice president of marketing at Seminole Gaming and also has held leadership positions at MGM, Boyd Gaming and Harrah’s Entertainment.
Soon-to-open Lido House in Newport Beach, California announced its culinary team. Riley Huddleston is the executive chef partner, Brian Neubauer is director of restaurant operations and Janine Falvo is executive chef. Huddleston most recently was executive chef and beverage director at LondonHouse Chicago while Neubauer was director of restaurants at Marriott Anaheim. Falvo brings more than 15 years of experience to Lido House and has appeared on “Top Chef” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.”
Departing from his role as vice president and general manager of The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa in Palm Springs, California, Stan Kantowski joined Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona as managing director of the 70-acre property, Mii amo spa and Seven Canyons golf club.
Adrian Nieto joined The Statler in downtown Dallas as its director of sales, a role in which he will be responsible for sales strategies for the hotel and its meeting and event spaces. Nieto previously served as director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square for more than 10 years.
Marriott International appointed Scott MacDonald as general manager of Courtyard by Marriott Sydney – North Ryde in the Sydney, Australia suburbs. Since 2015, MacDonald had been executive assistant manager of Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast in Gold Coast, Australia.
Ocean Club Resorts, two sister destinations on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos, appointed Wilbert Mason as managing director. Mason has more than 18 years of Caribbean-focused experience, including at The Landings in St. Lucia, Peter Island Resort and The Regent Palms.
Boutique hotel Cambria New Orleans in the Warehouse Arts District of New Orleans hired Taylor Patrick McInerney as assistant general manager. McInerney served as part of the hotel’s preliminary start-up team and before that was regional director of operations for Q Hotels, a Louisiana-based management corporation.
The Restoration in Charleston, South Carolina hired Jordan Moore as its executive chef and sommelier Chelsea Nightengale as director of food and beverage. Moore has experience at Ms. Rose’s, Juliet and Burwell’s Stonefire Grill, all in Charleston. Nightengale will oversee operations and programming for each of the hotel’s outlets, including The Watch Rooftop Kitchen & Spirits, The Rise coffee shop and more.
Claudia Pérez is now director of sales and marketing at Rosewood Puebla in Puebla, Mexico. Pérez has more than 20 years experience, most recently as corporate director of new products and portfolio at Universidad de Valle de México in Mexico City, Mexico where she was named director of Laureate Hospitality Education Mexico.
Miraval Group appointed eight executives to oversee the development of Miraval Arizona, Miraval Life in Balance Spas and all future brand expansion. Carl Pratt is vice president of programming, Cecil Hopper is director of revenue optimization, Jill Harlow is director of brand and marketing, Jorah Anderson is director of sales, Karen Rieker is director of finance and administration, Marisa Galdi is director of talent and culture, Philippe Brenot is director of retail procurement and Simon Marxer is director of spas.
Resorts World Catskills casino in Monticello, New York announced the appointment of two senior executives with concentrations in multicultural marketing. Calvin Quach will serve as vice president, international marketing and Angela Wu as executive director, international marketing. Quach most recently was senior vice president for Asian marketing at Baha Mar, Nassau, The Bahamas and director of Asian marketing at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Wu was assistant director at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh and the head of domestic player development and Asian marketing at Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York.
Laura Redpath was promoted to director of brand and communications at Half Moon, a 400-acre resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Redpath joined Half Moon in 2015 and previously held the position of marketing communications manager. She formerly worked at Sandals Resorts International as public relations manager.
Waterford Hotel Group appointed Lisa Reeser to general manager of Courtyard by Marriott Lake Placid in Lake Placid, New York. Reeser, who has more than 25 years of hotel management experience, had been director of room operations at Ashworth by the Sea in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Eliot Sandiford was appointed regional director of public relations of The Set Hotels. Sandiford joined the company in 2016 as director of public relations for Hotel Café Royal in London, England. In his newly created role, he will be responsible for global public relations of The Set Hotels’ properties as well as overseeing communications for the group.
Standard International named Landis Smithers as its chief creative officer. Smithers has a background in both agency and in-house creative roles and most recently was head of marketing at Grindr.
Hakkasan Group appointed Jacques Sorci vice president culinary global, overseeing culinary operations across Hakkasan Group’s portfolio. Sorci has more than 30 years of fine-dining experience and most recently was executive chef at Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City.
Benchmark named Jean Spaulding director of sales and marketing for the Villas of Grand Cypress, a Gemstone Collection property in Orlando, Florida. Spaulding has held senior executive roles with several hotels and resorts, and most recently was director of sales and marketing for the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
Timothy Tan is director of business development at Conrad Centennial Singapore. Tan returns to his native Singapore after serving as director of sales for Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central and The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central, both in Macao.
John Zaner joined The St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio as executive chef. Zaner served as the executive chef of The Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, Hawaii for more than 12 years and had been director of culinary operations at the La Cantera Resort & Spa, also in San Antonio.