Playa Hotels & Resorts and Omni Hotels & Resorts both named new sales executives. Hôtel de Crillon in Paris brought a pastry chef on board and Grace Hotels appointed two general managers in Greece. Here are more industry appointments and promotions from the week.
Omni Hotels & Resorts appointed Cara Banasch vice president of sales, effective May 21. Prior to joining Omni, Banasch was senior vice president of business development and strategy for the New Orleans Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
Robert Boller became managing director of Maxx by Steigenberger, the fourth brand under the Deutsche Hospitality umbrella. He had been with IntercityHotel for 18 years, most recently as senior director of operations.
Holiday Inn Mount Kisco, a Roedel Companies property in Mount Kisco, New York, appointed Olivia Calcagnini director of sales and marketing. Calcagnini most recently was account manager for Convene in New York City.
Chris Cheney was promoted to vice president of hotel performance and analytics at Stonebridge Companies’ corporate office in Denver. Cheney had been vice president of revenue management for Stonebridge Companies.
Corporate Stays appointed John Decoste market manager, United States. Decoste has almost 20 years of hospitality industry experience, including three years at Corporate Stays in a previous role focused on business development.
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers in Hong Kong appointed Allwyn D’souza resident manager, Joyce Wong director of sales and marketing, and Bernard Kam director of human resources. D’souza previously was the director of room operation at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel in Singapore, Wong was director of marketing at Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong, and Kam had been group director of human resources at Marco Polo Hotels and Plaza Premium Group.
Timothy Edgecombe became director of sales at Rosewood Washington, D.C. Edgecombe most recently was director of travel industry and entertainment sales at Rosewood Washington, D.C.’s sister property, The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City.
Cambria Dallas Downtown in Dallas named Nathan Enders executive chef of the property’s Petro Tower Grill. Enders had been executive chef at Cambria Chicago Magnificent Mile in Chicago.
WorldHotels appointed five additions to its executive development team. David Eskander is now regional vice president of hotel development, the Americas, Pablo Alcacer is now senior director of hotel development, EMEA, Sr. Abelardo Hernandez is now senior director of hotel development, Latin America, Olav Glorvigen is now director of hotel development and Hatta Teo is now senior manager of hotel development, APAC.
Pablo Gicquel was appointed head pastry chef at Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris, France, which reopened in 2017 following a four-year renovation. Gicquel has worked with chocolatier Philippe Bouvier and alongside Laurent Le Daniel, a recipient of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France title.
Suncadia Resort, A Destination Hotel in Cle Elum, Washington, named Mike Jones director of resort golf, Megan Smith director of Glade Spring Spa and Heidi Hansen director of property management. Jones has managed golf courses across the country, including the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Smith most recently was master esthetician at Multi Health System in Puget Sound in Washington. Hansen arrived from Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Washington where she was director of property management and lodging operations.
The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort in Honolulu named Shingo Katsura chef de cuisine at Azure Restaurant. Katsura had been executive chef at Roots & Rye in San Jose, California. Shaymus Alwin, who had been the chef de cuisine at Azure for almost eight years, was promoted to executive sous chef, assisting the executive chef with the hotel’s entire culinary operations.
Thomas Lloyd was promoted to general manager of Marriott Boulder in Boulder, Colorado. Lloyd had been assistant general manager for Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center in Denver.
Arlo Hotels appointed Bassim Ouachani general manager at Arlo SoHo in New York City. Ouachani was promoted from his previous position as director of operations at the same property.
Holston House, part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, in Nashville, Tennessee appointed Dennis Park director of sales and marketing. He had been general manager at the Found:Re Hotel in Phoenix.
Ilenia Santarelli joined The Hassler Roma in Rome, Italy as communications manager.
Playa Hotels & Resorts promoted Howard Tanenbaum to senior vice president of sales. He will continue to help build and expand Playa’s global sales division.
The Mayfair Hotel in Los Angeles named Tiffani Velazquez director of catering sales. Velazquez, who has worked in the greater Los Angeles area for more than 20 years, most recently was director of catering for The California Yacht Club in Marina Del Ray, California.
Grace Hotels appointed George Vlachopoulos and Yiorgos Peroutseas as general managers of Grace Santorini in Santorini, Greece and Grace Mykonos in Mykonos, Greece respectively. Vlachopoulos joined Grace Hotels from Radisson Hotel Group where he worked for several hotels, including as director of rooms at Ritz-Carlton in Thailand. Peroutseas joined from IFA Hotels & Resorts in London, England following a career at many hotels in London and Greece.
Erin Williams was named director of sales and marketing for DoubleTree Denver Tech Center in Denver. Williams was most recently the director of sales and marketing for Embassy Suites by Hilton in Colorado Springs, Colorado.