�Keith has a unique background that combines different but compatible disciplines in project management and food and beverage operations,� said Bill Otto, president of Marcus Hotels and Resorts.  �As we expand and upgrade our portfolio of managed and owned properties, he will play a critical role in our future growth.  Keith has been involved in a wide array of expansion projects from planning through execution at both urban hotels and resorts.  His creativity in food and beverage has won numerous awards and earned national acclaim.�

Halfmann will be responsible for overseeing all development and renovation projects in the company�s owned and third-party management portfolio, including the recently announced 255 condo-unit The Platinum Suite Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas. 
�Hotels and resorts require a singular �personality� that set them apart from their competition in today�s competitive environment,� Halfmann said.  �Marcus Hotels and Resorts has a long history of bringing a higher level of creative thinking and positioning to their owned and managed properties that give them a competitive edge within their respective markets.  My role will be to bring these innovative concepts to completion on time and on budget.� 

In his capacity as director of food and beverage, he will be responsible for all aspects of the company�s F&B operations, including creating new concepts, menu design, restaurant operations, banquet and catering, as well as room service.  �At Marcus Hotels and Resorts, food and beverage is both a profit center and an amenity that helps set the lifestyle perception of the hotel,� Halfmann said. �My role will be to develop and oversee the execution of food and beverage concepts that attract both guests and locals to our hotels in a way that enhances the hotel�s reputation.�

Halfmann joined Marcus Hotels and Resorts in 1999 as director of food and beverage for the Pfister Hotel, where he created and opened the nationally recognized cocktail lounge, �Blu� and opened the four-star �Celia,� which was ranked in the city�s top five restaurants in its first year of operation.  He was subsequently promoted to director of operations at the Hilton Milwaukee, where he concepted and opened the �Milwaukee Chophouse,� which also was ranked in the city�s top five during its first year of operation.  As director of operations at the Grand Geneva Resort, he oversaw the successful renovation of the Spa and Ski Chalet and reconcepted the property�s retail, restaurants and public areas.

Prior to joining Marcus Hotels and Resorts, he held senior positions at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado.  He also held senior food and beverage positions at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.  He began his career with The American Club, a five-diamond luxury resort. 

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Marcus Hotels and Resorts is a division of The Marcus Corporation, a leader in the lodging and entertainment industries.  The company owns or manages 11 hotels and resorts in Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas, one vacation club in Wisconsin and is overseeing the development and management of a condominium hotel currently under construction in Nevada. The company�s limited-service lodging division operates or franchises 179 Baymont Inns & Suites in 31 states, seven Woodfield Suites in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio and Texas and one Budgetel Inn in Wisconsin.