Developed and owned by The Irvine Company, the hotel is situated in the heart of the Newport Beach and Orange County business districts � catering primarily to executive business travelers.  The hotel was previously managed by Four Seasons since its opening in 1986.
�The formation of this sales and marketing team is instrumental to the ongoing success of our resort properties division, and lays the groundwork for the opening of our luxury resort Pelican Hill at Newport Coast,� says Michael Donahue, vice president of marketing for The Irvine Company�s Resort Properties.  The new resort is slated to open in 2008.
 
The new Island Hotel team includes:
 
Terri Reid, director of sales and marketing.  Reid has over 20 years of luxury international experience and oversees the hotel�s sales and marketing efforts, including advertising, group and leisure sales, conference services, revenue management and reservations.  Most recently, she served as director of sales and marketing for St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, CA.  Prior to that, she performed in similar positions around the globe, including: the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, Australia; The Regent Sydney (now Four Seasons Sydney); and Four Seasons Resort Wailea on Maui.  She has also worked as director of incentive sales in the Chicago worldwide office for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.  Reid is a graduate of Bryan College in Los Angeles, CA, and is a 15-year member of The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives.
 
Michelle Devine, director of group sales.  Previously the director of sales and marketing for The Irvine Company�s Pelican Hill and Oak Creek golf properties, Devine oversees group sales strategies for the 295-room Island Hotel. Prior to The Irvine Company, she opened St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, CA as director of leisure sales; and served as director of sales at Mirage Resorts� Treasure Island in Las Vegas. Devine is a member of Meeting Planners International.
 
Julie Browe Mathews, director of transient sales. Most recently a regional sales manager for The Leading Hotels of the World, Mathews is the primary liaison to travel agents, corporate accounts, American Express Platinum and other wholesale industry providers, and The Leading Hotels of the World, of which The Island Hotel is a member. She started her career as a catering manager for Los Angeles� prestigious Patina Catering, and then worked her way up from catering sales to travel industry sales at Ritz-Carlton properties in Laguna Niguel and Marina Del Rey.  A graduate of California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, CA, Mathews is a member of Meeting Planners International and The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives.
 
Overlooking the nearby islands of Balboa, Lido and even Catalina, The Island Hotel Newport Beach was originally built in 1986 by The Irvine Company and now features: 295 recently renovated guestrooms and suites; a 4,000-square-foot spa; a 3,000-square-foot resort-style pool; two award-winning restaurants; a fitness center; two outdoor, lighted tennis courts; and over 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is across the street from the acclaimed Fashion Island shopping center, and just minutes away from Newport Harbor.

For reservations and more information, please contact The Island Hotel Newport Beach, toll-free, at 1-888-321-4752; or visit the website at www.theislandhotel.com.

Marguarite Clark Public Relations
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