"We are extremely pleased to have Tom Barretta as Benchmark's food & beverage director at Glen Cove Mansion," stated Mr. McLaughlin.  "We look forward to his leadership, vast knowledge and extensive experience as we significantly develop our restaurant, catering and conference food & beverage operations and quality."

Tom Barretta was most recently the highly successful director of food & beverage for the Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate in Huntington, New York, which is considered one of the foremost catering facilities on Long Island.  Barretta served in the same role for the Garden City Hotel, a Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide property located in Garden City, New York.  While at this property, he developed and implemented a detailed employee training and evaluation program, resulting in consistently superior product and service delivery for the large operation.  He has also served as general manager of the MARS 2112, a 550-seat themed restaurant in New York City.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Barretta was food & beverage director at Noble House Hotels and Resorts of Naples, Florida.  He began his career at Restaurant Associates, working for the prestigious John Peel Room, which is Long Island's only 5-Star restaurant and catering facility.
Tom Barretta received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Parsons College located in New York City.  A native of Babylon, New York, he resides in Middle Island, Long Island, with his family.  

The award-winning Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center is situated on 55 secluded and landscaped acres on Long Island's historic Gold Coast, 30 minutes from New York City, JFK International and LaGuardia Airports.  The spacious Georgian-style mansion features stunning vistas of Long Island Sound and was once part of a prestigious collection of gracious country estates, later becoming one of the nation's first dedicated conference center hotels.  Today the elegant property features 196 richly appointed guestrooms, including four suites, the Garden Room Restaurant with magnificent views of the terraces, a large and comfortable pub, private dining rooms ideal for social and corporate occasions, as well as vast outdoor reception areas overlooking the mansion's Gilded Age gardens.  The property offers 25,000 square feet of event and meeting space, with 27 dedicated conference rooms accommodating from 10 to 280 guests, advanced meeting technology, an executive business center and conference concierge services.  Wireless Internet access is available throughout.  Also provided are complete fitness and recreational facilities, including a sauna, steam and massage rooms, indoor swimming pool and whirlpool, garden swimming pool, racquetball courts, bowling alley, lighted tennis courts, jogging trail and a sports field.  Golf is available nearby.  Ideal for executive retreats, corporate meetings and social gatherings, the Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center is masterfully designed to integrate gracious accommodations, superb cuisine and attentive service with contemporary comforts and the latest technology.  For more information on the Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, visit www.glencovemansion.com.  Benchmark Hospitality International operates the property.

Benchmark Hospitality International, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, operates resorts, conference centers, hotels and condominium resorts both domestically and internationally.  For locations of Benchmark Hospitality properties and for additional information, visit Benchmark's Website at www.benchmarkhospitality.com.  

Benchmark Hospitality International
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas
www.benchmarkhospitality.com     
 
Ken Ellens
Ken Ellens Communications 
201-758-2864 / 201-758-2865-Fax
[email protected]