The Woodlands
(Houston), Texas, April 2010 … Benchmark Hospitality International
has appointed
Renato De Pirro executive chef for the luxurious Hotel Granduca.
The elegant property, inspired by
Italy’s
Tuscany
region, is located in
Houston’s
Galleria-Uptown
area and across the street from
Uptown Park’s
European-style
shopping village.
Giorgio Borlenghi,
president of The Interfin Companies and owner of Hotel Granduca, made
the
announcement.
“We were searching for an Italian-born chef
to complement
our acclaimed Ristorante Cavour. We are delighted to say we have found
the
perfect person in Renato, who is originally from Tuscany", said Mr. Borlenghi. “It is indeed a pleasure to welcome him to
Hotel Granduca. He brings a distinctive
European influence and cutting-edge culinary techniques to our hotel
and to our
award-winning Ristorante Cavour.”
Renato De Pirro comes to Hotel Granduca with
over 20 years
of exemplary culinary experience, including ten years within the United States. He served most recently as executive chef for
Osteria del Circo, the upscale Italian restaurant at the Bellagio
Resort in Las Vegas,
Nevada.
Prior to this Mr. De Pirro was executive chef
and manager for Terra Rossa, the fine dining Italian restaurant
situated within
the Red Rock Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
While there, he simultaneously served as corporate
executive chef for
the Italian-branded restaurants of Station Casinos, the resort’s
operator and
the gaming company based in Las
Vegas. In this role
he developed new culinary and interior
design concepts for seven of the company’s Italian restaurants.
Previous to this, Mr. De Pirro was chef de
cuisine and
restaurant manager for The Grill at Valentino in Las Vegas, in charge of all aspects
of the
restaurant’s culinary operations and menu development.
He originally joined the restaurant as line
cook and was rapidly promoted to pastry chef.
De Pirro progressed to sous chef, executive sous chef and
chef de
cuisine during his seven-year tenure with the restaurant.
Chef De Pirro launched his culinary career
in his native Italy,
where he served as executive chef for La
Locanda di Ansedonia, Grosseto, a fine
dining
restaurant located in Ansedonia,
Italy. As an entrepreneur, he owned and was
executive chef of Ristorante La Ribotta, a fine dining establishment
located in
Monte Argentario, Italy.
Renato De Pirro graduated from the Culinary
School IPSAAR
Spoleto, Italy,
with a Certified Chef De Cuisine Diploma.
He has been a featured chef on numerous regionally and
nationally
televised cooking shows, including the Food Network, and was a Silver
medalist
in the World Cup of Culinary Arts. He
was also winner of the Third Annual Bertolli Sous Chef Award, which
honors the
up-and-coming stars of the culinary world.
Considered one of Houston’s
premier, luxury boutique hotels, and the only Leading
Hotels of the World property in Texas,
the Forbes Four Star Hotel Granduca is majestically situated in the
heart of Houston’s Uptown Park
and Galleria district. Built in 2006, and
offering 123 luxuriously
appointed accommodations and suites, Hotel Granduca also features the
award-winning Ristorante Cavour, more than 1,200 square feet of
exclusive
function space, Bar Malatesta, a sparkling pool with private cabanas
and lushly
landscaped verandas and courtyards. For
information or reservations, call 1-888-472-6382, or contact your
travel
professional. Visit online at www.granducahouston.com. Hotel Granduca is operated by Benchmark Hospitality
International.
About Benchmark Hospitality
International
Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader
in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels,
and
Personal Luxury Hotels™. The independent
company, launched in 1980, is a founding member of the International
Association of Conference Centers. Benchmark Hospitality is a
worldwide organization operating properties in major metropolitan
and
resort destinations. Benchmark's international
headquarters is
located in The Woodlands, Texas,
near Houston. The company’s northeast regional office is in
New Jersey, with
international offices in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile.
For the location of Benchmark’s properties and additional information,
visit
www.benchmarkhospitality.com.