TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 4, 2012) – The Epicurean Hotel announced today the appointment of Tom Haines as the General Manager of the 137-room boutique hotel scheduled to open in November 2013.  Haines will oversee the hiring of new staff and day-to-day operations of the Epicurean, which is currently being constructed in the trendy Hyde Park historic district of South Tampa, Fla. The Epicurean is being developed in collaboration with Mainsail Lodging & Development and the legendary Bern’s Steak House, and will be the first newly constructed hotel property in the United States to join the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Haines comes to the Epicurean from the Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, where he worked for nine years. Most recently, he was the Executive Assistant Manager at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, where he worked with the General Manager to direct daily operations at the 750-room resort. While at Loews, Haines held a variety of positions, including Director of Food and Beverage and Director of Conference Management. He began his 20 year career with Hyatt Hotels at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, where he spent four years in various food and beverage positions. He then moved to Tampa to work at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay and the Hyatt Regency Tampa.

During his career, Haines has won several awards, including Food and Beverage Team of the Year for Loews Hotel Corporation and Catering and Convention Services Director of the Year for Hyatt Hotels Corporation.  A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Haines is originally from Morristown in upstate New York.

The food-focused Epicurean will feature a large, state-of-the-art culinary classroom, gourmet restaurant, wine shop, rooftop lounge, full-service spa, and a retail and production bakery and pastry shop.  A few of the special experiences planned for the Epicurean include wine lockers for the guests, evening wine samplings, signature organic bath products, and luxury linens and pillows. The Epicurean will be home to the popular annual Bern’s Winefest, and will host a variety of cooking demonstrations and classes, wine exhibitions and more from renowned chefs and sommeliers from around the world, catering to both the beginner and experienced foodie.

For more information on the Epicurean, please visit www.epicureanhotel.com.

About Mainsail Lodging and Development
Mainsail Lodging and Development is a Tampa-based hospitality company that develops and operates lodging products in the Southeastern US and the Caribbean. Their properties include Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina (ScrubIsland.com), a private island resort in the British Virgin Islands and member of Autograph Collection® of Marriott International; Mainsail Beach Inn (MainsailBeachInn.com), a boutique beachfront hotel and marina on Anna Maria Island, Florida; Mainsail Suites Hotel and Conference Center (MainsailTampa.com) in Tampa, Florida; and Mainsail South, a 328-unit apartment and corporate housing complex in South Tampa. The company also operates ExecuStay (ExecuStay.com), a leading corporate housing provider throughout Florida, Georgia and The Carolinas.

About Bern’s Steak House
Internationally known for its vast wine collection, perfectly aged steaks and famous dessert room, Bern’s Steak House offers a world-class, incomparable dining experience. When Bern Laxer opened in 1956, he envisioned Bern’s as Art in Steaks. Today, son David Laxer and Chef de Cuisine Habteab Hamde continue Bern’s tradition of excellence with a gastronomic adventure that includes prime dry-aged steaks cut-to-order, 21 choices of caviar, fresh seafood, vegetables in a setting like none other. Housing the World’s largest wine collection of over 500,000 bottles, Bern’s offers 7,000 selections to its guests. Additionally, SideBern’s, Bern’s sister restaurant and its Executive Chef Chad Johnson were named a 2012 Semifinalist for Best Chef: South by the James Beard Foundation. For more information on Bern’s Steak House and its subsidiaries, visit www.bernssteakhouse.com.

About Autograph Collection
The Autograph Collection is an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels. Each destination has been selected for its bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. From near to far, iconic to historic, the result is an array of properties that is nothing less than unique, nothing short of collectively exceptional. For more information please visit www.autographhotels.com