Chris Hemmeter has died. He was 64. Hemmeter was the biggest hotel
developer ever to hit Hawaii. He is to be credited for the Hyatt Regency
Waikiki, the Westin Kauai and the Westin Maui. His downfall was the Hyatt
Regency Waikoloa, which defined the concept of mega resort. After he left
Hawaii, Hemmeter developed some casinos in Louisiana and the California
desert.
Robert Cotter has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of
Starwood. He had been the company's Chief Operating Officer since 2000.
Prior to becoming Starwood's COO, Cotter served as President, International
Operations, after serving as President and Chief Operating Officer, Europe,
a position he held since 1994.
Big change (again) at the helm of St Regis. The brand, which had attained
some level of autonomy by being based out of Dallas, a reassuring half-day
flight from Starwood headquarters in White Plains, is relocating. It is
however doing so minus its President Atef Mankarios and Vice President
Marketing Michael Matthews, who are staying behind in the Big D. St Regis
is being integrated into Starwood's regional areas, like Four Points, Sheraton,
Westin, W and Luxury Collection. In White Plains, Stephen Alden will handle
St Regis marketing.
Jennifer Fox who joined Intercontinental in April 2001 as the General
Manager of their Asia flagship, the former Regent of Hong Kong, is coming
back stateside as Senior Vice President Intercontinental Brand. Fox, who
also managed Bacara in Santa Barbara and was an Operations Consultant for
Adrian Zecha's Amanresorts, had previously been the Vice President
Brand Manager for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.
At Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Hank Ciaffone has been promoted
from Senior Executive Vice President of International Operations and Development
to President. He joined Interstate in 1989 as Vice President and Corporate
Controller. Also at Interstate, C.A. Anderson has been promoted to Executive
Vice President of Development. He had joined the company in May as Senior
Vice President, Development and Acquisitions.
Gaylord Entertainment has named Jay Sevigny Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer of Gaylord Hotels. Sevigny joined the company
in 2001 and is currently President of Gaylord's flagship property, Gaylord
Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.
David Oliver has joined Hawaii's Hualalai Ranch as Vice President, following
almost twelve years with Pebble Beach Resorts. Since 1999, Oliver had been
the General Manager of Pebble Beach's Inn at Spanish Bay.
Mark Oliver (who happens to be David Oliver's brother) has joined Netsuite.com
in Silicon Valley. Oliver previously was the Director of Sales and Marketing
at Cordevalle, which is part of Auberge Resorts. Anne Hellwig is Cordevalle's
new Director of Sales. She was previously a National Sales Manager for
Auberge Resorts.
Michael Shindler has been appointed Senior Vice President, Hyatt Development
Corporation in Chicago. This is a return home as he spent ten years at
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, most recently as Senior Vice President of Development
until October 1996. Shindler served as Vice President of Development for
RockResorts since May 2002. Before joining RockResorts, he was the Vice
President of Development, Americas, for Mandarin-Oriental.
Robert Schrader has been named Chief Operating Officer for Private Retreats
by Abercrombie and Kent. He had been the Vice President Operations of the
defunct Regent of Las Vegas, prior to launching his own company, distributing
spa products. For the past year, Schrader was the Spa Director at the Ritz-Carlton
Naples.
Cindy Schulz is the new General Manager of the Doral Michigan Avenue.
Most recently, she served Ritz-Carlton as Director of Residences of their
New York City and Washington DC properties.
Nicolas Béliard will be rejoining Four Seasons in January as
the Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Nevis. Béliard, a Cornell
Hotel Graduate, previously worked for Four Seasons at the Pierre and at
Paris' Four Seasons George Cinq. For the past two years, he was the General
Manager of the famed Château de Bagnols near Lyons. Béliard's
successor in Bagnols is Franco Mora, former long-time Hotel Manager at
the Ritz Paris.
Klaus Peters has left his position of General Manager at Delamar in
Greenwich, to hold the same post at the Watergate in Washington DC. At
the Watergate, he takes over from Michael Spamer, who held the position
but for a few months.
Deborah Carr is the General Manager of the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach
(home of Café Boulud) following an eight-year tenure as Hotel Manager
at New York's Hotel Parker-Méridien.
David Cohen is Deborah Carr's successor at the Parker-Méridien
New York. Cohen joins from Marriott, for whom he had been unassigned of
late, after assisting in the opening of the two Ritz-Carlton properties
in Manhattan. He was previously at the Rihga Royal (now a JW Marriott hotel)
as its Resident Manager.
Alex Andrade has been appointed President of Rancho La Puerta. Previously,
Andrade was the General Manager of the Hyatt Cancun Caribe.
David Hill has been named Area Manager for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants
in Washington, DC, based out of their Topaz Hotel. Hill comes from Houston
where he successfully opened the Hotel Derek for Amerimar. He is no newcomer
to Washington DC where he once managed the Lombardy, the Henley Park and
the George.
Taking over from David Hill at Houston's Hotel Derek is Steven André,
fresh from a recent stint at the Sam Houston Hotel.
Thomas Nolan has been named General Manager at the Lansdowne National
Conference Center. Nolan previously logged twenty years with Marriott in
various positions and locations.
Frank Holtslag has joined Kura Hulanda in Curaçao as Hotel Manager,
following a two-year stint with Island Outpost in Miami where he served
as Executive Assistant Manager at the Tides and Corporate Director of Revenue
Management.
Sébastien Carre has left his position of Director of Operations
at the Sofitel Lafayette Square to join the Four Seasons Washington as
Hotel Manager. Until January 2001, Carre was the Resident Manager at La
Plantation in Mauritius.
Simon Pettigrew has been appointed Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons
New York. He has been with the company for seventeen years, and comes from
the Four Seasons Resort Aviara where he has held the position of Hotel
Manager. Pettigrew takes over from Jean-Claude Wietzel who transferred
from the Four Seasons New York to the Four Seasons George Cinq in Paris
as Hotel Manager.
Todd Raessler was recently named General Manager of Kimpton's Sir Francis
Drake Hotel in San Francisco. Most recently, Raessler served as General
Manager of the Harbor Court Hotel, another Kimpton property in San Francisco.
Yvette Thomas-Henry joins the soon-to-open Conrad International Miami
as Resident Manager. She was the Director of Operations at the Waldorf
Towers, also a Conrad International property.
Pamela Graber has departed the Waldorf Towers and her position of Executive
Director. Graber is now the Vice President and General Manager of the soon-to-open
Alderbrook Resort and Spa on Hood Canal, near Seattle. Replacing Graber
as Executive Director of the Waldorf Towers is Patrick Hall, most recently
Rooms Director at the Fairmont San Francisco.
At the Ritz-Carlton Tyson's Corner, Kate Deeson has been appointed Executive
Assistant Manager of Rooms. She joins from the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans.
Nicolas Daeppen has joined Tentation Potel & Chabot in New York
as Managing Director Special Events. Until a few months ago, Daeppen was
the General Manager of the Helmsley Park Lane and the Vice President Operations
for Helmsley Hotels.
Doris Timmen has joined Chicago's Levy Restaurants as Director of Operations
for McCormick Place. Timmen used to be the Director of Food and Beverage
at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower.
Jeff Tucci has joined the Loews Coronado Bay as Assistant Executive
Director. Tucci, a Cornell Graduate, had been the General Manager of the
Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club on Cape Cod. He also served as Resident
Manager at Rosewood's Crescent Court and was the Director of Food and Beverage
at Auberge du Soleil.
Jeff Homad has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at Daufuskie
Island Resort & Breathe Spa. He was most recently the Director of Sales
and Marketing at the Sofitel Lafayette Square in Washington D.C.
At Cipriani Punta del Este, Carmen Florio is the Director of Marketing
based in Buenos Aires. She previously opened the Sofitel there as Director
of Sales and Marketing. Nicolas Gonzalez is the Food and Beverage Manager
following many years with InterContinental, most recently in Panama as
Director of Food and Beverage. Lea Cordon, Spa Manager, joins after many
years opening Spas for Shangri-La in Asia. Michele Chiaranda, Executive
Chef, has been with Cipriani for many years in New York, Venice and Sardinia.
Alejandra Manzino, Human Resources Manager, moved a few miles down river
from a similar position at the Four Seasons Carmelo.
David Taylor has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the
St Regis New York. Most recently, Taylor was, for a few months, the Director
of Sales and Marketing at Le Méridien Boston. He also held numerous
positions at Swissôtel/Raffles International during nine of the past
ten years, most recently in London as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing.
At the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Paul Cookley is the new Director
of Sales and Marketing. He takes over from David Ryan, who transferred
to the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in the same capacity.
Germinal Garcia has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for
the Casa Magna Marriott Cancun Resort and JW Marriott Cancun Resort and
Spa Cancun. Most recently, Garcia was the Director of Marketing and Sales
at the JW Marriott Caracas. Prior to this position, he served as Resident
Manager and Director of Marketing and Sales at the Guatemala City Marriott.
Tohnia Miller has joined Kimpton Hotels as Area Director of Sales and
Marketing for the Serrano and Monaco in San Francisco. This follows an
eighteen-month stint as Director of Sales and Marketing of the Sofitel
San Francisco.
Bill Parr is the new Director of Sales and Marketing at the Pechanga
Resort Casino in Temecula. Parr was previously the Director of Sales and
Marketing at the Parker-Méridien Palm Springs.
Scott Blakeslee has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at
Carmel Valley Ranch, following a stint at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Prior
to that, he was the Director of Group Sales at the Monterey Plaza Hotel
& Spa.
Connie Williams has been appointed Director of Sales, Western Region,
for Omni Hotels and Resorts. Recently, Williams was the Director of Marketing
at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. She also held the same position at the
Fairmont Miramar Santa Monica.
Susan Pedersen has been appointed Director of Sales at the Estrella
Resort & Spa in Palm Springs. She previously worked for Preferred,
Summit & Sterling as Regional Director of Group Sales and prior to
that at Miramonte Resort as National Sales Manager.
Melissa Centeno has been named Director of Public Relations at the St
Regis Monarch Beach. She was until recently the Communications Manager
at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau.
Also at the St Regis Monarch Beach, Dean Birtles is the new Director
of Rooms. He previously held the same title at the Phoenician for eight
years.
The new Guest Services Manager at the St. Regis Monarch Beach is Chad
Womack, previously the Front Desk Manager at San Francisco's Westin St
Francis.
Kimberley Johnston has joined Sea Trail Plantation in North Carolina,
as Director of Sales, Conference Services and Banquets. Prior to joining
Sea Trail Plantation, Johnston served as the Food and Beverage Manager
and Conference Services Manager for Berry Hill Plantation & Conference
Center in South Boston, Virginia.
Bruno Vergeynst has rejoined China Grill Management as Back of the House
Manager at the soon-to-open Hotel Gansevoort in New York. Until a few months
ago, he was in a similar position with China Grill at Ian Schrager's Hudson,
under Mark Somen, now the Director of Food and Beverage at the Gansevoort.
Darryll Adams is the Rooms Director at the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach
Club following a five-year tenure at the Ritz-Carlton Tyson's Corner.
Sanjay Mahajan is the new Director of Front Office Operations at the
Peninsula Chicago. He was previously the Rooms Division Manager at the
Omni Orrington in Evanston.
Shana Ominsky has joined KSL's Claremont Resort as Director of Spa Operations.
She previously performed a one-year stint in the same capacity at the Turtle
Bay Resort in Hawaii. Ominski moved to Hawaii from the position of Spa
Director at the Peninsula New York.
Maxence Compagnon will be leaving Le Méridien Boston to become
the Director of Food and Beverage at the Fairmont Boston. There, he takes
over from Thomas Meding, who left the property in October to be the Executive
Assistant Manager, Food and Beverage, at the Ritz-Carlton Tyson's Corner.
Roberto Arjona is the Manager of Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach Resorts
following a fifteen-year tenure with Evans Hotels of San Diego. Since September
2000, Arjona had been the Hotel Manager at the group's flagship, the Lodge
at Torrey Pines, in La Jolla.
Jorge Moran is the New Director of Food and Beverage at the Real Intercontinental
Costa Rica. He most recently performed the opening of the Mayan Palace
Puerto Peñasco in the same capacity. Prior to that, he was the Director
of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
Cyrille Pannier has been promoted to Executive Chef at the Four Seasons
Nevis. He was previously the Executive Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Las
Colinas in Dallas.
Collin Crannell is the new Chef de Cuisine at Casa Del Mar in Santa
Monica in charge of Oceanfront Restaurant, replacing Quinn Hatfield. Crannell
joins after a two-and-a-half-year stint at Los Angeles' Water Grill, where
he was the Executive Sous Chef to Michael Cimarrusti.
Martin Becquart has been appointed Executive Sous Chef at Cap Juluca.
Previously, he was a Chef de Cuisine at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki.
Gilbert Verdugo has been appointed Executive Chef at Los Angeles' Staples
Center. Prior to that, he was the Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon
City.
In Santa Monica, Rainer Schwarz is the new Executive Chef of Whist at
the Viceroy. Schwarz replaces Jeffrey Armstrong who went to the Sam Houston
Hotel. Schwarz comes from the Sky Room in Long Beach. Prior to that, he
was a long time close associate of Joachim Splichal in his Patina Group.
James Romeo has been appointed Executive Sous Chef at the Casanova restaurant
in Carmel. He was previously the Executive Sous Chef under Bertrand Bouquin
at Maisonnette in Cincinnati.
John Breslin is the new Spa Director at the Ritz-Carlton Tyson's Corner,
replacing Ryan Crabbe, who is opening the Ritz-Carton South Beach. Breslin
moves up from the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation, which he opened as
Assistant Spa Director.
Del Rochester has been appointed Director of Loss Prevention at the
Ritz-Carlton Tyson's Corner, a transfer from the Ritz-Carlton Montego Bay,
in Jamaica.
Enrico Lindenhahn has been appointed Food and Beverage Director at Sandals
Grand Sport Villa and Spa Resort Jamaica. Recently, Lindenhahn was the
opening Food & Beverage Manager at Kura Hulanda in Curaçao.
Kyle Nelson has joined Seattle's chic Rainier Club as Chef de Cuisine
following a two-and-a-half-year tenure in a similar capacity at 727 Pine,
the restaurant of the Elliott Grand Hyatt Seattle.
Jose Carrasco has been appointed Managing Director of the Paradisus
Puerto Rico. Carasco was previously the Managing Director of the Hotel
Meliá Caribe Tropical Bavaro in the Dominican Republic. Ramon Sanchez
has been hired as Director of Sales & Marketing. Sanchez was previously
the Deputy Executive Director of Marketing & Promotions at the Puerto
Rico Tourism Co.
Edgar Motta has been named Resident Manager of the Paradisus Puerto
Rico. He began his career twenty years ago at the Caracas Hilton. Ricardo
Bagnasco is Paradisus Puerto Rico's Director of Food & Beverage. Prior
to his appointment he was an Operations Director for the Freeman Group.
Luis Nazario has been appointed Director of Housekeeping, coming from the
Wyndham Martineau Bay Resort & Casino in Vieques. Ramon Ventura has
been named Financial Controller and previously was the Assistant Controller
at the Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort & Golf Club.
Charles Hechinger has been appointed Executive Chef at the Lodge at
Vail. He came from the Pan Pacific San Francisco, where he originally debuted
as Executive Sous Chef under Eric Oberholzer, who left to join Shutters
on the Beach.
Lise Cazelais has been appointed Senior Sales Manager at the Metropolitan
Hotel Vancouver. She came from the Four Seasons Vancouver.
Amber Deccoteau joins Metropolitan Hotels as Group Sales Manager, coming
from the Westin Whistler.
Patrick McFarlan has joined the Willows Lodge in Seattle as Director
of Sales. He most recently was the Director of Sales at Resort Semiahmoo.
Todd Jeanotte has returned to the Four Seasons Vancouver from the Fairmont
Seattle as the Director of Catering. The Fairmont Seattle used to be a
Four Seasons property.
Nicolas Gonzalez has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage at
the Cipriani Punta del Este. He was previously at the Miramar Inter-Continental
Panama in the same capacity and also worked at other InterContinental properties
in Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador.
Eric Espuny has joined Patina at Disney Hall in Los Angeles as Sommelier.
Espuny came from New York where he was the Sommelier at Capitale, Alain
Ducasse New York, Lutèce and Le Bernardin.
Serge Devesa is the new Executive Chef at the Sofitel Miami, replacing
Lamberto Valdez. Devesa was promoted from the position of Executive Chef
at the Novotel New York.
Nathan Logan is the new Chef at Thalia and Steve Loffredo's Zoe in New
York, following a stint in the same capacity at Limoncello. Logan was previously
the Executive Chef of Pazzo at the Vintage Plaza - A Kimpton Hotel &
Restaurant in Portland.
Cathy Neumann-Danchertsen has been named Director of Sales and Marketing
for Southern California for Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events. Neuman was
most recently a Director of Sales at Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara. |