Barry Sternlicht has resigned as Executive Chairman of Starwood Hotels
and Resorts and from Starwood�s Board of Directors. Sternlicht, who founded
the company in 1995, retired as Chief Executive Officer last year with
Steven Heyer taking over as CEO. Sternlicht will assume the title of Founder
and Chairman Emeritus and will more fully focus on Starwood Capital, a
real estate investment and private equity firm headquartered in Connecticut.
President/Managing Director Paul O'Neil of Kerzner International�s operations
in the Bahamas, is retiring in early 2006. His position will be filled
by George Markantonis who joined the Company as President/Managing Director
of Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, in February 2004. The Palm in Dubai will
be handled by Alan Leibman, President/Managing Director of Kerzner's destination
resort casino development, Mazagan in El Jadida, Morocco. Prior to joining
Kerzner, Markantonis was Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations at Caesar�s
Palace in Las Vegas.
Lisa Impagliazzo has been named Executive Vice President of Operations
for the Affinia Hotel Group. Impagliazzo was previously the General Manager
and Regional Vice President for Le Royal Méridien King Edward in
Toronto, with responsibilities for Méridien hotels in Montreal,
Miami, St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Rio de Janeiro and Guyana.
Jeff Senior has joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as Senior Vice
President, Marketing & Sales. Senior joins from InterContinental where
he served as Vice President, Brand Management. He also held positions in
both operations and marketing with Marriott, Doubletree and Kimpton.
James Franklin has been promoted to Divisional Vice President of Operations
of the Boutique Division at Magna Hospitality. Franklin joined Magna Hospitality
in 2003 as the General Manager of the Holiday Inn in Plantation, Florida.
Elizabeth Mullins has accepted the General Manager position at the Ritz-Carlton
Philadelphia. Mullins started her career at the Ritz-Carlton Boston as
a Corporate Management Trainee in 1988 and worked in progressively challenging
rooms division positions in New York, Washington DC, Hong Kong, Laguna
Niguel and Kapalua. Mullins has held two General Manager assignments since
2001, at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, followed by the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland.
Kirsten Dimond is the new Vice President, Hotel Operations at the Venetian
in Las Vegas, replacing Peter Walterspiel who had left in November to join
Wynn Las Vegas as Assistant Vice President, Hotel Operations. Dimond joined
the Venetian two years ago as Director of Hotel Operations, after having
worked for Ritz-Carlton for seven years in Boston, Sydney and Puerto Rico.
She started her career in London at the Savoy. Walterspiel recently left
Wynn Las Vegas.
Raul Salcido has been promoted to Hotel Manager at the Ritz-Carlton
Santiago. Salcido has held the position of Executive Assistant Manager,
Rooms Division at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes since February
2003. He joined the company in 1993 as Director of Guest Services at the
Ritz-Carlton Cancun.
David Sharihari has been appointed General Manager of the Carmel Valley
Ranch. He previously was with Marriott in a variety of leadership positions
at resort properties in Aruba and Vail, as well as properties in Fort Collins
and Houston.
Steven Smith is the new General Manager at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach.
He was previously the General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.
John Maibach has been appointed General Manager of the Black Point Inn
in Maine. Maibach was most recently the Director of Operations for the
Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. Prior to that, he served at the Plaza
in New York for ten years, working his way up from Conference Services
Manager to Executive Director of Rooms.
Steven Boswell has been appointed General Manager of the Ocean Key Resort
& Spa in Key West. Boswell previously served as Director of Sales and
Marketing at the Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club and as Director of Sales
at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
Karim El Raheb has been promoted at the Standard Downtown Los Angeles
to General Manager after Laurent Fraticelli's transfer to Miami. Raheb
joined the hotel in 2004 as Assistant General Manager after working as
a pre-opening Consultant at Montage in Laguna Beach. He also spent time
at the St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton in Houston.
Ian Pullan has been named General Manager for the Fairmont Orchid. Pullan,
a native of Ireland, was most recently the General Manager of the Fairmont
Kansas City at the Plaza.
H.A. "Skip" Hartman may have broken a record, for having been the General
Manager of the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel since the day it opened in 1973,
until the Loews name was taken off the front door last week. The hotel,
simply renamed L'Enfant Plaza Hotel is now operated by Crestline Hotels
& Resorts.
Emmanuel Gardinier has been appointed General Manager of Little Palm
Island Resort & Spa. Gardinier, a Lausanne graduate, most recently
served as General Manager of Boyer Les Crayères in Reims, France.
He also served as Operations Manager of Eden Rock in St. Barthelemy and
General Manager of the Queen�s Gardens Resorts in Saba.
Frederik de Roode has joined the Sagamore on Miami�s South Beach as
General Manager. De Roode, who had recently retired following a long and
successful career with InterContinental, joined the Sagamore at the request
of Thompson Hotels� top-honcho (and former long-time InterContinental man)
Steven Brandman.
Thomas Smith has been named General Manager of San Antonio's Hyatt Regency
Hill Country Resort and Spa. Smith was formerly the General Manager of
the Hyatt Regency DFW.
Manfred Moennich is the new General Manager at the Parker Méridien
Palm Springs replacing Charlie Robles. Moennich had been the General Manager
at the Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club and spent ten years with Nikko
Hotels.
William Bouvier is joining the Mount Vernon Hotel in Baltimore as General
Manager. Bouvier was previously the Revenue Manager at the Palms in Turks
and Caicos, Hotel Manager at Strawberry Hill in Jamaica and Director of
Revenue Management at Island Outpost in Miami.
Simon Chen has joined the Vail Cascade Resort as Hotel Manager. Chen
had previously been with Ritz-Carlton for fourteen years. His most recent
position with the group was that of Executive Assistant Manager at the
Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch.
InterContinental The Barclay New York has named Raymond Vermolen Hotel
Manager. Vermolen was most recently the Food and Beverage Director of the
InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut and previously the Food & Beverage
Manager for the InterContinental Hotel Alexandria in Egypt and the Food
& Beverage Manager at the InterContinental Vendome Beirut.
Christian Penassou has been appointed Project Financial Controller at
Orient-Express� Cupecoy Beach Resort in St. Maarten. Penassou, a Cornell
graduate, previously spent many years with InterContinental as Regional
Director of Finance for the Phoenicia InterContinental and the Vendome
InterContinental in Beirut. He also held the position of Director of Finance
at the Ivoire InterContinental in Abidjan and the Grand Hotel InterContinental
in Paris.
Ashish Verma, an IHMI-Cornell-ESSEC graduate, is now the Assistant General
Manager at Orient-Express� Windsor Court in New Orleans. Following eight
years at New York�s United Nations Plaza Hotel, he had also served as Executive
Assistant to the President of Millennium Hotels for special projects.
Marco Scherer has been named Assistant General Manager for the Hotel
Monaco in Chicago. Scherer joins from the Royal St. Charles in New Orleans,
where he was the General Manager.
The Director of Food and Beverage at Hollywood�s Roosevelt, now operated
by Jason Pomeranc�s and Steven Brandman�s Thompson Hotels, is Albert Charbonneau,
lately of Shutters on the Beach.
Pete Koerner is the new National Director of Facilities at Kimpton Hotels
and Restaurants based in New York. Koerner was most recently with Marriott
International as a Regional Cluster Leader/Director of Facilities. Prior
to that role, he was Vice President of Facilities, Operations with Sonesta
International Hotels.
Alistair Ballantine is the new Director of Sales and Marketing, the
Americas, for Orient-Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises. Prior to joining
Orient-Express, Ballantine was involved in merging Shackleton International,
a UK company, with Frontiers Travels headquartered in Pennsylvania. He
also was the President of Abercrombie & Kent for twenty-five years.
Verdell Ekberg has been appointed Director of Marketing of the Shores
Resort & Spa in Florida. Most recently Ekberg was the Regional Director
of Sales and Marketing for the Procaccianti Hotel Group and also served
as Corporate Director of Sales and Revenue Management for Interstate Hotels
& Resorts.
Joe Massar is the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Melrose Hotel
Dallas. Massar comes from the same position at the Wyndham Arlington Hotel
in Dallas/Fort Worth.
Melissa Trench has been promoted to Director of Marketing for Couples
Resorts in their Miami headquarters after only two years as Sales and Marketing
Communications Manager. Prior to joining the company in 2003, Trench spent
five years with Air Jamaica Vacations.
Gary Grant has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hotel
Orrington in Chicago. A long time Starwood man, he comes to the Orrington
from the Embassy Suites Chicago O�Hare.
Brent Lavery is now at the Brookstreet Resort in Ottawa as Sales and
Marketing Director. Lavery was previously at the Deerhurst Resort where
he had been Director of Sales for the past two years.
Glenn Griffith has joined the Orrington Hotel as Director of Catering.
Well-know in our industry, Griffith had spent nine years as the Director
of Catering at the Four Seasons Chicago, prior to becoming the Director
of Operations at the Union League Club of Chicago. For the past seven years,
he has been the principal of Glenn Griffith, Inc. a boutique event planning
firm.
Tiffany Boeckman has been named Director of Sales at Ocean Key Resort
& Spa in Key West. Boeckman joins from the Grove Isle Hotel & Spa
in Miami, where she was the Director of Catering and Conference Services.
Cindy Lew has been appointed Director of Marketing at the Loews Denver.
She transfers from the Loews Santa Monica where she was Director of National
Accounts and Creative Director. Prior to that she was the Director of Sales
and Marketing at the Viceroy in Santa Monica.
Denise Hunter has been named Director of Leading Group Sales for the
Leading Hotels of the World. Hunter had previously been Vice President
at the Krisam Hotel Group and in sales at Trump�s Castle Casino Resort,
Claridge Casino Hotel both in Atlantic City and began her career at Caesar�s
Palace in Las Vegas.
Laura Gallagher has joined the St. Regis New York as Director of Travel
Sales. Gallagher comes from the Ritz-Carlton Central Park where she was
Manager, Business Travel.
Raquel Cainas, Director of Travel Industry Sales at the Fairmont Turnberry
Isle was tragically killed in a recent car accident.
Rebecca Broderick has joined the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel as Director
of Human Resources. Broderick was most recently Training/Employment Manager
at the Ritz-Carlton Club Aspen Highlands.
Restaurateur Arnie Morton has died at age 83. He who gave his name to
what has become the Morton steakhouse chain, was originally the Corporate
Food and Beverage Director for Playboy Hotels and Clubs, prior to launching
his namesake Arnie�s restaurant in Chicago in 1974. His son Peter Morton
is now the owner of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and his
daughter Pam Morton operates Morton�s restaurant in Los Angeles.
Mitchell Mehr has left China Grill Management to join the Kor Group
as Vice President Restaurant Operations. Prior to his six years with China
Grill, Mehr was a Director of Food and Beverage with Nikko, Sheraton and
Hyatt.
Tony Angotti is the new Vice President Food and Beverage at the Mandalay
Bay Resort. Angotti moves from the MGM Grand where he was the Executive
Director of Food and Beverage. He also was a Food and Beverage Director
at Bellagio in its early days. Mandalay Bay is now part of MGM Mirage.
Philippe Larrieu has been named Director of Food and Beverage at Delano.
He was previously in the same position at the Four Seasons Great Exuma
and has been assigned with Four Seasons to their properties in Hualalai
and Nevis, having started his career as Assistant Restaurant Manager at
the Four Seasons Hotel at Beverly Hills.
Erin Bellard, 28, has joined Soho House in New York as Director of Food
and Beverage taking over from Marco Perry. Bellard joins following five
years at Stephen Hanson�s B.R. Guest Restaurant Group.
Michael O'Donohue is the new Director of Food and Beverage at the W
San Francisco. He was previously the Director of Food and Beverage Operations
at the Willard Intercontinental in Washington, DC and also worked in a
similar capacity at the Intercontinental Houston and Hilton Charlotte and
Towers.
Peter Schreurs has transferred from the now-shuttered Plaza in New York
to be the Director of Food and Beverage at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle
Resort and Club in Miami. Also joining the resort from the Plaza is Tim
Herman as Hotel Manager and Mike Madigan as Director of Rooms.
Stéphane Lafon is the new Food & Beverage Director at the
Swissôtel The Drake. Prior to his new position, Lafon operated and
renovated the New Orleans Grill (formerly known as the Grill Room) and
the Polo Bar and Lounge at the Windsor Court in New Orleans. In addition,
he worked for the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach as Executive Steward and Maître
d�Hotel.
Laurent Boisdron is transferred to the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower as
Director of Food and Beverage replacing Fredrik Nyborg who has left the
company. Boisdron was previously in the same position at the Sofitel Chicago
O�Hare.
Jacques Sorci has added the title of Director of Food and Beverage to
his current responsibilities as Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton New
York. Sorci has been with the hotel since 2001 and with the company since
1992 in Marina del Rey and Tyson�s Corner.
Vincent Cotte is the new Food and Beverage Operations Manager for Ottawa�s
Brookstreet Resort. Cotte was formerly of the Vintage Inns in Niagara on
the Lake.
Alain Piraux has joined the Ritz-Carlton Tyson�s Corner as Executive
Assistant Manager in charge of Food and Beverage, replacing Thomas Meding.
Piraux has been with Ritz-Carlton since 1997 in St.Thomas and Dearborn.
He was previously the Executive Chef at the Indian River Plantation Resort
and Marina in Florida for nine years.
Emmanuel Nony has left Hyatt Hotels after sixteen years to open his
own restaurant in Chicago. Nony was previously at the Park Hyatt Chicago,
Park Hyatt Tokyo, Grand Hyatt Seoul and Grand Hyatt Hong Kong in various
management positions.
Bertrand Chemel has been promoted to Executive Chef at Café Boulud
taking over from Andrew Carmelini who has joined the Marlon Abela Restaurant
Group. Chemel rejoined Daniel Boulud in 2002 as a Sous Chef after a brief
stint at Cello. He had been at Restaurant Daniel previously for two years
in various positions.
Ashley James is the new Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel at
Beverly Hills. Most recently he has been the Executive Chef at the Four
Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires. Prior to this he was the Executive Sous Chef
at the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita in Mexico where he was part of the
pre-opening team. He began his Four Seasons career as Chef de Cuisine at
Maxims de Paris at the Regent Singapore. In Beverly Hills, James takes
the position left vacant when Conny Andersson transferred to the Regent
Beverly Wilshire.
David Rosner has been named Executive Chef at the Standard Downtown
Los Angeles. He was previously the Executive Sous Chef at Balthazar in
New York.
Roy Lamberty has been promoted to Executive Chef at Swissôtel
the Drake. Lamberty�s previous experience includes the Stanhope, Trump
International, the Regency and the Omni Berkshire Place.
Bruno Giordano has been transferred by Orient-Express to the newly acquired
El Encanto in Santa Barbara as Executive Chef. Giordano was previously
in the same position at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort and the Hotel Monasterio
del Cusco. He started his Orient-Express career as the Executive Sous Chef
at La Samanna.
Rob Boone, previously with Charlie Trotter, Norman Van Aken, and the
Chef of Bambu in South Beach, has joined Executive Chef Marc Ehrler's culinary
team to run Preston's South Beach, at the Loews Miami Beach hotel.
Jeffrey Armstrong has returned to Tim Goodell�s Domaine Restaurant Group
as Executive Chef at the Roosevelt in Hollywood. Armstrong was previously
at the Sam Houston Hotel as Executive Chef, where he established the restaurant,
Seventeen, as one of the finest in the city. He had already spent five
years with the Domaine Restaurant Group at Whist, Red Pearl, Troquet and
Aubergine.
Mark Pollard has been named Executive Chef at Sunset Beach, André
Balasz� seasonal Shelter Island resort. Pollard comes from N9NE Steak House
near Palm Springs where he was the Executive Sous Chef.
Truman Neal Jones is the new Executive Chef at Friday Harbor House in
Washington. Jones has previously been Executive Sous Chef at Campton Place
Hotel and Executive Chef at Fat Fish in Los Angeles.
Christophe Gérard has joined Fifty Five Degrees in Sacramento
as Co-Executive Chef/ Partner. He joins forces with his former New York
colleague Luc Dendeviel. Gérard was most recently the Executive
Chef at the immensely successful Angèle in Napa.
Joel Huff transfers to the West Coast to be Chef de Cuisine of Silks
at the Mandarin-Oriental San Francisco. Huff was previously a Sous Chef
at Asiate at the Mandarin-Oriental New York. He also worked in the kitchens
at San Ysidro Ranch, L�Orangerie and Juro Cho in Ventura.
Michel Keller has been named Restaurant Manager at the Peninsula Beverly
Hills. Keller was most recently at Masa�s Echo Park as Partner and Smith
Brothers in Bel Air as General Manager. He also was with the Patina Group
for two years.
Nicolas Fanucci will be joining Thomas Keller�s French Laundry as General
Manager. Fanucci is currently the Manager of L�Escalier at the Breakers
in Palm Beach. He had joined the Breakers from Georges Perrier�s Le Bec-Fin
in Philadelphia.
Bruno Vergeynst has joined Sunset Beach on Shelter Island as Restaurant
General Manager. Vergeynst was previously the Director of Food and Beverage
at the Hudson in New York for China Grill Management.
At the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Andreas Reich has been promoted from Director
of Room Service Operations to Director of Casual Dining.
James Borowski is coming to the Four Seasons Newport Beach as Director
of Engineering. Borowski comes from the Four Seasons Miami where he was
the Assistant Director of Engineering.
Alberto Lausell is the new Director of Engineering at the Ritz-Carlton
St. Thomas. He transfers from a similar position at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain.
Slavka Kmec has been named Rooms Divisions Manager at the Swissôtel
the Drake. Kmec had previously worked at the hotel beginning in 1995 and
after a short break from the hotel business, returns.
Guido Salvatori, a Cornell graduate, has been appointed Director of
Revenue Management for Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts Americas Division.
Salvatori previously worked in a similar capacity for Starwood Hotel &
Resorts at the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel & Towers in Mexico City
and the Sheraton Lisboa in Portugal. |