Philippe Bourguignon will become Vice Chairman of Revolution Resorts,
a new division of Steve Case's Revolution to be launched in January. Bourguignon
was formerly the Chairman of Aegis Media France and previously the Co-Chief
Executive Officer of the Davos-based World Economic Forum. He also served
as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Club Med and Chief Executive Officer
of EuroDisney.
Ty Warner has announced the appointment of Luis Fernandes to the newly
created position of Chief Operating Officer of Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts.
Fernandes was previously the Managing Director of Las Ventanas al Paraiso,
a Rosewood-managed property in the Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts collection.
Fernandes, prior to being transferred to Las Ventanas by Rosewood, also
served the company as the General Manager of the Dharmawangsa in Jakarta.
Perry Sorenson is retiring after fifteen years as Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. Barry Wallace,
currently Senior Vice President of Operations, is being promoted to Executive
Vice President of Hospitality Services for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts
taking over much of Sorenson's responsibilities.
Olivier Bottois has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Grand
Lodge Resorts, the owners/operators of Lake Placid's White Face Lodge.
Most recently, Bottois was the Managing Director of Oheka Castle. He previously
was the General Manager of the Lake Placid Lodge after spending ten years
with Four Seasons in various positions.
Patrick O'Neil becomes Senior Vice President of Operations at NYLO Hotels.
He was the Director of Operations for Sheraton Hotels of New York. Earlier
in his career, O'Neil served as the Manager of Operations Support for Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Europe.
Michael Linczyc has joined the Morgans Hotel Group as Senior Vice President,
Development. He recently was an independent consultant for BR Guest and
Westminster Hospitality. Prior to that he was the Project Director for
W Hotels.
Harrah's has named John Payne Regional President of its Atlantic City
region, overseeing operations of Harrah's, Showboat, Caesar's and Bally's.
He was most recently Harrah's Regional President in the Gulf Coast region.
Michael Sullivan has joined Starhotels International as Vice President.
Sullivan was most recently with Sunstone Hotel Investors as the Vice President
Asset Management.
Hilton Hotels has appointed Alexander Mirza to the newly created position
of Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. He was most recently
a senior executive in the travel and transportation practice at Accenture
and previously head of strategic planning at Starwood Hotels and Resorts
Worldwide.
HEI Hospitality has named Russell Urban Senior Vice President Development.
Urban, a Cornell graduate, was most recently a principal of Island Resort
Collection and a former principal and the Executive Director of Hotel Partners
and the Senior Vice President of LCP Hotels.
Mel Kaneshige, currently Senior Vice President is being promoted to
Executive Vice President for Real Estate and Development for Outrigger
Hotels and Resorts.
Jon McGaunn has left Ritz-Carlton after nine years to become President
and Chief Operating Officer of Petters Hospitality & Entertainment
Group. McGaunn was most recently at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach as the
Executive Assistant Manager of Rooms. Prior to that, he was at the Ritz-Carlton
Boston as the Area Director of Rooms.
Herbert Spiegel has moved as Vice President of Gencom Rancho, the ownership
group for the Lodge at Rancho Mirage where he was previously the General
Manager. Regula Wipf replaces Spiegel at the hotel as General Manager.
A Cornell graduate, she originally joined Rockresorts as the Director of
Operations at the Lodge at Rancho Mirage. Wipf also served as General Manager
of the King Pacific Lodge in Canada.
Colm O'Callaghan has been appointed General Manager of the Conrad Chicago.
O'Callaghan was most recently the Hotel Manager at the Peninsula Chicago.
He also served as Director of Food and Beverage at the St. Regis New York,
the New York Palace, the Beverly Hilton, the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco
and the former Westwood Marquis. The Conrad Chicago is the former Le Méridien
Chicago, slated for major upgrades and renovations.
Ellen Seymore has been appointed General Manager of the Loews Denver.
She had joined Loews two years ago as the opening Rooms Division Manager
of the Loews New Orleans. Previously, Seymore served two years as the Director
of Operations at the Windsor Court, also in New Orleans.
Vincent Hoogewijs has transferred as General Manager to the Four Seasons
Mexico City replacing Thomas Lind who has moved to the Four Seasons Riyadh.
Hoogewijs originally joined Four Seasons as the Hotel Manager at the Four
Seasons Bangkok following seven years with Hyatt International in Dubai,
Tokyo, Osaka and Surabaya.
Francois Thomas, General Manager of Wheatleigh since 1994, is returning
to France. Marc Wilhelm, who had been Thomas' right-hand-man for the past
three years, will take over as General Manager. Prior to Wheatleigh, Thomas
was the General Manager at the Hotel Montalembert in Paris, and the Hotel
Chateau Chartrons in Bordeaux.
Greg Brown has been named General Manager of the Hilton Boston Back
Bay. A twenty-six-year Hilton veteran, he was most recently on a five-month
temporary assignment as the General Manager of the Doubletree Plymouth
Meeting. Prior to that, he had served since 1999 as the General Manager
of the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center.
Hunter Hansen has been appointed Managing Director of the Registry Resort
& Club and Edgewater Beach Hotel & Club in Naples. Hansen joins
Blackstone's LXR Luxury Resorts after spending over three decades with
Marriott International, most recently as General Manager of the London
Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square.
Greg Champion has rejoined Noble House Hotels & Resorts as General
Manager of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. Champion most recently served
as the Chief Operating Officer of Tiburon Hospitality. He had been the
Executive Vice President for Noble House and served as the Managing Director
of the Adolphus in Dallas.
James Beley will be the new General Manager of the Inn at Palmetto Bluffs
for Auberge Resorts. Beley takes over from Jerry Broz. Since 1996, Beley
had been running the Hospitality and Real Estate Division of the Kohler
Company, including the Five-Diamond American Club. He previously logged
twelve years with Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Naples
and Laguna Niguel.
Bill Eider-Orley, who retired in 2003 as General Manager of the Hyatt
Regency Scottsdale Gainey Ranch, will return to run Carefree Resort and
Villas recently taken over by Horst Schulze's West Paces Hotel Group.
Marcel Pitton has joined Denver's Brown Palace as General Manager, taking
over from Armel Santens. Pitton comes from Casa Monica in Florida and was
previously the Residence Manager for Rosewood in Dallas.
Cornell graduate Joseph Violi has been appointed General Manager at
Carmel Valley Ranch. Violi was most recently the General Manager at the
Orrington outside of Chicago and held the top job at the Swissôtel
Chicago and the Cliffs in Shell Beach following eight years with Ritz-Carlton.
Marcie Lieberman was promoted by Rosewood to the Inn of the Anasazi
as Managing Director. Lieberman was most recently the Hotel Manager at
the Carlyle in New York after joining Rosewood in 2002 as the Director
of Rooms at Carenage Bay Resort.
Stephanie Mehail has been named Hotel Manager for the Langham Boston.
She joins from Wyndham International, where she worked for twelve years
in a variety of locations. Most recently, she served as the Hotel Manager
at the Wyndham Boston.
Shawn Highland has been appointed Hotel Manager at the Agua Caliente
Casino in Palm Springs. He was formerly the Rooms Director at the North
Woods Inn in Big Bear.
Albert Smith has been named Hotel Manager at the Viceroy Santa Monica.
Smith was formerly the Hotel Manager at Maison 140 in Beverly Hills, also
a Kor Hotel.
George Munz has moved into operations as Executive Assistant Manager�Rooms
at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. Munz was previously the Director of
Sales and Marketing at the hotel, a position he also held at the Ritz-Carlton
Mauna Lani (now the Fairmont Orchid).
Gil Navarro has been appointed Assistant General Manager - Rooms Executive
at the soon to open Dolphin Bay Hotel and Residences. Navarro was most
recently the Assistant General Manager at the Florida Mall Hotel in Orlando.
He also served in Operations Management at the Mansion at MGM Grand in
Las Vegas.
Chris Hansen has been appointed Executive Hotel Manager of the Conrad
Chicago. Hansen was most recently Hotel Manager at the Palmer House Hilton
in Chicago.
Peter Dickinson has joined Orient-Express' Keswick Hall as Director
of Operations following Managing Director Anthony McHale from the Windsor
Court, a sister property. In addition to the Windsor Court, Dickinson previously
toiled at the Setai in Miami and the Peninsula Beverly Hills.
Nikolai Bloyd has joined Auberge du Soleil in the newly created position
of Director of Operations. Bloyd was most recently the Hotel Manager at
Schloss Elmau in Germany. He also worked at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in
Park City and Meadowood in St. Helena.
Blair Vago is joining the Santa Barbara CPA firm of Damitz, Brooks and
Nightingale, a member of the PKF International network. Vago, a Cornell
graduate, has spent twenty two years in hotel and restaurant finance, most
recently as the Director of Finance at Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort
in Santa Barbara.
Maurice Wooden is the new Vice President Food and Beverage at Wynn Las
Vegas taking over where Kevin Stuessi left off. An old-time Wynn lieutenant,
Wooden comes from the Golden Nugget where he was until recently the Chief
Operating Officer.
Khalid Mirza has joined La Costa as Director of Food and Beverage.
Mirza was most recently at the Beverly Hills Hotel as the Assistant Director
of Food and Beverage, following twelve years with Four Seasons in Beverly
Hills, Amman, Las Vegas, Riyadh, Chicago, Boston and Houston.
The Homestead has named Gene Meoni Director of Food and Beverage.
Meoni was most recently the Food and Beverage Director at the Stein Eriksen
Lodge in Park City. He previously held food and beverage management positions
at Hershey Resorts and the Grand Traverse Resort.
Rebecca Huetter has joined the Oceana Hotel Group in Los Angeles as
Vice President Sales and Marketing. Huetter was most recently the Principal
at Interim Management Group. She also served as the Director of Sales and
Marketing at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, following a stint as Regional Director
of Sales and Marketing for Ian Schrager Hotels West Coast.
Eric Hamblen has joined Florida-based Global Hospitality Marketing Link
as Managing Director. For the past eight years, he was a Director of International
Sales for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts following tenure in a similar role
for Renaissance Hotels and Resorts based in Los Angeles.
Corinthia Hotels International has appointed Terry Rufer Vice President
Sales and Marketing for North America based in New York. He was previously
the Vice President Sales and Marketing for Loews Hotel, the Senior Vice
President of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, North America and a Vice President of
Fiesta Americana Hotels.
Carol Peach has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for the
Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey. Peach was most recently the Vice President
of Sales and Marketing/Director of Marketing for Remington Hotels/Ventura
Beach Marriott and previously a Director of Sales and Marketing for Interstate
Hotels and Resorts in Albuquerque and the Assistant Director of Sales for
the Sheraton Colorado Springs.
Rachelle Boudreau has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing
for the Langham Boston, coming from the Millennium Bostonian, where she
served in the same capacity for over eight years.
Scott Evans has transferred to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel as Director
of Sales and Marketing. Evans was most recently in the same position at
the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas. He previously pre-opened what was due
to be the Laguna Beach Colony for Ritz-Carlton until it was sold and became
the Montage Resort and Spa. Evans also was the Director of Sales and Marketing
at the Ritz-Carlton San Juan, the Hotel Arts Barcelona and the Ritz-Carlton
New York.
Frank Ashmore has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for Montelucia
in Arizona's Paradise Valley, part of Horst Schulze's new Solis Hotels
and Resorts. Ashmore previously spent sixteen years with Ritz-Carlton in
Phoenix and Dearborn.
Katie Mitchell has transferred as Director of Marketing to the Four
Seasons Lanai. Mitchell was most recently in the same position at the former
Four Seasons Newport Beach.
Liane Haynes-Smith has joined Le Méridien at Beverly Hills as
Director of Sales and Marketing replacing Sherrie Bigler who has left the
company. Haynes-Smith was recently at the former Westin Century Plaza.
She had held the position of Director of Sales and Marketing at Le Méridien
in its original incarnation as the Hotel Nikko at Beverly Hills.
Gregory Naylor has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at
the upcoming Solis Chicago Hotel and Condominiums slated to open in the
spring of 2006. Naylor's prior experience includes leadership roles at
the W Chicago City Center and the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. Most recently,
he played a part in the opening of Hard Rock Hotel Chicago.
Graham MacDonald Smith has been named Director of Sales and Marketing
of the new Hilton San Francisco Financial District, scheduled to open in
January 2006. Smith was most recently the Director of Sales and Marketing
at the San Francisco Hilton Fisherman's Wharf.
Nikko USA has promoted Anna Marie Presutti, previously Director of Sales
and Marketing at the Nikko San Francisco, to Vice President of Sales and
Marketing.
Peggy Ryan is the new Director of Sales at El Monte Sagrado in Taos.
Since 1998, Ryan had been at Miraval Life in Balance, most recently as
the Director of Sales, Western Region. Prior to that, Ryan spent six years
at Canyon Ranch in Tucson.
Manya Duhoffmann is the new Director of Sales at the Hollywood Roosevelt.
Duhoffmann was previously in a similar position at the Standard Los Angeles.
She also was a Sales Manager at the Avalon Hotel-Maison 140.
Carolyn Poole has been appointed Director, Group Sales, Canada, Western
Region for InterContinental. Poole most recently worked for Delta Hotels
for four years where she served as the National Account Director and the
Regional Sales Manager.
Robin Clark has joined the Global Sales Office for Mandarin Oriental
in Los Angeles as Director of Entertainment and Corporate Accounts, Western
USA & Canada. Previously, Clark worked with Morgans Hotel Group and
Four Seasons in Los Angeles.
Robert Schwab has joined the Beverly Hilton as Director of Catering
replacing Jill Cross who has retired. Schwab was most recently the Director
of Catering at La Costa and previously logged five years at the Regent
Beverly Wilshire as the Director of Catering and Conference Services.
Frank Fraser has joined Mandalay Bay Las Vegas as Director of Catering.
Fraser was most recently in the same position at the St. Regis Monarch
Beach and was previously a Catering Manager at the Peninsula Beverly Hills
and the Phoenician.
Deborah Mitchell has moved with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as Director
of Human Resources based at their headquarters in Toronto. Mitchell
was promoted from the Four Seasons Washington, DC where she had been the
Director of Human Resources for the past three years.
Jacqueline Pucci has transferred from the Four Seasons Newport Beach
where she was Director of Human Resources to the same position at the Regent
Beverly Wilshire. She was previously the Director of Human Resources at
the Pierre in New York.
Deborah Zaharychuk has joined the Island Hotel in Newport Beach as Director
of Human Resources. Zaharychuk recently served in the same capacity at
the St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach. She also was the Director of Human
Resources at Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills, Four Seasons at Beverly
Hills and the former Westwood Marquis.
The Homestead in Virginia has named Julie Wooten Vice President of Human
Resources. Wooten began her career with ClubCorp, which owns The Homestead,
in 1989. Most recently she had been partnered with the Country Club Division
working with clubs on the West Coast, in the Northeastern United States,
and in Florida.
Laura Hamilton is the Director of Human Resources at the Conrad Indianapolis
slated for opening March 2006. Hamilton comes from the same position at
the InterContinental Buckhead and was previously the Director of Human
Resources at the Windsor Court.
James Gersten has joined André Balasz Properties as Senior Vice
President of Restaurants and Bars. Gersten recently owned and operated
La Esquina on Manhattan's Lower East Side. He also spent five years as
the Vice President of National Operations for the Smith and Wollensky Restaurant
Group following time as Project Manager for Drew Nieporent's Myriad Restaurant
Group.
Alain Ricci will be the opening General Manager at La Goulue, slated
to open early 2006 at the Shops at Bal Harbor. The restaurant will be on
offshoot of its New York namesake, upon which the Guide Michelin bestowed
a much-coveted Star last month. Ricci joins from the Royal-Monceau in Paris.
He also served as the Director of Food and Beverage for Miami's Penrod
Group, the operators of Nikki Beach and Satiné.
Elizabeth Carrier has been named General Manager at Daniel Boulud Brasserie
at Wynn Las Vegas replacing Michael Seznec.Carrier was previously the General
Manager for Tableau, also at Wynn. In Los Angeles, Carrier managed the
ultra-hip Koi.
Michael Seznec has joined the Summit at the Broadmoor as Restaurant
General Manager. Seznec was most recently the General Manager of Daniel
Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas and previously at Craftsteak also in Las
Vegas.
At Café Boulud Palm Beach, Erwan Ehanno will be taking over as
General Manager, replacing Matthew Dahlberg who has returned to New York.
Ehanno joins for Joachim Splichal's Patina Group, where he served as the
General Manager of Zucca in Los Angeles.
Tony Fisher has been promoted to General Manager of Innovative Dining's
BOA Steakhouse Las Vegas taking over for Jeffrey Blake.
Mark Steenge has been hired as the Director of Fine Dining for the MGM
Grand. Steenge was most recently a partner at Lumière in Vancouver
owned by chef Rob Feenie.
Patrick Syka has been named General Manager of Arrso in Miami, a complex
featuring Karu, a fine-dining venue, ultra-lounge Why? and the Totem event
center. Syka was most recently the General Manager at Mix in Las Vegas.
He also opened the Pavillon Elysées-Lenôtre in Paris, following
twelve years with Hard Rock Café International.
Joel Hoachuck will be joining Dean and Deluca in St. Helena as General
Manager. Hoachuck is currently the Restaurant Director at Auberge du Soleil.
Larry Spelts has been promoted to Rooms Division Manager at the Carlyle.
Spelts was the Project Manager at the hotel for the past seven months.
He was previously the General Manager of the Planter's Inn in Charleston.
Michael Tompkins who has headed up the hotel and spa operations at the
Turning Stone Resort and Casino for the past year, is now Vice President
of Hotel Operations for the resort. He previously was the Director of Health
and Healing and the Associate Managing Director at Canyon Ranch in the
Berkshires.
Carol Lucey has been named Executive Housekeeper at the St. Regis Aspen.
She comes from the Breakers in Palm Beach where her role was that of Assistant
Director of Housekeeping.
Albert Gioia has joined the Dolphin Bay Hotel and Residences as Director
of Housekeeping. Gioia joins from Noble House's Portofino Hotel in Redondo
Beach.
Michael Soriano has returned as Director of Housekeeping at the Millennium
Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles. Soriano was formerly the Director of
Housekeeping at Le Méridien Beverly Hills, following his original
two years in a similar capacity at the Biltmore.
Andrew Broderick has joined Casa del Mar in Santa Monica as Front Office
Manager. Broderick was most recently the Executive Assistant Manager
at the Malibu Beach Inn and was previously the Assistant Rooms Division
at Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills, a Manager for Abercrombie & Kent
Destination Clubs, and the Front Office Manager at the Little Nell.
Steven Boggs has returned to the Beverly Hills Hotel as Director of
Front Office Operations. Boggs was most recently the Spa Director for the
Lodge at Rancho Mirage.
Leslie Keller Gleser has been named Communications Manager at the Langham
Hotel Boston. Prior to joining Langham, Gleser was an Account Executive
at Allison & Partners, a public relations agency headquartered in San
Francisco.
William Bracken has joined the Island Hotel in Newport Beach as Executive
Chef. Since 1994, Bracken had been with the Peninsula Beverly Hills most
recently as the Executive Director of Food and Beverage. This is a return
to the former Four Seasons Newport Beach where he worked from 1987 to 1989
in various culinary positions.
Daniel Humm will be joining Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality in
New York as the Executive Chef of Eleven Madison. He replaces Kerry Hefferman
who now heads the group's catering subsidiary. Twenty-nine-year-old Humm
made a name for himself at San Francisco's Campton Place, where he took
over as Executive Chef from Laurent Manrique in 2003.
Bryan Moscatello has been appointed Executive Chef by Washington-DC-based
Star Restaurant Group (no relation to Philadelphia-based Starr Restaurant
Organization) handling the kitchen of the group's new restaurant due to
open in Alexandria, Virginia in March 2006. Moscatello was most recently
the Executive Chef at Adega in Denver and was previously in the kitchens
at Bistro Toujours in Deer Valley, the Little Nell in Aspen and the Bristol
Panama City for Rosewood Hotels and Resorts.
Executive Chef Jeffrey Vigilla has left Ritz-Carlton after many years
and postings in Seoul, Cancun, Amelia Island, and Key Biscayne, to become
the Regional Executive chef at the Registry Naples, now part of Blackstone's
LXR Luxury resorts, and soon the be renamed the Naples Grand Resort and
Golden Door Spa. The job includes supervising all food production at the
Edgewater Beach Hotel, and the Naples Grand Golf Club.
Christian Delouvrier will be opening Jean Denoyer's La Goulue in Bal
Harbor as Chef/Partner. Delouvrier was most recently consulting for the
Carlyle following a one-year stint as Chef de Cuisine at Alain Ducasse
New York. He is best known for having brought Four Stars (New York Times)
to the now shuttered Lespinasse at the St. Regis New York.
Jimmy Sakatos has been promoted to Acting Executive Chef from Executive
Sous Chef at the Carlyle in New York. The position had been left vacant
since the departure of Jean-Louis Dumonet in the spring.
Michele Bernstein joins Social in Hollywood and at the Sagamore in Miami
as Consulting Chef. She also continues to be the Chef de Cuisine at MB
at the Fiesta Americana in Cancun. She was previously the Chef de Cuisine
in charge of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Miami. Social in Hollywood and
Miami are operated by China Grill Management.
The Inn at Dos Brisas has hired Jason Robinson as Executive Chef. Robinson
comes to Dos Brisas after five years as the Chef de Cuisine at Chicago's
TRU restaurant and a year as the Executive Chef at the recently shuttered
Goodfellows in Minneapolis.
Peter O'Brien has joined Elk Mountain Resort as Executive Chef.
O'Brien was most recently the Executive Chef at the Sorrel River Ranch
Resort and Spa in Utah and Lajitas, the Ultimate Hideout in Texas.
The Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, which will open in the first
quarter of 2006 in East Palo Alto, has picked Alessandro Cartumini, from
the Four Seasons Scottsdale to be its Executive Chef.
Franklin Becker has joined the landmark Brasserie in New York's Seagram's
Building as Executive Chef replacing Luc Dimnet who has moved to Hastings
on Hudson where he has bought Café de La Gare. Becker was most recently
an Executive Chef with Philadelphia's Starr Restaurant Organization.
Lisa Nakamura has joined the Lodge at Pebble Beach as Chef de Cuisine
for Club Nineteen. Nakamura was most recently the Executive Sous Chef at
the Windsor Court in New Orleans, following six years at the French Laundry
in Yountville.
Jean-Pierre Bagnato is the new Chef de Cuisine at the Mark in New York.
Bagnato was most recently the Chef de Cuisine at Margaux at the Kowloon
Shangri-La.
Laurent Méchin has transferred to the Four Seasons Jackson Hole
as Executive Sous Chef. Méchin was most recently with the Four Seasons
Costa Rica and previously in the kitchens at the Four Seasons Newport Beach
and the Sutton Place Hotel also in Newport Beach.
Franck Riffaud has transferred as Executive Pastry Chef to the Four
Seasons Aviara. Riffaud was most recently at the Four Seasons Dublin and
previously baked for the Paris Las Vegas, Ritz-Carlton Naples and L'Orangerie
in Los Angeles. At Aviara, Riffaud takes over from Sylvain Leroy, who has
left the company.
Claire Clark has made the jump over the pond to join the French Laundry
in Yountville as Pastry Chef. Clark was most recently the Pastry Chef at
the Wolseley in London. |