Georgina Sussan is now one of the Corporate Vice Presidents at Host
Marriott in Bethesda. She most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer
of Decatur Hotels in New Orleans. Sussan has also been the General Manager
of Walt Disney's Grand Floridian in Orlando.
Michael Shindler has joined the Las Vegas Sands as Vice President Development
and Asset Management. He comes from Hyatt where he first served as Vice
President of Development for ten years, returning in 2002 in a similar
capacity. In between, Shindler served as Vice President of Development
for Mandarin-Oriental and for Rockresorts.
Ian Schrager has appointed Mitch Hochberg President and Chief Operating
Officer. He is a former President of Spectrum Communities. Also at Schrager,
Michael Overington becomes Vice Chairman.
Tim Bridwell has been promoted to Area Vice President of Hilton's Central
and Northern California while continuing to serve as General Manager of
Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara.
Greg Champion has been promoted to President of Noble House Hotels &
Resorts, a company he had rejoined in December as General Manager of the
La Playa Beach and Resort in Naples. Champion was previously the Chief
Operating Officer of Arizona-based Tiburon Hospitality Management. Cornellian
Robert Foster had been named President of Noble House in August 2005.
Gary Jutz has been appointed General Manager of the Radisson Aruba.
He has served as the General Manager of the Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio
in Honolulu for the past five years.
Guillermo Valencia is the General Manager at the Holiday Inn Aruba.
He has been with InterContinental for over twenty five years including
such positions as Rooms Division Manager for the Hotel Tequendama in Bogota;
Marketing Director for the InterContinental Tamanaco in Caracas and the
Castellana InterContinental in Madrid.
Anneke Scholten has been named General Manager of the Snowmass Club
in Colorado. Previously the General Manager of the Aspen Mountain Club,
Scholten previously held positions with Sonesta Hotels in Amsterdam and
Key Biscayne and Four Seasons Hotels in Washington, DC and Boston.
Steele Edwards has been named General Manager of the Whitetail Club
& Resort in Northern Idaho. He was most recently the General Manager
of the Makaha Resort & Golf Club in Hawaii.
Oscar Ornelas has recently joined Casa del Mar in Cabo San Lucas as
General Manager. He previously ran La Estancia, also in Cabo, Flamingos
in Puerto Vallarta and Exclusive Resorts in Cabo San Lucas.
Joseph Giacoponello, Former President and Chief Executive Officer of
the Leading Hotels of the World, who had retired in 1999, has been appointed
to the Executive Committee of the Crown Collection.
Bob Peckenpaugh has been named Vice President of Hospitality for the
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. He was most recently the General Manager of
the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego.
Replacing Peckenpaugh at Rancho Bernardo is John Gates, formerly the
Hotel Manager at sister property the Surf and Sand in Laguna Beach. Stan
Kaminski, who was the Assistant General Manager at Rancho Bernardo, swings
over to the Surf and Sand as Hotel Manager. Kaminski originally joined
JC Resorts in 2000 as its Corporate Director of Food and Beverage Operations.
Isabelle Matter has been appointed General Manager of the Maxwell in
San Francisco replacing James Lim who is now the General Manager at the
Hotel Rex. Lim has previously worked for Starwood, including the Palace
in San Francisco.
Maarten van Wijk moves up with Divi Resorts as Executive Vice President
replacing departing President and Chief Operating Officer Ray Hobbs. Van
Wijk originally joined the group as Acting General Manager of the Divi
Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino in Bonaire. A Dutchman, he recently
spent twelve years with Hershey Hospitality in various senior management
capacities.
Jim Hord has transferred with Kimpton to the recently-acquired Hotel
Nine Zero in Boston as General Manager. His long career with Kimpton started
at the Prescott Hotel in San Francisco.
Destination Hotels and Resorts has appointed James Horsman General Manager
at the Mountain Lodge in Vermont. Horsman was most recently the General
Manager at the Hotel Nine Zero under Destination before it became a Kimpton
property. He previously ran the Adam's Mark in Buffalo following
a twelve-year career with Ritz-Carlton.
Don Jacinto has been promoted to General Manager of the Mondrian Scottsdale,
the former James Hotel. He was most recently the Hotel Manager at Hudson
in New York.
Ian Robinson is the opening General Manager at he Fairmont Mayakoba
in Mexico. He was most recently the Regional Vice President and General
Manager for the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club.
Michael Lennon has been named General Manager at the Meritage Resort
at Napa. A former General Manager at the Omni San Francisco, he is a former
Kimpton man for whom he ran the Hotel Vintage Court and the Monticello
Inn.
Mark Briskin is the General Manager at Top of the Rock at Rockefeller
Center for Tishman Speyer. He was most recently the Managing Director at
the Core Club, after opening the Muse, now a Kimpton hotel.
David Lopez has been appointed General Manager at the Hotel La Mela
scheduled for opening in New York later this year. He was most recently
the Founder and President of Dream Luxury Hotels-Resorts-Villas and previously
the General Manager of the Mansfield and the Roger Williams.
Joseph Schwingler has transferred with Kimpton to the Hotel Palomar
in Dallas as General Manager. He was most recently the General Manager
at the Hotel Monaco New Orleans.
Joe Dantoni has been named General Manager at the Lodge at Woodloch.
He was most recently the Hotel Manager at the former Harbor Court in Baltimore
(now an InterContinental), where he spent fifteen years.
Jeff David has joined the Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod as Resort Manager.
David was most recently the Managing Director at the Chanler in Newport
and previously ran the Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club.
Patrick Brans has been named Director of Operations at the Royal Palm
in Miami. He was previously with Ritz-Carlton for ten years overseeing
Rooms Operations in Miami, Boston, Washington DC, New York and Amelia Island.
Daniel Post-Kennedy has joined Keswick Hall in Charlottesville as Club
Manager, reporting to Anthony McHale as he did at the Peninsula Beverly
Hills. In addition, he joined former Peninsula Beverly Hills cohort Peter
Dickinson now running food and beverage at Keswick Hall.
The Hotel Indigo Sarasota, due to open later this year, has appointed
Leslie (Fullen) Power as General Manager and René Hampton as Director
of Sales. Power most recently served as Regional Director, Sales and Marketing
for Hilton. Hampton previously held management positions in sales with
Thayer Lodging.
Margaret Thomas has joined the Athenaeum Club at Caltech in Pasadena
as Hotel Operations Manager. She was most recently the Director of Front
Office Operations at the Millennium Biltmore and previously oversaw front
office operations at the Sofitel Los Angeles and the Hotel Bel-Air.
Moustapha Guimei has transferred to the Four Seasons Westlake Village
as Director of Finance. He was most recently at the Four Seasons Resort
at Terre Blanche and prior to that at the Four Seasons Atlanta.
Abid Butt has joined Host Marriott as Vice President Asset Management.
He was most recently the General Manager at the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii.
Butt previously served as Vice President of Operations for Ho Kwon Ping's
Banyan Tree Resorts based in Phuket, Thailand.
Andrea Foster, as Cornell graduate, has been named Director of Corporate
Strategy for Miraval Holding in Tucson, a division of Steve Case's Revolution
Resorts, and the ownership entity of Miraval Life in Balance. Foster was
most recently a Vice President of PKF Consulting in Los Angeles.
Mark Bommarito has been appointed Project Vice President of Sales and
Marketing at the French Lick Springs Resort & Casino now operated by
Benchmark Hospitality. He was most recently the Director of Marketing at
the Grand Victoria Casino Resort also in Indiana.
John Cardona is the new Vice President Hotel Sales for Regent Hotels
based in Fort Lauderdale. He was most recently the Vice President Sales
and Marketing for the Garrett Hotel Group. Cardona also served in a similar
capacity for the Peninsula Hotel Group and Rosewood Hotels and Resorts.
Boutique Hotels & Resorts International has named Stacy Dreyfus
Global Sales Director, to be based in Chicago. She previously was the Director
of Sales and Marketing at New York's Hotel Gansevoort, after launching
the Northeast National Sales Office for Schrager Hotels.
Keith Battaglia has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for
the Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center. He was most recently
the Director of Sales for the Northland Inn near Minneapolis and previously
served as Director of Sales for the Chattanoogan in Tennessee.
Sam Cole is the new Director of Sales for the Regent Beverly Wilshire
taking over for Kelly Nelson who has gone to the Four Seasons Palo Alto
as Director of Sales and Marketing. Cole originally joined the Beverly
Wilshire as Associate Director of Catering. After relocating from Florida
to open Brad Korzen's Avalon in Beverly Hills, Cole was the General Manager
of the Hollywood Roosevelt.
Ross Anderson has joined the Meritage Resort at Napa as Director of
Sales. He was formerly with Villagio Inn and Spa and the Vintage Inn.
Linda Clark has been appointed Senior Sales Manager at the Resort at
Paws Up in Montana. She was most recently in sales at the Bernardus Lodge
and the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley.
Donna Shepherd has been appointed Director of Human Resources at the
Beverly Hilton. She was most recently the Director of Human Resources at
the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa. Shepherd also served as the
Vice President of Human Resources at Universal Studios Hollywood, following
a long career with Marriott.
John Cunin has joined Wynn Las Vegas as Director of Fine Dining. He
will be responsible for the hotel's nine fine dining outlets, taking over
the position left vacant by Antonello Paganuzzi early in the spring. Cunin
was most recently the General Manager of MIX Las Vegas following a stint
as Managing Partner at Capital Grille also in Las Vegas.
Claude Boudoux is now the Vice President Food and Beverage for Norwegian
Cruise Line. He was the Director of Food and Beverage at the Beverly Hills
Hotel for the past five years and was previously the Vice President Food
and Beverage at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Roland Rutjens has been named General Manager by Aramark in Las Vegas,
pending permanent assignment. He was most recently the General Manager
at Emeril's Tchoup Chop in Orlando and previously oversaw Planet Hollywood
in New York. Rutjens also spent several years with House of Blues on the
West Coast.
Jacques Gouret is the new Director of Food and Beverage at the Chateau
on the Lake Resort in Branson, Missouri. He was previously a Food and Beverage
Manager at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami.
Wil Lee has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage for Caesar's
Palace Atlantic City. He recently served as a Food and Beverage Consultant
for the West Paces Hotel Group. His resume also includes the Four Seasons
Newport Beach, Ritz-Carlton in Orlando and San Francisco and the Westin
Diplomat Resort & Spa.
Sean Dempsey has joined the Meritage Resort at Napa as Director of Food
and Beverage. He previously served as Director of Conference and Catering
Services for Meadowood and Silverado.
Michael Mihalow has been named Director of Food and Beverage Outlets
at the Sheraton Boston. He was most recently at the InterContinental Mark
Hopkins in San Francisco as the General Manager of Top of the Mark.
Sandro Gamba has joined the pre-opening team at the Four Seasons Westlake
Village as Executive Chef. Gamba, who was most recently consulting for
the owners of Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco, built his name as the
Executive Chef at Nomi at the Park Hyatt Chicago and at the now shuttered
Lespinasse at the St. Regis Washington DC. Gamba was one of Food and Wine's
Best New Chefs a few years back and started his career with Joel Robuchon
and Alain Ducasse.
Executive Chef Charles Hechinger has joined the Rancho Bernardo Inn
in San Diego. He comes from the Claremont in Oakland, a former KSL resort
recently rebranded Doubletree. Prior to joining the Claremont in 2004,
Hechinger had been the Executive Chef at the Lodge at Vail and at the (former)
Pan Pacific San Francisco (now the JW Marriott San Francisco, it originally
opened as the Portman).
Brian Cochran has accepted the position of General Manager with Thomas
Keller's Bouchon Bistro at the Venetian. He was most recently the General
Manager for the House of Blues' Foundation Room. He had also been the Manager
of Mark Miller's defunct Coyote Café at the MGM Grand.
Zack Zahran has been named General Manager of US Operations for Gordon
Ramsay Holdings. Based in New York, he will be responsible for launching
Gordon Ramsay at the London New York, formerly the Rhiga Royal and Gordon
Ramsay at the London Los Angeles the former Bel-Age in West Hollywood.
Zahran had been with the Peninsula New York since 1989, most recently as
Resident Manager. In related news, Hilary Tolman who was the London-Based
VP of US operations for Gordon Ramsay Holdings, has left the group.
Chicago Sommelier Belinda Chang has been named Wine and Spirits Director
for the newly formed Cenitare Restaurant Group. She was most recently at
Osteria Via Stato in a similar position. A former Sommelier at Charlie
Trotter's, Chang also served as General Manager and Wine Director at the
Fifth Floor in San Francisco.
Jeffrey Everts has been named Executive Chef at the Houstonian Hotel
Club and Spa taking over from Jesse Llapitan. Everts was most recently
the Corporate Chef for the KOR Group based in Beverly Hills and previously
oversaw the kitchen at the Hotel Nine Zero in Boston.
Henri Laaksonen is the new Executive Chef at the Copper Beach Inn in
Connecticut. He was previously the Chef de Cuisine at El Monte Sagrado
in Taos and Executive Sous Chef at Topper's at the Wauwinet on Nantucket.
Timothy Au has joined the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Connecticut as Executive
Chef. Au was most recently the Chef de Cuisine at A. R. Valentien at the
Lodge at Torrey Pines.
Robert Wilson has been named Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Marina
del Rey taking over from Troy Thompson. He transfers from the Ritz-Carlton
Dearborn and was previously the Executive Sous Chef at the Ritz-Carlton
Laguna Niguel.
Gilles Arzur has transferred to the Sofitel Water Tower in Chicago
as Executive Chef. He was most recently heading up the kitchen at the Sofitel
Montreal and previously was the Executive Chef at the Sofitel Los Angeles.
In Chicago, Arzur takes over from Frédéric Castan, now the
Executive Chef at the St. Regis Monarch Beach.
William Bradley, who began his career in San Diego, has returned to
assume the Executive Chef position at Addison, the dining venue at the
Grand Del Mar, presently under construction. He was most recently the Executive
Chef at Vu at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale.
Joseph Elevado, who was the Executive Chef at Nobu Las Vegas, and spent
a total of eight years with Nobu, will be the opening Executive Chef at
Social House being open by the Pure Group at Treasure Island in August.
Jeff Longnecker has joined the Meritage Resort at Napa as Executive
Chef in the resort's restaurant, Siena. He was formerly the Executive Chef
and Culinary Director of the Sea Ranch Lodge along the Sonoma-Mendocino
Coast.
Joel Guillon has joined San Francisco's Left Bank Restaurants as Corporate
Chef. Since 1976, he had worked with Méridien, including no fewer
than twenty-two years as Executive Chef at the Hotel Méridien San
Francisco/ANA Hotel/Argent.
Laurent Lhuillier is the new Executive Pastry Chef at Catering by Windows
in Virginia. Lhuillier had been with Ritz-Carlton since 2001 as Executive
Pastry Chef in Orlando and Tyson's Corner. His impressive resume includes
a stint as Executive Pastry Chef at Sol Kerzner's Atlantis in the Bahamas.
At the upcoming Social House in Las Vegas, 26-year-old Ralph Perrazzo
will be the Pastry Chef. He was previously the Pastry Chef at Bradley Ogden
at Caesars Palace and spent two months on the pre-opening team of Restaurant
Guy Savoy also at Caesar's Palace.
Social House at Treasure Island has named Mark Steele General Manager.
He was formerly the General Manager of Fix at the Bellagio.
Mohamed Qadir is the new Director of Housekeeping at the Jefferson in
Richmond, Virginia. He was most recently the Executive Housekeeper at La
Mansion del Rio in San Antonio and previously served in housekeeping at
the St. Regis Houston and Four Seasons Houston. |