Indianapolis, Indiana, December, 2010 - The JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown has hired Mehdi Spadavecchia as the director of food and beverage for the hotel and its three restaurants, Osteria Pronto, High Velocity and Tavern on the Plaza. 

“With a wealth of food and beverage experience and impressive work as a gourmet chef, Mehdi will be an exceptional addition to our expanding management team,” said Scott Blalock, general manager of the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

Spadavecchia brings over 15 years of international experience in food and beverage management to the JW Marriott Indianapolis. Spadavecchia was born in Bordeaux, France where he completed his culinary education before entering the military in 1991.  While in the military, he was the personal chef for General Laffont, and later worked on several luxury sailing yachts as a gourmet chef and sailor. 

In 1995, Spadavecchia began his career with the Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires.  Four years later, he moved to Maryland where he became the executive chef, and later food and beverage manager, for the Greenbelt Marriott Hotel. In 2002, Spadavecchia was promoted to opening director of food and beverage at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort where he successfully opened the hotel, including six restaurants and three bars.

In 2004, Spadavecchia joined White Lodging as the opening food and beverage director at the Louisville Marriott. Under his direction, the hotel won several awards, including Opening Team of the Year from Marriott and Food and Beverage Team of the Year from White Lodging in 2008. Spadavecchia was also awarded Food and Beverage Director of the Year in 2006 from White Lodging.  

Spadavecchia graduated from B.E.P Cuisine Classique in Bordeaux, France, and he currently resides in Lagrange, Kentucky with his wife Rachel, daughter Lila and stepson Hendrix.

About Marriott Place Indianapolis
The spectacular $450 million complex will feature 1,626 rooms and, when combined with the existing 622 rooms in the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, will form Marriott Place Indianapolis. Once completed, the hotel complex will serve as the premier convention headquarters hotel in Indianapolis with 145,000 square feet of meeting, banquet and exhibit space (104,000 square feet within the JW Marriott Indianapolis), and one of Marriott’s largest hotel ballrooms totaling 40,500 square feet. This landmark hotel development will serve as an anchor for the Midwest’s convention and tourism industry. Located on a seven-acre site overlooking the White River State Park, guests are steps away from a thriving downtown with numerous, exciting entertainment attractions. The Courtyard by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, and the T.G.I. Friday’s opened in February, 2010. The JW Marriott Indianapolis will open in February, 2011. 

About JW Marriott
JW Marriott is part of Marriott International’s exclusive portfolio and consists of properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today’s sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere lacking in pretense. JW Marriott properties artfully provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that are reflective of their locale so that their guests have the time to focus on what is most important to them. Currently, there are 45 JW Marriott hotels in 19 countries; by 2013 the portfolio will encompass 73 properties in 28 countries.

About White Lodging
Established in 1985 and headquartered in Merrillville, IN, White Lodging is a fully integrated developer, owner and manager of premium brand hotels – a recognized leader that consistently delivers superior, leading-brand hotel experiences and premium returns on investment among mid- to-large scale hotels across the country. With over 25 years of expertise, White Lodging continues to break ground as one of the fastest growing independent hospitality companies in the country. Their managed portfolio of more than 150 hotels in seventeen states encompasses representation of the following leading brand affiliations: Marriott International, Hyatt Global, Hilton Worldwide, Radisson Hotels, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. For more information about White Lodging, visit www.whitelodging.com.