HONOLULU, HI (May 9, 2011) – Thomas Pauly, general manager of the Kahala Hotel & Resort, has announced the appointment of Stuart Kotake as Director of Food and Beverage and Charles Keegan as Director of Catering and Conference Services.  Kotake was promoted from Catering and Conference Service Director, while his replacement, Keegan, was promoted from Manager of Catering and Conference Services.

Stuart Kotake joined The Kahala Hotel & Resort’s Catering and Conference Services department in 2006.  Prior to that, he worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as Catering and Conference Services Manager. He also served as a convention service manager at the Walt Disney World Resort, and as a catering conference services manager for The Walt Disney Company. Kotake was lauded as a “Partner in Excellence” during his time with The Walt Disney Company, an honor bestowed upon only the top 1% of the company worldwide for lifetime achievement.

A member of Certified Meeting Professionals, Mr. Kotake is also a member of The Walt Disney Company Alumni Group and the University of Oklahoma Alumni Association.

Kotake will oversee The Kahala’s extensive Food and Beverage department with responsibilities for the hotel’s award-winning Hoku’s restaurant, Plumeria Beach House, The Veranda, Seaside Grill, and in-room dining.   He may be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (808) 739-8720.

Charles Keegan, a 1999 graduate of Swarthmore College, began his catering career in 2001 as a catering assistant at the famed Waldorf Astoria in New York. He moved to Honolulu in 2004 where he served as a catering assistant at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel before joining The Kahala Hotel & Resort in 2006 as a catering assistant. He was later promoted to Catering Manager at The Kahala in 2007 and was nominated as The Kahala Resort Manager of the Quarter. At the Renaissance Hotel, he was named the 2005 Marriott Heart of the House winner and while at the Waldorf Astoria, he was also a nominee for the Hilton Hero and Hilton Pride Awards.

Keegan will oversee The Kahala’s Catering and Conference Services team, including all wedding planning and special events at the luxury oceanfront hotel. He may be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (808) 739-8891.

About The Kahala
With 338 guestrooms, The Kahala Hotel & Resort is an oceanfront destination resort known for its impeccable service and hospitality. Just minutes from Waikiki, yet offering the peace and serenity of a neighbor island experience, The Kahala has been Honolulu's social address for weddings and gatherings since its opening in 1964. Captains of industry and celebrity guests continue to call The Kahala their home-away-from-home in Hawai'i. Travel + Leisure ranks The Kahala among the Top 3 Hawaii hotels and among the World's Best 100 Hotels in its 2010 World's Best Awards.

For more information, please contact The Kahala Hotel & Resort at (808) 739-8888 or toll-free at (800) 367-2525; or visit their website at www.kahalaresort.com.