TAMPA, Fla. (April 2, 2013) – The Epicurean Hotel announced today the appointment of Brandon Marshall as the Director of Sales of the 137-room boutique hotel scheduled to open in December 2013.  In this position, Marshall will oversee and manage group, leisure and business markets for the Epicurean, which is currently being constructed in the trendy Hyde Park historic district of South Tampa, Fla. He will create and execute an overall sales and marketing strategy and develop and oversee new programs and the budget for the department. The Epicurean is being developed in collaboration with Mainsail Lodging & Development and the legendary Bern’s Steak House, and will be the first newly constructed hotel property in the United States to join the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc.

“Brandon’s solid foundation in Marriott sales, extensive experience in the local market and his meaningful relationships with key customers combine to make him a phenomenal asset for the Epicurean,” said Tom Haines, general manager of the Epicurean.

With nearly 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Marshall comes to the Epicurean from Marriott International where he worked as a sales executive and managed more than 1,100 corporate accounts in the Tampa Bay market.  Prior to that, he was with Quorum Hotels & Resorts in Tampa where he worked for six years as the director of catering and then as a senior sales manager for business travel and group sales.  Marshall also worked for Harvard University’s Crimson Catering in Cambridge, Mass. as a senior catering manager. During his career, Marshall has won several awards, including the Loyal E Horton Award for standard catering menu twice and Marriott Sales Star Award for the Southeast in 2012. He has served as the programs chair for Westshore Alliance, vice president of allied affairs for the Tampa Bay Business Travel Association and was a founding board member of the “Taste of Westshore.” A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Marshall holds a B.S. in hospitality sales and meeting management and an A.S. in hospitality management. Marshall is a native of Rhode Island, but has lived in Tampa since 2005.

The food-focused Epicurean will feature a large, state-of-the-art culinary classroom, gourmet restaurant, wine shop, rooftop lounge, full-service spa, and a retail and production bakery and pastry shop.  A few of the special experiences planned for the Epicurean include bicycles to explore Hyde Park and Bayshore Boulevard, evening wine samplings, signature organic bath products, and luxury linens and pillows. The Epicurean will be home to the popular annual Bern’s Winefest, and will host a variety of cooking demonstrations and classes, wine exhibitions and more from renowned chefs and sommeliers from around the world, catering to both the beginner and experienced foodie.

For more information on the Epicurean, please visit www.epicureanhotel.com.

About Mainsail Lodging & Development
Mainsail Lodging and Development is a Tampa-based hospitality company that develops and operates lodging products in the Southeastern US and the Caribbean. Their properties include Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina (ScrubIsland.com), a private island resort in the British Virgin Islands and member of Autograph Collection® of Marriott International; Mainsail Beach Inn (MainsailBeachInn.com), a boutique beachfront hotel and marina on Anna Maria Island, Florida; Mainsail Suites Hotel and Conference Center (MainsailTampa.com) in Tampa, Florida; Mainsail South, a 328-unit apartment and corporate housing complex in South Tampa; and Mainsail Apartment Homes, a 240-unit apartment community in Tampa’s Westshore district. The company also operates ExecuStay (ExecuStay.com), a leading corporate housing provider throughout Florida, Georgia and The Carolinas. Opening November 2013 in Tampa, Florida, the boutique food-focused Epicurean hotel (EpicureanHotel.com) is being developed in collaboration with the legendary Bern’s Steak House and will be the first newly constructed property in the United States to join the Autograph Collection®.

About Bern’s Steak House
Internationally known for its vast wine collection, perfectly aged steaks and famous dessert room, Bern’s Steak House offers a world-class, incomparable dining experience. When Bern Laxer opened in 1956, he envisioned Bern’s as Art in Steaks. Today, son David Laxer and Chef de Cuisine Habteab Hamde continue Bern’s tradition of excellence with a gastronomic adventure that includes prime dry-aged steaks cut-to-order, 21 choices of caviar, fresh seafood, vegetables in a setting like none other.

Housing the World’s largest wine collection of over 500,000 bottles, Bern’s offers 7,000 selections to its guests. Additionally, SideBern’s, Bern’s sister restaurant and its Executive Chef Chad Johnson were named a 2012 Semifinalist for Best Chef: South by the James Beard Foundation. For more information on Bern’s Steak House and its subsidiaries, visit www.bernssteakhouse.com.

About Autograph Collection
The Autograph Collection is an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels. Each destination has been selected for its bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. From near to far, iconic to historic, the result is an array of properties that is nothing less than unique, nothing short of collectively exceptional. For more information please visit www.autographhotels.com