MIAMI BEACH, FL (March 1, 2016) – W South Beach, the iconic luxury lifestyle hotel located in the heart of South Beach, today announced the appointment of Ramon Von Schükkmann as Director of Sales & Marketing. Von Schükkmann will oversee all sales and marketing efforts, including digital and creative marketing efforts, branding initiatives, strategic local partnerships, advertising, and local, national and international media efforts.

Von Schükkmann is a dynamic and creative sales and marketing leader bringing more than 20 years of experience in luxury hotels to W South Beach. He will be instrumental in promoting the hotel's core initiatives and 'passion points' that continue to deliver exceptional service and guest experiences at the South Florida property. Von Schükkmann will also play an important role in the W brand's presence in the Miami market, as the iconic South Beach hotel with the largest entry-level guest rooms and a $40 million dollar art collection.

Von Schükkmann is a Starwood veteran who ventured into the hospitality industry 20 years ago in Amsterdam. He has since speared sales and marketing efforts for multiple hotels in The Netherlands, Canary Islands (Spain), the Algarve in the south of Portugal, Mauritius and most recently in the United Arab Emirates before joining W South Beach. Hotels Von Schükkmann has lead sales and marketing efforts for include: the iconic Hotel Pulitzer in downtown Amsterdam, the 72-acre Pine Cliffs resort in Portugal and the first St. Regis in the Indian Ocean. W South Beach is his first U.S. endeavor.

"We are thrilled to have Ramon direct our sales and marketing efforts as we continue to highlight W South Beach as the most iconic luxury lifestyle hotel on South Beach," says W South Beach General Manager Rick Ueno. "His expertise will guide us tremendously through a number of initiatives launching this year, including our brand new guest room revamp, a total revitalization of all 408 rooms, which we're excited to unveil at the end of this year."

With extensive international experience in the hospitality industry and strength in establishing new sales and marketing strategies, Von Schükkmann has played an integral role in ten new hotel openings, including one reopening and two rebranding projects. Von Schükkmann earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Hotel Management School Leeuwarden in The Netherlands, and fluently speaks six languages.