Richard Hays Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beachfront resort hotel on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, has announced the appointment of Richard Hays as the resort’s newest regional sales manager. Based in Harwood, Md., Hays will direct the resort’s sales efforts into the mid-atlantic and Northeastern markets. A nearly 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Hays’ previously held sales positions at properties including Hyatt Regency La Jolla in San Diego, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. and Marriott International. Hays holds degrees in music and a Master’s of Science in business administration from the University of Maryland. In his free time, he tends to his garden, sings in a choir and revels in traditional Chesapeake cooking.