Hugo DesenzaniThe Southern Cone, which is comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, is another region identified to present strategic opportunity for Marriott, with the new local foothold acquired through the recent Starwood acquisition. Currently, Marriott International operates 12 hotels in Argentina under the Sheraton, The Luxury Collection and Tribute Portfolio brands. In addition to the Recoleta Grand, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, which is slated to open in 2019, Marriott recently announced its expansion of the Sheraton Hotels’ brand in Argentina with a new-build Sheraton Greenville Polo Resort in Buenos Aires, destined to become the tenth Sheraton property in the country. Chilean-born Hugo Desenzani has been appointed Vice President of Development for Southern South America. Prior to working with Marriott, Hugo was Chief Business Development Officer at Atton Hotels, a Latin American business hotel company with eleven properties throughout the region. Prior to this, he held several operational positions with Starwood hotel properties across the United States. A results-driven hotel executive with a proven track record of accomplishments, Hugo studied hotel management in Les Roches, Switzerland, earned a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Endicott College in Massachusetts, followed by a master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University. Hugo is based in Santiago, where he’s responsible for new unit growth for all of Marriott’s brands in Southern South America.