Abel Barrera has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at La Bahia Hotel & Spa

La Bahia Hotel & Spa, the first and only luxury resort of its kind in the idyllic coastal town of Santa Cruz, CA, announces the appointment of Abel Barrera as Director of Sales and Marketing. With an abundance of experience in hospitality leadership, Barrera brings outstanding proficiency to guide La Bahia Hotel & Spa's highly anticipated opening in late Summer 2025 and redefine luxury hospitality in the destination.

A veteran hospitality leader with 15+ years of extensive experience in hospitality sales and marketing, Barrera joins La Bahia Hotel & Spa with a long-standing background across multiple San Francisco properties. He comes to La Bahia Hotel & Spa from LUMA Hotel San Francisco, where he played a key role in the property's pre-opening team as the Director of Sales and Marketing Curation. Starting his career in hospitality as the Group Sales Manager before being promoted to the Director of Business Travel Sales at Le MERIDIEN San Francisco, Barrera ascended to become the Director of Sales and Marketing at numerous properties including The Villa Florence, Hotel G, DoubleTree San Francisco, and Hampton Inn San Francisco. He has also served as Account Director Area Vertical Large Group Sales at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, representing esteemed hotels including The Palace Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, the St. Regis San Francisco, W San Francisco, and The Westin St. Francis.

Barrera has a proven track record in pre-opening hotels, brand conversions, increasing revenue for both group and leisure travelers, hospitality marketing, and maintaining strong relationships with brand partners. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University's History College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.