Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group (LDHG), a leading hospitality management company, has been appointed to operate the newly constructed Element Anaheim Resort Convention Center (Element Anaheim). This appointment follows its recent announcement of the management of two additional Hilton branded hotels in San Diego.
Dynamic City Capital (DCC), a Utah-based real-estate investment firm focused on premium-branded hotel investments, announced the acquisition of the Element Anaheim Resort Convention Center (Anaheim Element). The Anaheim Element is a recently completed hotel that will open in July 2021.
InvoTech Systems Inc. announced the recent implementation of its Uniform System at The Westin Anaheim Resort. InvoTech Systems is the leading provider of advanced Linen Management, Laundry and Uniform Systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for hotels, resorts, casino operators, sports arenas, convention centers and theme parks. The InvoTech System installed at The Westin Anaheim Resort manages the Uniform inventory for 500 employees, and the new Westin joins InvoTech’s extensive client portfolio of Marriott International Resorts worldwide. Click here for more information on InvoTech’s Linen, Laundry and Uniform Systems.
Hotel Lulu, Anaheim's newest hotel just steps from Disneyland, is pleased to announce the appointment of John Chan to the position of hotel manager. John brings more than twenty years of hotel operations experience and a true passion for hospitality to this quintessential California hotel.
Hotel Lulu, a quintessential California hotel nestled in the heart of Anaheim, opens its doors on May 14, 2021. Ideally located just steps from Disneyland® and minutes from Anaheim Convention Center, this welcoming and playful property boasts laidback California design details with a modern twist. Outfitted with 310 guestrooms, Hotel Lulu features signature restaurant Lulu's Kitchen; the new Lulu's Coffee, serving Intelligentsia Coffee; a beautiful outdoor pool; 24/7 fitness center; 5,400 square feet of meeting and event space; and an onsite Disneyland® Insiders team. The hotel is managed by Azul Hospitality Group, a San Diego-based hospitality management company focused primarily on upscale hotels and resorts and is owned by J Street Hospitality, also based in San Diego.
General Manager of Restaurants and Bars Derek J. Downing has a strong background in the Orange County market, allowing him to blend local flavors and experiences with Radisson Blu's upper-upscale philosophy under his management of the property's food and beverage outlets. A certified Cicerone, he has curated the beverage program with a strong emphasis on showcasing Southern California's homegrown breweries. In 2015 as general manager of Cask 'n Cleaver Steakhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, CA he developed a live music program and a beverage program that help lead to a 28% increase in sales. During his tenure as assistant manager of TAPS Fish House and Brewery from 2017-2019 he worked alongside the brewery team and implemented standardized operations procedures across all TAPs locations. In 2019 Downing was brought on as Restaurant General Manager at South Coast Winery where he curated a new beverage program with an emphasis on local craft beers and introduced a revamped bar design.
Director of Food and Beverage Daniel Rivera knows how to develop and implement one of a kind hotel dining experiences, crafting crave-able dishes for Radisson Blu's dining concepts through curation of the best California ingredients from land and sea. In his new role, he oversees the day-to-day operations of all of Radisson Blu Anaehim's food and beverage concepts, including the hotel's in-room dining, banquets, and catering programs. While senior food & beverage manager / general manager of restaurants for The Mansion on Turtlecreek—the first Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Property—the restaurant and bar received numerous accolades including Texas lifestyle magazine D Magazine's "Distinguished Drinker" award, D Magazine's "Best Hotel Bar" 5, and received a nomination by the James Beard Foundation for "Outstanding Service." Upon transitioning to operations manager for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in 2015, Rivera led the re-conceptualization and renovation of all restaurants, bars and banquets and catering for the Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, NM. In 2018, Rivera established and led O&A Hospitality Group for Two Michelin Star Chef Josiah Citrin as director of operations. He oversaw the full transition of The LINE Hotel (LA) in Koreatown's food and beverage partnership from 10K Hospitality by Chef Roy Choi and led the re-concept & renovation for all restaurants, bars, and banquets and catering on property. Prior to the transition he also served as director of operations for 10K Hospitality Group. As the Managing Partner for K2 Restaurant Group in 2019, Rivera launched and opened Social Eats, a next generation food hall with a collection of nine unique food & beverage concepts that features celebrity and rising star chefs, such as David Chang, Graham Elliot, Michael & Bryan Voltaggio.
Radisson Blu, the upper-upscale brand synonymous with meaningful experiences, stylish spaces, and thoughtful details from Radisson Hotel Group, announces the opening of Radisson Blu Anaheim. Just four blocks away from Disneyland, the 326-room hotel delivers a one-of-a-kind experience with three distinct food and beverage offerings, two pools, and a stunning 12th story rooftop. Beginning the week of October 26, families, business travelers and adventurers alike can explore the best that Southern California has to offer in a stylish setting.
JW Marriott, part of Marriott International, Inc., announces the opening of the JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort set to take place on Wednesday, August 19, 2020. Located at the Anaheim GardenWalk, just steps from Disneyland Resort® and the Anaheim Convention Center, the Anaheim hotel provides travelers a luxury, curated experience that exudes warmth and peace.
With over 27 years of hospitality experience, Matthew Smith leads the culinary operations for The Westin Anaheim Resort where he will be responsible for the hotel's culinary mission, creating menus, supervising kitchen staff, and coordinating efforts in all dining outlets. A California native, Smith recently moved back home from Hawaii after spending 15 years on the islands where he served as Executive Chef for the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa and Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. Prior to his time on the islands, Smith built his career along the western coast at notable properties including Grand Hyatt Seattle and Park Hyatt Los Angeles. In his homecoming role, Smith plans to embrace regional flavors while showcasing the best local farmers and purveyors as he shapes a remarkable kitchen for an unrivaled luxury dining experience in Anaheim.
Leading the hotel's food and beverage programs and concepts is Director of Food and Beverage Jeffrey Chirinos. A hotelier with over 26 years in the hospitality industry, Chirinos will oversee the hotel banquet operations as well as the hotel's signature dining outlets: RISE Rooftop Lounge, Anaheim's only exclusive rooftop bar offering front-row seats to Disneyland's nightly firework display; Tangerine Room, a signature three-meal restaurant that showcases modern California dishes that celebrate local, seasonal ingredients alongside an extensive global wine list; Bar 1030, a rejuvenating space in the center of the lobby that provides light California fare and curated craft cocktails; and Bella's Splash Pool Bar, a full-service poolside bar where guests can enjoy kid-friendly favorites and refreshing beverages that cater to both kids and adults. Bolstering an impressive resume, Chirinos was most recently the General Manager of the Villas at Pelican Hill Resort. Prior to that position, he was part of the opening team at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, and has also worked at CONRAD Miami, The Westin Alexandria and JW Marriott Houston Downtown.
Bringing over 35 years of progressive hospitality and sales leadership to her role as Director of Sales and Marketing, Cynthia Ordyke will be responsible for driving the sales and marketing strategies and initiatives for the soon-to-open hotel which also includes 47,542 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space. Prior to joining The Westin Anaheim Resort, Ordyke was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Four Diamond Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, where she formed instrumental partnerships and relationships with the Los Angeles and Orange County markets and looks forward to bringing her extensive knowledge of both markets to her new role. Ordyke continues to lead the pre-opening sales efforts for the hotel, including building the sales team, managing key partnerships, and securing group and transient business to ensure success beyond opening.
As General Manager, Iommazzo will oversee all aspects of the day-to-day hotel operations, from sales and marketing, revenue management, and guest experiences, to programming, service, and food and beverage. Iommazzo has carved out an outstanding hospitality career spanning more than 20 years, holding key leadership roles at luxury properties across the U.S., and Australia, including most recently as General Manager of The Kahala Hotel and Resort in Honolulu, a Forbes Four-Star and Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Award "Top Hotel in Hawaii" hotel.
Chef Amol Agarwal joins JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort with nearly 23 years of global culinary experience, including positions in India, Maldives, Jamaica, China, and the United States. During his Marriott career, Amol opened The Ritz Carlton, Beijing during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and was the Executive Chef at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. Most recently, he held the title of Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at Hotel Nia, Autograph Collection in Menlo Park, California.
Bringing over 16 years of food and beverage experience, Scott Kimmel leads all food and beverage operations, encompassing the JW Marriott signature restaurant, rooftop bar and lounge, market café, lobby bar, and room service. Kimmel held the Director of Event Operations position at the Anaheim Marriott, playing a key role in the hotel's recognition as one of the top performing ESS hotels in Convention Resort Network Hotel. Additionally, Kimmel was the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, where he managed a $35 million food and beverage operation.
Dario Espinoza joins the executive team with over eight years of human resources experience. Most recently, Espinoza served as Market Director of Human Resources, where he oversaw hotel openings at Marriott Irvine Spectrum and Lido House, Autograph Collection—the first two full-service hotels managed by Marriott to open in Orange County in over 30 years. Espinoza also held leadership roles in San Francisco Marriott Union Square, as well as Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C. In April 2019, Espinoza was awarded the Human Resources Mustang Award for successfully opening two full-service hotels within four months of each other.
Clint Chadburn fills a key role as Director of Engineering. Previously Assistant Director of Engineering at Marriott L.A. Live, joins the hotel with over six years of engineering experience. As the Engineering Supervisor at Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa, where Chadburn played a major role in t he hotel's $26 million-dollar renovation and complete reposition. His commitment and passion for building dynamic and high performing teams earned him the top 20% employee engagement score amongst the hotels.
Rita Joshi joins JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort with more than 26 years of hospitality experience. Joshi was the Director of Finance at Renaissance Long Beach and previously worked as Senior Assistant Director of Finance at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa. Additionally, Joshi worked as Room Service Operator at Rancho Las Palmas and Assistant Controller at Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley.
Matt Harrison, an established industry leader with over a decade of experience within the hospitality industry, joins the property from Anaheim Marriott. Harrison has held numerous front-line positions at Wardman Park Marriott, supported hotel operations at Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa, and was the Director of Rooms Operations at Irvine Marriott.
Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) known for delivering little luxuries to guests, marked the opening of its 50th and largest location, the Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area, with an exclusive ribbon cutting ceremony.