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Appointment

Jonathan Litvack has been appointed as General Manager at Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown

Veteran hotelier Jonathan Litvack, named general manager of the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel in 2013, will oversee a $45 million rejuvenation of the 485-room property to include all guestrooms, meeting space and the lobby area, as well as the restaurant and lounge. He successfully converted the hotel, which is located in the heart of the city's financial, sports and entertainment epicenter, from a franchise operation to the world's newest Starwood-managed hotel on June 1. The rejuvenation, which includes the hotel as well as the adjacent office tower and retail shopping center anchored by a flagship Macy's, will be renamed the Bloc. Upon completion, it will be the largest single asset mixed-use property in the City of Los Angeles.

Starwood
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Susan Santiago has been appointed as Area Vice President and General Manger at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza

ost recently, Santiago was Vice President of Food and Beverage –Americas operations for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, where she was responsible for the overall success of food and beverage operations at Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Latin and South America. Last year, Santiago led Hyatt’s launch of its global Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served philosophy that was heralded as, “industry leading,” and later the same year, launched Hyatt’s, For Kids, By Kids, and Alice Waters menus which offer fun, fresh, flavorful and interactive food choices for youth aged guests. These food philosophies helped drive Hyatt’s goal to be the most preferred hotel brand, and were acknowledged by The Today Show, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today among other national and trade organizations. Also last year, Santiago and team along with Hyatt’s partner, Folio Fine Wine Partners, a Michael Mondavi company, developed and debuted a Pinot Noir varietal for Hyatt’s Canvas wine collection.

Hyatt
Los Angeles, California, United States
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Appointment

David Codney has been appointed as Executive Chef at The Peninsula Beverly Hills

Offer Nissenbaum, Managing Director of The Peninsula Beverly Hills, has announced the appointment of David Codney as Executive Chef. Chef Codney will take over the position held by former Executive Chef James Overbaugh, who now serves as the hotel’s Executive Assistant Manager – Food & Beverage Operations. Prior to joining The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Chef Codney spent a large part of his career at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida, most recently as Executive Sous Chef. Chef Codney grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where he discovered his passion for cooking during high school. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, he began his career with an externship at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas.

Peninsula
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Rulla Effa has been appointed as Catering Sales Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

Rulla has more than 15 years of hotel catering experience, most recently as the director of catering and conference services at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. In this role, she oversaw group sales from booking events to execution and handled off property catering events with custom menus at local wineries. Prior to that, Rulla spent six years at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, most recently as director of catering for the luxury resort, overseeing a staff of five managers. Rulla opened the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point and also worked as a director at the Wigwam Resort, Royal Palms Resort and national sales manager at the Scottsdale Princess Resort in Arizona.

Four Seasons
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Greg Velasquez has been appointed as Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

Velasquez brings more than 15 years of luxury hotel experience to his new role. Most recently, Velasquez was the director of sales and marketing at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, where he rebranded the 18 year old boutique resort, restaurant and spa to reach a multi-generational, prosperous audience. Prior to that, Greg served as director of marketing and sales for L’Auberge de Sedona, where he re-positioned the hotel following a USD 25 million renovation, and helped recapture top of mind awareness for Sedona bound luxury travellers.

Four Seasons
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Stephen E. O'Connor has been named Principal & Managing Director at RobertDouglas

Prior to joining RobertDouglas, O'Connor was a Senior Director of Cushman & Wakefield's Equity Debt & Structured Finance Global Hospitality Group, based in Los Angeles. With Cushman & Wakefield and its predecessor company, Sonnenblick-Goldman, O'Connor completed more than $3 billion in real estate transactions, located throughout North America and the Caribbean, representing a variety of structures that include dispositions, debt financings and equity recapitalizations in both single asset and portfolio transactions. Earlier, he worked at HVS International in San Francisco where he appraised more than $1 billion of lodging assets and land. He received a Master of Management in Hospitality degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College.

RobertDouglas
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Chris Ropko has been named Director at RobertDouglas

Ropko was most recently a Portfolio Manager at PIMCO where he focused on sourcing, structuring, negotiating and executing public and private commercial real estate transactions across the capital structure, primarily through the BRAVO family of fund vehicles. While at PIMCO, Ropko evaluated more than $15 billion of investment opportunities involving CMBS, performing, sub- and non-performing loan portfolios, mezzanine loans, preferred equity and direct equity investments secured by all major property types, including hospitality assets. Prior to joining PIMCO, Ropko was an Associate at Goldman Sachs in the Real Estate Principal Investment Area focused on acquisitions and asset management. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration with a concentration in Real Estate and Finance from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. He is registered with FINRA as a Series 7 General Securities Representative.

RobertDouglas
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Anthony Olheiser has been named Director of Food and Beverage at The Ritz Carlton Los Angeles and the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE

The Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE are pleased to announce the appointment of Anthony Olheiser as Director of Food and Beverage for the L.A. LIVE adjacent properties. With a vast knowledge of the hospitality industry and experience within the Las Vegas hotel and restaurant sectors, Olheiser is excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing development of the downtown L.A. and L.A. LIVE areas as food and beverage destinations. Olheiser brings with him an extensive background in hospitality, in which he has experience directing and managing major food and beverage programs at several noteworthy hotels and resorts in Las Vegas. Olheiser’s career began in 2003 at Fusia Restaurant at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, where he served as General Manager. He then had the opportunity to work as the Ultra Lounge Operations Manager of Food and Beverage at Mix at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. In 2005, Olheiser was named Assistant General Manager at Tao at the Venetian Resort and Casino. Since 2006, Olheiser served as the Director of Entertainment and Development at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino.

Ritz-Carlton
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Joe Garciaros has been appointed as Director of Human Resources at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills (The Luxury Collection)

Joe joins the SLS from the Viceroy Hotel Group where he has spent the past 9 years in various positions within the Company. Joe began his hospitality career at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Airport as the Director of Human Resources. Joe was promoted to work for Corporate as VP of Human Resources before realizing that working in the field was his true passion. Most recently, he was the Regional Director of Human Resources overseeing hotels in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Joe has been based at the Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica for the past 5 years and is familiar with Starwood Hotels and Resorts as a Property Service Culture Trainer.

Starwood
Los Angeles, California, United States