Miami-Dade County hotel and restaurants - the two largest hospitality industries in South Florida - have taken a $3.36 billion dollar hit from COVID-19, according to a new study.
In his new role at The Biltmore, Sam Francois will be responsible for optimizing current and new revenue streams for the hotel and its amenities, including its world-renowned golf course. He will also oversee public relations and communications efforts while directing all marketing initiatives at the Hotel and its divisions. Francois joins The Biltmore with more than 15 years of marketing, ecommerce, and communications experience.
Chawnacee Bryan recently joined The Biltmore Hotel as the new Director of Spa & Fitness. Bryan brings more than 20 years of experience in the wellness industry, running 5-star spas along the east coast of the United States. As a seasoned hospitality executive with a strong focus on spa and wellness management, she has become an expert in discovering and delivering natural and healing tactics from around the world. In her new role at The Biltmore, she will be supervising teams, implementing effective communication and organizational procedures to deliver premium guest experiences in the spa, salon, and fitness center - while helping boost retail sales in the Spa's boutique shop. Chawnacee began her career at a renowned 5-star resort in Boca Raton. She studied Psychology, attended Massage Therapy School, and also attended the Institute for Integrated Nutrition.
The Biltmore is proud to announce that it has promoted Lara Pavloff, as the Hotel's Director of Golf. Previously, she served as the Assistant Golf Professional and worked her way through the ranks to become Head Golf Professional and Tournament Director. Throughout her tenure at the Biltmore, she has worked on the PGA of America's apprentice program. She is now a Class A member of the PGA of America and is also a Titleist Performance Institute certified golf professional. Pavloff earned her Bachelor's Degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She grew up playing golf with her dad, Mike Pavloff at the Oxford Country Club where her house was located on the second hole fairway.
Hoteliers in Miami Beach are riding a roller coaster of uncertainty thanks to recent spikes in COVID-19. A planned June reopening was pushed back to July 31, but now that the city is being called the "Epicenter of the Epicenter," reopening is delayed even further, this time to October 1. How is all this indecision impacting employee morale? Robb Monkman, CEO of React Mobile, chats with The Gale South Beach General Manager Kevin Waldstein to find out.
Miami Dade College's (MDC) Hospitality Institute will provide online COVID-19 re-opening training to employees at hundreds of hotels in both the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association, as part of the county's ongoing initiative, The New Normal: A Guide for Residents and Commercial Establishments, issued by Miami-Dade County Mayor and MDC alumnus Carlos Gimenez to safely re-open businesses. The program prepares a "lead trainer" who then provides ongoing training to other employees.
InterContinental Miami, the Iconic Downtown property, is proud to announce the appointment of Gina Genna as director of marketing. In her new role, Genna will oversee the hotel's brand, marketing, and communication strategy, working closely with the hotel's director of sales and marketing to ensure that InterContinental Miami maintains its competitive positioning in the South Florida market.
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) recently partnered with international nonprofit organization It's a Penalty to support anti-human trafficking efforts leading up to the Big Game in Miami on Feb. 2. As one of the world's leading hotel companies, IHG condemns human trafficking in all forms and is committed to raising awareness and aiding prevention of the crime, recently highlighting companywide training efforts during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
Mr. C Miami - Coconut Grove, the premier boutique hotel operated by the fourth generation Cipriani family, has today announced hospitality industry veteran, Jaime Stuyck, as the hotel's new general manager. Mr. Stuyck will oversee all day-to-day operations for the acclaimed 100 guestrooms and suites, designed by Martin Brudnizki, as well as the hotel's two dining concepts: rooftop restaurant and Coconut Grove hotspot, Bellini Restaurant & Bar, and the charming lobby garden, Il Giardino.
Miami hotel performance exceeded projections and reached record levels in both average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) during Super Bowl LIV weekend, according to an analysis by STR's Consulting & Analytics office. During the nights of Friday, 31 January, through Sunday, 2 February, the Miami/Hialeah market posted an absolute ADR level of US$616.91 (+148.5% year over year), which drove a RevPAR value of US$572.30 (+175.2%)—the highest levels in the metrics among any Super Bowl weekend. Occupancy in the market rose 11.3% to 92.8%. "ADR and RevPAR blew past the high end of the range we forecasted, while occupancy was right in line with expectations," said Carter Wilson, STR senior VP of consulting & analytics. "The Miami market's high season is in February and March, so the rate of year-over-year comparisons were expected given how strong February weekends tend to be in the South Florida area. The real achievement is the ability of nearly 60,000 rooms to collectively reach a $600 average room rate for the weekend. There are some places where visitors are conditioned to spend more on accommodations. Miami, at this time of year, with this mega event factored into the equation, is one of them."
In his new role, Mr. Sampert will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 653 room Bayfront hotel, which includes the recent addition of a 30,000 square foot turf-covered flexible lawn space with sweeping views of downtown Miami and Bayfront Park that will lend itself well to meetings, events, new programming, and social gatherings.
ALICE, the operations platform powering the world's best hotels, is excited to announce Laura DeAngelis as Sales Director for the Southeast.
Lucky Shepherd announces the launch of its Shepherd Eco sustainable hospitality brand with a flagship location in Wynwood, Miami. The project, developed by Shepherd Atma and Hoar Program Management (HPM), with Touzet Studio as architect and Gensler as interior design, is slated to open late 2022.
Florida International University's (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management awarded 18 of their top alumni with the very first Rising Star Awards during the first on campus alumni reunion in the school's 47-year history. The alumni all graduated after the year 2000 and are top in their field in every aspect of the hospitality and tourism industry, from Beverage Management, to Hotel Management to Cruise Management and Restaurant Ownership and Operations.
Matthew Quick has been appointed hotel manager at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, where he will oversee the re-opening and all resort operations at the newly renovated iconic oceanfront resort.
As part of the leadership team who assisted in the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami, Wise looks forward to returning to the recently redesigned property in a full-time capacity. Wise brings her experienced skills in leadership development, strategic business planning to further support the property's rooms division, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, retail operations, poolside and recreation operations and Jean-Michel Cousteau Ambassadors of the Environment programming. Wise joins the Coconut Grove team with over 20 years of experience with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and over 14 years of experience as Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms Division at both city and resort hotels. She was most recently at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, a Five-Diamond Resort with 463 guest rooms.
Hotel average daily rate (ADR) in the Miami/Hialeah market is projected to reach a record level for a Super Bowl weekend, according to a custom forecast from STR's Consulting & Analytics office. The market is projected for an ADR between $520-540 for Friday, January 31 through Sunday, February 2. "Miami is interesting because high season for the market is February and March," said Blake Reiter, STR's director of custom forecasts. "The projections for the Super Bowl will not necessarily reflect high percentage changes from last year, but the ADR we are forecasting is unprecedented because the market is already so strong in February. This mega event is adding a layer to that already elevated performance.
Habitat at 1 Hotel South Beach's team is excited to announce the appointment of Chef Thanawat Bates as executive chef of the restaurant. Thanawat Bates is an award-winning executive chef who has expressed his passion for food with a unique and creative flair for over 15 years. His education at the American Culinary Federation and experience creating exceptional cuisine helps him deliver the highest quality, consistency, and service to guests at Habitat restaurant at 1 Hotel South Beach.
W Miami, recently named the #4 Miami Hotel in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards, is proud to introduce Ricardo Jarquin as executive chef. The award-winning chef will oversee all culinary operations for the hotel, including the curation of the menus for the hotel's signature restaurant, ADDiKT, the WET Deck Café at the newly reopened 15th floor pool, and in-room dining. He will also oversee operations for the B&F aspects of group bookings and events. Chef Jarquin joins W Miami from his previous position as executive chef of Silverado Resort, a Dolce Hotel, in Napa, California, where he led all food and beverage operations for the 350-room luxury resort. While at Miami High School, Chef Jarquin discovered his love of cooking after enrolling in a culinary arts program sponsored by prostart. This led to his introduction to executive chef of Palme d'Or, Philippe Ruiz, at the Biltmore Hotel, who then provided Chef Jarquin with his first job in the industry where he was eventually promoted to banquet chef. He further followed his passion by enrolling at Johnson & Wales University to receive his degree in Culinary Arts, and cut his teeth in kitchens with Miami culinary mavericks including Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz. Chef Jarquin's career continued to be lined with success and accomplishments, earning his first role as executive chef in seven short years at ULU Ocean Grill in Four Seasons Hotel in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He established himself as a force in the culinary world, working with Michelin star chefs such as Daniel Boulud and Jean Georges in New York City. Chef Jarquin landed executive chef roles at other top restaurants and hotels in major cities across the United States, including the Five Diamond rated Langham Hotel in Chicago.
Dahiana Alvarez joins Mr. C Miami-Coconut Grove as Director of Accounts for Corporate Traveler and Groups accounts with an extensive operational and sales experience with many hotel brands including Marriott International, Melia Hotels and Menin Hospitality. With over 17 years of experience in the industry, her passion includes delivering impactful results and building long term relationships with clients.