In her new role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Iris Acosta-Zobel will be responsible for spearheading the sales and marketing for the newly opened hotel. She most recently held the role of Vice President of Sales for Menin Hospitality, specifically overseeing the sales efforts of six properties - five of which were in Miami and the sixth was in Chicago.
Leslie Kaminski brings over 20 years of sales experience to this new position. She will be responsible for ensuring that all sales opportunities are being executed and that each strategy is being met. Before joining Virgin Hotels, Kaminski served as Vice President of Global Sales at Two Roads Hospitality where she oversaw a team of sales directors responsible for transient sales and new hotel business development in nine countries and across five lifestyle brands. Previously, Kaminski served as Senior Director of Global Luxury Sales at Two Roads Hospitality, as well as worked in sales for Destination Hotels, Gaylord Texan, and Hilton.
The newly renovated lifestyle property located on Biscayne Boulevard is perfectly situated in the heart of Downtown Miami's premier cultural district and is just steps away from the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and American Airlines Arena.
As Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels & Co, Tisch has led Loews' expansion and emergence as a prominent hotel company. He's recognized as a leader of the multi-billion dollar travel industry and was voted "Hotelier of the World" by HOTELS magazine. See him speak about creating partnerships that empower, satisfy, and contribute at the HR in Hospitality Conference 2020.
Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson, announces plans to open and operate a new hotel in Miami, Florida. Virgin Hotels Miami will be managed by Virgin Hotels, developed by Blue Jay Capital with BLUR Workshop as the architect, and is slated to open in 2023.
Hilton Miami Downtown is excited to announce the promotion of Sirle Martorell to General Manager, who has served as the hotel's Hotel Manager for the past two years. In her new role, Martorell will be responsible for overseeing Hilton Miami Downtown's daily operations, personnel, business development and guest relations.
We're delighted to announce that Rob Torres, Managing Director at Google Travel, will deliver the opening keynote talk at this year's Direct Booking Summit in Miami! With decades of leadership experience at some of the biggest forces in online travel, including a tenure as Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Expedia, Rob will share his vision for the future of hotel online distribution and answer our delegates' most burning questions on how to drive even more direct revenue through metasearch.
A passionate leader with nearly two decades of knowledge and expertise in hospitality, Joseph will oversee all facets of the resort, including hotel operations, property amenities and guest services. Joseph joins The Ritz-Carlton from the Embassy Suites by Hilton, South Jordan & Palm Beach Gardens in Utah, where he served as the opening general manager. In his role, Joseph developed construction and pre-opening hiring schedules, as well as all sales and marketing plans. His leadership led to notable results, including the hotel being in the top 10% for service in the brand, and achieving fair market share within three months of opening.Prior to his role with Embassy Suites by Hilton, he served as the director of food and beverage at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort, managing all daily F&B operations and helping the resort produce $8 million in food and beverage revenue. Joseph first began his career in hospitality as assistant food and beverage manager at The Four Seasons in Atlanta and Miami. From there, he has held roles at Hyatt Pier 66 (director of food and beverage); Conrad Miami (hotel manager); Waldorf Astoria Park City (director of food and beverage); and Marco Beach Ocean Resort (general manager.)
Craig has a notable career track with more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Through his leadership, Craig has established great credibility in the restaurant business, focusing on quality and service, while guiding and developing concepts with remarkable outcomes in profit. After receiving his Bachelor of Science from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI in 1995, his career path began at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City as Chef de Saucier. Craig was responsible for overseeing the à la carte kitchen there for two and a half years, before joining the culinary staff at The Roosevelt Hotel NYC first as Sous-Chef then as Executive Banquet Chef. After several reputable years working in New York's fine dining scene, Craig transitioned his talents to Florida, where he became Executive Banquet Chef at the Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa, and later Executive Chef of the Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, before heading back to The Roosevelt Hotel as Executive Chef in 2005.Prior to joining The Gabriel Miami, Craig was the Executive Chef/Director of Food and Beverage at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa. Throughout his six plus years at the resort, Craig was responsi ble for overseeing all food and beverage departments, implementing new concepts for 5 full-service food and beverage outlets.As the most recent addition to the team at The Gabriel Miami, Craig will be responsible for supervising and administering all details pertaining to the hotel's food and beverage planning and service, including menu maintenance, presentation, and coordinating special promotions and events. Additionally, he will ensure that all F&B aspects of the hotel, including quality and service remain up to standard with the hotel's brand.
South Florida's iconic Trump® National Doral Miami is pleased to announce the appointment of James Rogers as the new executive chef of the resort. Chef Rogers will oversee the culinary team at Champions Bar & Grill, the resort's sophisticated, casual concept dining venue, as well as the property's culinary departments and food and beverage operations.
Hotel's Guestrooms, Lobby and Pool Will Be Reimagined With Miami-Inspired Elements.
With over 24 years of exceptional experience in the food and beverage industry, Kimberley Lay has joined the Boulud Sud Miami team as General Manager. In her new position, Kimberley will oversee restaurant operations, manage internal team development and curate all aspects of the guest experience for Chef Daniel Boulud's Mediterranean outpost. Born and raised in Oxfordshire, Kimberley and her three sisters were fortunate to enjoy their formative years with a mother who loved baking and a father who enjoyed gardening, to which she credits her passion for the business.
Chef Benjamin Meyer has been appointed Novotel Brickell Miami's new Executive Chef & Director of Food & Beverage. In his new role, Chef Benjamin will oversee the F&B offerings and programming for the property. Chef Benjamin Meyer is fluent in a wide array of culinary styles. His wealth of experience and expertise in various facets of the culinary industry, coupled with his undeniable talent, make him a priceless asset to the Novotel Miami Brickell team.
Troy Jones has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at Novotel Miami Brickell. Troy is an exceptional hotelier with a wealth of marketing experience. Prior to joining Novotel Miami Brickell, Jones worked as the Director of Sales & Marketing for Accor, world leading augmented hospitality Group. She attended the University of Pittsburgh where she received a BA in Economics.
In her role, Aitken will be responsible for the Southeast group markets and for creating strategies to keep the hotel a leader in the marketplace through the development of future and repeat business.
W Miami, an urban oasis located in the heart of Brickell, has officially reopened the iconic 15th floor pool. After two years of high-end renovations, the pool is now open to all W Miami hotel guests and offers special dining options on the pool deck.
Arlo Hotels, an independent four-star lifestyle hotel brand, has appointed Karan Kakar as the general manager of Nautilus by Arlo in Miami Beach, the brand's first expansion outside New York City.
Recently joining Hilton's growing collection brand, The Gabriel Miami now offers travelers an accessible, centrally located getaway in close proximity to key attractions and venues in the city. Deriving from an ancient word for "strength," The Gabriel Miami will live up to its name by bringing a powerful selection of dining options and honorable guest service to the diverse, cosmopolitan city of Miami.
Amy Johnson has been appointed general manager of The Confidante Miami Beach, effective immediately. The Confidante Miami Beach is part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand, a portfolio of new and existing upper-upscale and luxury hotel properties that offer a truly differentiated stay, with personality, elegance and charm. The independent brand, which encompasses a wide range of unique properties, offers striking new adventures and unforgettable experiences. A celebrated hospitality professional with more than 30 years of industry experience, Amy most recently served as General Manager of Hyatt Regency Calgary for the past three and a half years. Amy began her Hyatt career in 2000, after an impressive run at Fairmont Hotels, by opening Hyatt Regency Calgary as Director of Banquets with a quick move to Director of Events Sales & Planning. Following Hyatt Regency Calgary, she was promoted to Hyatt Regency O'Hare where she helped relaunch the hotel after its $175 million renovation. Amy then transitioned to the Hyatt's corporate office to support the revenue, sales and events division as Director of Events for The Americas from 2007-2015, as part of three regional teams and was the Sales & Events lead for opening and transitioning more than 45 hotels. With her impressive experience and commitment to Hyatt's brand promises, Amy is poised to proactively drive hotel growth. In her position, Amy oversees all aspects of property management, ensuring excellence in all operational and strategic initiatives, as well as leadership team development. She takes a deep pride and care for all the properties she oversees. For Amy, care means to be one's true authentic self, show empathy and have excellent listening skills, which is something she makes a point to do every day in her professional life.
The highly anticipated Mr. C Coconut Grove, the first Mr. C hotel to debut in Florida from the fourth-generation hospitality leaders, brothers Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani, has officially opened its doors to begin welcoming guests. Alongside their premier hotel, the brothers are additionally introducing their contemporary Italian restaurant, Bellini, which will be serving guests morning into night daily. Mr. C Coconut Grove is the third property operated by the Cipriani brothers, who currently operate a 138 key luxury property in Beverly Hills, California and a 66 key luxury property located in the lower Manhattan neighborhood of the Seaport District New York.