Hyatt veteran Patricia (Pat) Engfer has been appointed area vice president and general manager of Orlando's Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Most recently general manager at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, Engfer has more than 35 years of leadership experience in the hospitality industry.
Mark your calendar: set amid lush Florida woodlands and pools is a lakeside resort that promises to be unlike any other. Luxurious accommodations, dining par excellence, a sumptuous Spa, extensive light-filled meeting and celebration spaces, and acres upon acres of recreational pursuits from golf and tennis to basketball and waterslides await at the new Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort, set to open in summer 2014.
Orlando hotel industry veteran Adnan Bizri has been named the opening general manager of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, which is scheduled to welcome its first guests in early 2014. Bizri has held executive positions at Universal’s three on-site deluxe hotels and brings an extensive depth of knowledge in the resort’s joint venture hotel operations. Prior to this promotion, he served as executive assistant manager of Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. Bizri joined Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando in 1999, after serving as general manager at the Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management from Nova University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Outside of work, Bizri volunteers as president of the Orange County Police Athletic League. He resides in Orlando with his wife and children.
Jordan, whose 23-year career in hospitality and convention sales has spanned national markets, will be responsible for directing a sales team of 10 managers as well as managing the sales and marketing operations for the hotel conveniently located inside WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. Most recently, Jordan served as director of group sales at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she led her team in exceeding record high group rooms, resulting in outstanding results and positive market share. Prior to that, Jordan served as director of association sales at the Orlando World Center and has held numerous sales positions with Marriott International over the past 20 years at premier convention and resort hotels.
Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed John Kingston director of human resources for the Villas of Grand Cypress. Mark Cox, Benchmark's general manager for the Villas, Benchmark's Personal Luxury Resort® in Orlando, Florida, made the announcement. John Kingston comes to his new position with significant experience in human resource operations for luxury hotels. He was previously director of human resource operations for the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Resort, located in Orlando. He served in the same position for the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, following success as assistant director of human resources at the resort's sister property in Orlando. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kingston held positions of increasing responsibility in human resources for hotels coast to coast.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.(NYSE:HOT) today announced its sizzling Aloft brand has made its debut in Orlando, Florida. Aloft Orlando Downtown is located in the former OUC building and sits adjacent to Orlando City Hall. Owned by GDC Properties and operated by Yedla Management Company, this new hotel offers a prime location in the revitalized downtown business district. Featuring Aloft's signature W XYZ bar, with a buzzing, social atmosphere, significant outdoor dining space and urban-influenced, modern design, Aloft Downtown Orlando is a welcome addition for guests and locals alike. The W XYZ bar will also feature live music with emerging local artists as part of its signature Live at Aloft Hotels program. ?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /
Brian Comes, Hotel Manager of Hyatt Regency Orlando, has been part of the Hyatt family for 25 years. Comes will support Tom Smith in positioning Hyatt Regency Orlando as one of the premier convention center hotels in the brand's global portfolio. Comes has held various positions as Director of Catering and Convention Services and several General Manager roles throughout the United States. In his most recent role as General Manager of Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, he was awarded Hyatt's General Manager of the Year for mid-size properties. Comes is a graduate of James Madison University and moves to Orlando with his wife Mirey, daughter Kaitlyn, and son Chris.
Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed John Annicchiarico director of sales and marketing for the Villas of Grand Cypress. Mark Cox, Benchmark's general manager for the Villas, Benchmark's Personal Luxury Resort® in Orlando, Florida, made the announcement.A veteran of the hospitality industry, John Annicchiarico was most recently the director of marketing for Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California. Prior to this he served in multiple positions with luxury hotels in Florida and California. Earlier in his career he worked for Universal Orlando during a $2.8 billion expansion of the resort, serving in both guest services and sales and marketing roles.
Tom Smith, Area Vice President and General Manager of Hyatt Regency Orlando, is a 31-year Hyatt veteran. Smith was most recently the Senior Vice President of Operations for Hyatt's Global Operations Center based in Chicago, where he oversaw the strategy of all hotel operations globally.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that a wholly owned Hyatt subsidiary plans to purchase the 1,641-room Peabody Orlando hotel for $717 million from UST Hotel Joint Venture, Ltd., comprised of affiliates of Belz Enterprises and Estein & Associates USA, Ltd. The transaction is expected to close on October 1, 2013, and the hotel will be rebranded as Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center upon closing.
At the 2013 Marriott Conference in Orlando, FL May 29-June 1, 2013 Wes Santos from the Fairfield Inn and Suites Charlotte/Matthews, NC was recognized as Marriott’s Diamond General Manager of the year. Nominees were selected based on performance that goes above and beyond normal job responsibilities by providing outstanding and unique service to the property, to the guests and to the community. Wes was recognized for his overall hotel leadership, his team building and team development skills. The Fairfield Inn and Suites under Wes’s leadership has improved Trip Advisor rankings from 79th to #1 out of 166 hotels in the Charlotte market. His Guest Service Scores are some the highest in the brand and financial growth has surpassed all budgeted projections.
Expanding its joint venture with Waramaug Hospitality, Interstate Hotels & Resorts announces its sixth acquisition with Waramaug Hospitality LLC and a private investment group of the 382-room Sheraton Orlando North Hotel effective May 22, 2013.Hospitality Funding LLC, a Palm Beach, Fla.-headquartered boutique investmentadvisory firm, advised the buyer group on the transaction.The hotel, managed by Interstate under a long-term agreement, will immediately undergo a comprehensive $4.1 million renovation encompassing a property-wide refresh of the guestrooms, hallways, public areas, lobby, food and beverage outlets and meetings spaces.
Boris, formerly director of operations for the 400-room property, has been on staff since the resort’s pre-opening in 2011. He shares more than 15 years of hospitality experience with the Wyndham Grand Orlando’s established team. Boris developed his managerial experience with an array of Orlando resorts. Prior to joining the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek team, he held positions as director of operations at the Westin Imagine Orlando, director of guest services at Ginn Reunion Resort Orlando and director of front office operations at Walt Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin Resort. Boris began his hospitality career with an internship in the esteemed Walt Disney World College Program.
An 18-year veteran of Four Seasons, Steinhauer will make the transition from Maui to Orlando in July joining the pre-opening team as the Resort prepares to open its doors in 2014. In his current position Steinhauer manages the daily operation of the 380-room AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star Maui Resort, which employs close to 800 staff members and is consistently rated among the top resorts in the world. In addition, he provides guidance for Four Seasons Spas in the Americas Region.
Mr. Bloom will assume his new position on July 1 and in the interim will provide consulting services to the company while he concludes his work in his current position as an Associate Professor of the Practice at Boston University. Mr. Bloom previously was a senior executive with CNL Hotels & Resorts from 2003 until the sale of the company in 2007, and was instrumental in the growth and ultimate liquidity event of the company as its Executive Vice President of Portfolio Management and Administration. Since then, he successfully led his own hotel investment firm, Abacus Lodging Investors LLC, in addition to completing his Ph.D. in Hospitality Management and teaching at the University of Central Florida, DePaul University and Boston University. His prior experience includes work for Hyatt Development Corporation, Tishman Hotel & Realty, VMS Realty Partners and PKF. Mr. Bloom will be based in IALA’s corporate headquarters in Orlando, Fla., and assume responsibility for all of the company’s asset management and project management activities.
Westgate Resorts is pleased to announce that our President and CEO David Siegel has been named to the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame by the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management in recognition for his long-standing "service and commitment to the local hospitality industry." A pioneer in the tourism industry, Siegel has spent more than 30 years shaping Westgate Resorts into the largest privately owned business in Central Florida. With nine full-service resorts boasting a total of approximately 17,535 beds in the Orlando area alone, Siegel is one of the largest hoteliers in Central Florida. In addition, Siegel has been honored as the "Entrepreneur of the Year" for construction and real estate in Central Florida and finished second in the "Entrepreneur of the Year" national competition. Siegel also holds an honorary doctorate from Florida A&M University for his work in community service, as well as the National Community Service Award from the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).
Peter Kacheris, managing director for Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek has announced the appointment of Mary Jobb as director of sales of the nearly 1500-room complex located in Orlando, Florida. Jobb, a 20-year veteran of hospitality sales will oversee the sales team and business development for the two resorts nestled in a nature preserve and conveniently located inside the gates of Walt Disney World. Jobb most recently held the position of vice president of sales with LXR, Luxury Resorts & Hotels. She joined LXR in 2005 as part of the sales leadership team that focused on building the national sales organization. In late 2008, she was promoted to vice president of field sales & executive meetings center, and lead the sales efforts for LXR properties in Boston; Washington, D.C.; Florida; and Jamaica; as well as the small meetings team centrally located in South Florida.
Many young hospitality professionals spend years working in the field, earning valuable industry experience that will prepare them to eventually become general managers of hotels, resorts, restaurants, and cruise lines. However, new technology and best practices, set to be introduced at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, aim to jumpstart upper management careers in the hospitality industry.
Jamey Dempsey has been named Hilton Orlando’s new senior sales manager according to Gino Marasco, the hotel’s director of sales. Dempsey will lead the citywide, association and Midwest corporate sales efforts for the 1,417-room Hilton Orlando which has twice been the winner of Hilton Worldwide’s corporate “Connie Award”, Hilton’s highest award. Dempsey’s Central Florida hotel experience includes the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels, 10 years with Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and he served as a senior sales manager at Walt Disney World Park and Resorts sales. Dempsey was also part of the opening team at Omni Champions Gate.
Since the opening of the Amway Center in the fall of 2010, the Downtown Orlando development scene has been slowly yet steadily gaining momentum, with a combination of new projects being announced and long-delayed efforts finally approaching realization. Hotel developers and various market participants across the U.S. have taken notice, and now three new hotels are set to open over the next two years in a market that hasn't seen a new hotel open since the Grand Bohemian opened in 2001.