San Francisco is a major hub for employment in the high-tech and financial sectors, and is revered both as a tourist destination and as a gateway to the Asia Pacific region. In addition, San Francisco is home to the Moscone Center, which is currently undergoing a $500-million renovation and expansion. As such, the city draws a balanced mix of commercial, meeting and group, and leisure guests.
Jaap Boelens has spent nearly eight years with the InterContinental Hotels Group team, first joining the company in 2007 as the Food & Beverage Outlets Manager at the InterContinental Los Angeles in Beverly Hills. He spent time at the InterContinental London Park Lane and InterContinental Houston before finding his way to the San Francisco Bay Area, taking on the role of Director of Outlets and later Food & Beverage Operations Manager for the iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkins. The opportunity to further round out his decade of food and beverage experience led him to sister property, the InterContinental San Francisco, as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage. At a newer and larger property, Boelens oversaw all food and beverage operations including the Michelin-star Luce, Bar 888, banquets and room service. He returned to the 90 year old InterContinental Mark Hopkins in late 2016 as the Food & Beverage Operations Manager, focusing on the hotel’s 383 rooms and 33 suites, Top of the Mark lounge, Nob Hill Club, and banquet facilities.
John F. Labsan is the newest member of the InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco’s sales team, taking on the role of Associate Director of Group Sales. Previously the Corporate Sales Manager for the Crowne Plaza San Jose – Silicon Valley, an InterContinental Hotels Group property, Labsan brings 12 years of hospitality experience to the InterContinental San Francisco properties, ranging from corporate destinations including Hilton to the family-owned Porto Vista Hotel in downtown San Diego. He has a strong background in hotel sales and general management as well as a proven track record in maintaining client relationships while building connections with new clients through business development and innovative entrepreneurial skills. In his new role as Associate Director of Group Sales, Labsan oversees, develops, and implements sales activities for both InterContinental San Francisco properties.
CHMWarnick (CHMW), the leading hotel asset management and owner advisory services company, today appointed Maxine Taylor senior vice president of asset management. In her new role, Taylor will oversee asset management operations from the company’s new San Francisco office, which brings CHMW’s total to eight offices across the country. Additionally, she will grow the company’s asset management capabilities for a client portfolio of first-class, full-service convention, airport and luxury hotels, creating a stronger presence and expanding services to clients with a growing number of investments in Hawaii and the western region of the U.S. With the company’s recent West Coast expansion, CHMW’s hotel asset management portfolio now includes more than 60 hotels comprising approximately 25,000 rooms totaling $15 billion in assets.
The InterContinental Mark Hopkins is proud to announce Michael Wong as the hotel’s new Executive Chef, overseeing the food programs for this historic hotel property including room service, its iconic Top of the Mark lounge, and Nob Hill Club – the hotel’s restaurant, Club Lounge and grab and go space. Wong has spent more than 20 years working with some of the most renowned hotel brands like Hyatt, Starwood, and Hilton in destinations across America from Hawaii to Virginia and throughout California. For Chef Michael Wong, his love of food began with his interest in art. Like many chefs, he grew up in a household where food and cooking traditions were part of family life but it wasn’t until college where he enrolled as an arts major that he began to see cooking as a form of artistic expression. “I accepted a job at Disneyland working in foodservice and enjoyed the interaction I had with the cooks and chefs,” says Wong. “It was art on a different canvas – I could still draw and paint, but on a plate instead.” From there, Wong decided to take some general classes at the local college while getting hands-on culinary experience in the field at the former Hyatt Regency Irvine in Southern California.
The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Francisco is proud to announce Marck Banagan as Executive Sous Chef. Marck comes to the Palace after holding the Executive Chef position at the local hot spot Tacolicious, located in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Marck began his professional culinary career in 2010 at Ella Dining Room and Bar in Sacramento, California. He started working as Chef de Partie and was later promoted to Sous Chef. In 2013, Marck accepted a position as Executive Chef at Selland’s Market-Café in El Dorado Hills where he worked for two years. Hungry for a new challenge, in a very culinary focused city, Chef Banagan moved to San Francisco in 2015. He began working as Sous Chef at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, located in The Westin St. Francis hotel on Union Square. In January 2016, Marck made the move to Tacolicious and in October 2016 he joined the Palace Hotel. In his Palace role, Marck will manage a staff of 60 and oversee culinary production for 3 award winning restaurants, Banquets and In Room Dining. He looks forward to incorporating his style into the Palace menus and inspiring cooks to experiment with ingredients to create memorable dishes. Marck attended The University of California at Davis where he earned an A.B. in Psychology in 2006. In 2007 he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone in St. Helena with a CA A.O.S in Culinary Arts. He completed his externship at the Ahwhanee Hotel in Yosemite, California.
Fairmont San Francisco has appointed Executive Chef Oscar Gonzalez to head the landmark hotel’s culinary operations, including its signature Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar and Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar as well as its banquets and catering departments. Prior to joining Fairmont San Francisco, Gonzalez served as Executive Sous Chef at Pelican Hill Resort, Newport Beach, California where was responsible for overseeing the culinary operation, including five restaurants and banquets.
Most recently, Zupanski served two years as General Manager of The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA, a luxury 512-room resort inclusive of 40 Suites and 330 Starwood Vacation Ownership Villas. Previously, he was the General Manager of the 420-room Shangri-la Rasa Ria Resort in Sabah, Malaysia. Over the course of 14 years, Zupanski held positions at several Fairmont Hotels & Resorts including Managing Director of Raffles and Fairmont Makati in Manila, Philippines and General Manager of Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, Fairmont Newport Beach, and Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire. Zupanski’s impressive leadership history includes serving as the Director of the Board of the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, Past Board Director of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, and an honorary member of Les Clefs D’or. Zupanski holds a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario where he was subsequently honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Business Leadership in 2010. Throughout his career, he has continued his education in the hospitality industry by enrolling in courses and programs at Cornell University, The Wine School in Hong Kong, and Singapore Management University.
The InterContinental San Francisco is pleased to announce Keith Hansen as Wine Director/Beverage Manager. In his new role, Hansen is responsible for all aspects of the hotel’s beverage program from the Michelin starred restaurant Luce and Bar 888 to rooms and banquets for the 550-room property. Hansen is a Court of Master Sommeliers certified sommelier and Cicerone Certified beer server.
Recently merged, Destination Hotels and Commune Hotels & Resorts today unveiled their new overarching company: Two Roads Hospitality. The newly created international lifestyle company features an unrivaled collection of truly individual hotels, resorts and vacation residences that caters to guests' personal journeys. Comprised of Joie de Vivre Hotels, Thompson Hotels, Destination Hotels, tommie and Alila Hotels & Resorts, Two Roads Hospitality is poised to be the leading operator of independent, boutique and lifestyle hotels with more than 95 properties in eight countries, and approximately $2 billion in total property revenues under management. Jamie Sabatier and Niki Leondakis will lead the newly established company as CEO of Two Roads Hospitality and CEO of Hotels & Resorts, respectively. Together, the leaders have more than 40 years of experience and proven expertise in building distinctive boutique and independent hotels. Both will focus on the financial, operational and cultural success that will propel the new company's future performance. Sabatier will oversee the company's operating and financial performance, global development and growth strategy, human resources and technology. In her new role, Leondakis will be responsible for hotel property financial performance, including operations, sales & marketing, guest experience, food & beverage programming, and interior design strategy, with a focus on elevating the overall portfolio's lifestyle experiences.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins.
San Francisco-based wait-free dining startup Allset (www.allsetnow.com) has raised $2.35 million in seed funding. Allset focuses on the dine-in restaurant experience, enabling customers to both book a table and pre- order their meal at local restaurants making for a wait-free and more seamless lunch.
f it’s autumn, it must be time for Airbnb ad wars in San Francisco. Share Better SF, a coalition of housing activists, landlords, a hotel union and a hotel trade group opposed to vacation rentals in private homes, is launching a bus-shelter ad campaign on Thursday taking aim at Airbnb for suing its hometown and for not abiding by local laws. “Dear Airbnb,” reads one of the Share Better ads. “You told us not to spend your tax payments ‘all in one place’ but now you’re making us spend taxpayers money on defending your frivolous lawsuit? Love, San Franciscans.”
WoodSpring Hotels, the nation's fastest growing, extended-stay hotel brand, has entered into an agreement with West77 Partners to develop up to 25 hotels throughout the greater San Francisco, Calif.-area.
The Courtyard San Francisco Downtown will be undergoing major renovations in the coming months and has named Amy Arbuckle to lead the project. The new general manager brings 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry to the role.In the midst of the remodel, the hotel named Arbuckle as the top Marriott official at the hotel, effective Aug. 1, 2016. Arbuckle started her hospitality career as a front-desk associate at a DoubleTree hotel in Albuquerque, NM before breaking into sales and marketing. Her most recent position was at San Francisco Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf, where she served as general manager for more than four years while significantly growing revenue and guest satisfaction scores. A Boston native, Arbuckle lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son. In her spare time, she enjoys competing in triathlons and rooting for the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox.
The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, announced Lilian Tolliver as Assistant Chief Engineer of the 556 room historic property. Lilian began an Engineering Apprenticeship at the Palace in 2005. Four years after completing her apprenticeship, she became a Journeyman Engineer. At that time, she was the 4th female Engineer working in the Bay Area hospitality industry and 6th in the Engineering industry as a whole. The Palace is very proud of Lilian and thrilled to appoint her Assistant Chief Engineer as she continues to make history at the iconic hotel. In a property that is more than 100 years old, it is not easy to be the first - at anything. Lilian has been the first at three things. While there have been women Engineers on the Palace team, Lilian was the hotel’s first female Engineering Apprentice, the first female Journeyman Engineer and now the first female Assist Chief. Lilian takes great pride in these accomplishments and hopes to inspire more women to enter the field. Lilian started working at the Palace in 1996 on a temporary basis in Accounts Receivable. Her skill and dedication earned her a permanent position in January 1997. She took on a greater role, handling both accounts receivable and payable, until 2000. Having an interest in Engineering, Lillian accepted a job as the department’s Administrative Assistant. This gave her hands on experience, real time interaction with daily operations and the motivation to further her career in Engineering. Prior to joining the Palace Hotel, Lilian work for three years at Hilton Hotels in Concord, California. In 1994, she joined the Kimpton Group and two years later moved to the Palace. In her new role as Assistant Chief Engineer, Lilian manages a staff of 13. She assists with all aspects of Engineering and works with her department to support the operation of the hotel. She also helps manage departmental budgets and capital projects. Lilian looks forward to sharing and learning alongside her team while building a stronger department to better serve the hotel and its guests. She is eager to accept new challenges that encourage growth and support positive change.
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide's (NYSE: HLT) luxury brand of iconic landmark hotels, announced its newest property, Waldorf Astoria San Francisco, which will be the centerpiece of a two million square-foot, mixed-used complex that will feature luxury entertainment, retail and office space. Destined to become the preferred hotel for global luxury travelers, Waldorf Astoria San Francisco will reside within the first 21 stories of a signature tower designed by the architecture firm Foster + Partners. Located at Mission Street between Ecker and 1st Streets, Waldorf Astoria San Francisco will be ideally situated in the city's exciting new Transbay Neighborhood, in the center of a vast redevelopment project surrounding the Transbay Transit Center. "With the revitalization taking place around the Transbay Transit Center, this neighborhood is poised to become a major hub for locals and global luxury travelers, which underscores Waldorf Astoria's commitment of being in the center of coveted gateway destinations," said John T.A. Vanderslice, global head, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. "Waldorf Astoria San Francisco marks our third property in California – behind La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs and the future Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. We are thrilled to accept this extraordinary opportunity to extend our unforgettable experiences, the finest amenities, and True Waldorf Service up the West Coast." Bordered by Market Street on the north, Embarcadero on the east, Folsom Street on the south, and Hawthorne Street to the west, the Transbay Neighborhood is an inspirational environment unto itself. Transportation friendly with wide sidewalks and bike paths, the neighborhood has a vibrant mix of shops and restaurants, as well as contemporary green spaces which have been carefully planned as key components of the area. World-renowned hospitality design firm, Hirsch Bedner Associates, brings their award-winning design to Waldorf Astoria San Francisco's interiors to seamlessly blend the brand's signature worldly sophistication with modern accoutrements reflective of this iconic destination. The hotel will offer an elegant and spacious spa and will also feature an iconic Peacock Alley serving a San Francisco approach to the legendary cuisine and libations that have established Waldorf Astoria as synonymous with unforgettable luxury experiences. From arrival to departure, guests will be embraced by the hotel's inspirational environments and welcomed by True Waldorf Service. Waldorf Astoria San Francisco's Personal Concierges will ensure that each guest receives anticipatory and personalized service before, during, and after their stay. Waldorf Astoria San Francisco will participate in Hilton HHonors®, the only guest loyalty program where guests who book directly through www.waldorfastoria.com have access to benefits including a Personal Concierge and complimentary Wi-Fi at 26 Waldorf Astoria hotels worldwide. Learn more about Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts at www.waldorfastoria.com. Media can view renderings of Waldorf Astoria San Francisco and additional information athttp://news.waldorfastoria.com/sanfrancisco.