The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International's Washington, D.C., chapter today announced the appointments of hospitality industry veterans Linda Caruso and Suzanne Shogren to its advisory board.
Shogren, who brings 24 years of experience in hotel sales, training and development of sales teams, is regional director of ownership group services for Cvent, a global provider of online software for the events industry based in McLean, Virginia. Shogren previously was regional director of sales and training for B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group, Bethesda, Maryland, serving in a dual role as a trainer and director of sales and marketing the Crowne Plaza Washington National Airport and Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City, both in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to that she was area director of sales and marketing for Willard Associates in Washington, supporting The Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel in Washington, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and EVEN hotels.
Caruso, who joined the chapter with 28 years of sales and marketing experience, is director of sales and marketing at the 318-room Hyatt Centric Arlington in Arlington, Virginia, managed by Highgate, a New York-based management company. Prior to joining Highgate in 2014, Caruso spent five and a half years serving Davidson Hotels & Resorts, an Atlanta-based management company, as director of sales and marketing for the former DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC.
Inn at Dos Brisas, a nine-room Relais & Châteaux property in the foothills of the Texas Hill Country, welcomes back Executive Chef Zachary Ladwig to lead the culinary charge at Texas’ only Forbes Five-Star restaurant. Chef Ladwig previously served as the inn’s Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef from 2011-2013, and returns to the property where he will be deeply entrenched in its organic farmland and orchards.
Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square, one of AccorHotels luxury brand properties in the nation's capital, is excited to announce Ms. Christie Finney as the new Director of Sales and Marketing.
The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection is pleased to announce the appointment of seasoned hospitality executive Kori Johnson as General Manager. With an extensive background within the Marriott portfolio, Kori will bring over two decades of hotel expertise to spearhead the historic D.C. landmark. As General Manager, Kori will be responsible for all property operations, including 581 modern guestrooms & suites, over 42,000 square feet of newly restored meeting & event space, and the vibrant EDGAR Bar & Kitchen.
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill proudly announces the appointment of Michael Hurley as senior sales manager for the 838-room hotel located at 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Hurley returns to Hyatt after expanding his career on the U.S. West Coast. He brings more than 14 years of hospitality experience in sourcing and securing sales opportunities to ensure success of several hotels across the country.
The Wharf in Washington DC, which recently opened the first phase of a $2.5 billion mixed-use waterfront development to the public, features SmithGroupJJR's design for two hotel companies that share one dynamic building.
Drawing on the latest hospitality, design, and culinary trends, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today launched "The Social" - turning the ground floor of its global headquarters into a public gathering space that promotes productivity and opens its doors to the local community.
Expanding its presence in the nation’s capital, Teneo Hospitality Group, the premier global firm representing 300+ independent and luxury branded hotels, resorts and DMCs, appointed Washington native and industry veteran Adriana Molina as Vice President Association Sales, based in Teneo’s Washington, DC offices. Adriana’s career spans both hotel sales and conference planning positions as Regional Director of Sales for Choice Hotels and Association Management, Inc. She spent 25 years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, leading the Global Sales Office in Washington, DC for the last eight years. She holds a number of industry awards including Starwood’s Elite Sales Performer Award, Sales Leader of the Year and several awards for Sales Team of the Year.
Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, has announced plans to open and operate a new hotel in Washington D.C. Expected to open in fall 2019, the brand's first Washington D.C. property will reside in the city's emerging Union Market area. It will be managed by Virgin Hotels and developed by D.B. Lee Development & Construction and Brook Rose Development.
Katherine Lugar, president/CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), has been selected to serve as a member of the Department of Labor’s Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International's Washington, D.C., chapter will host an interactive roundtable session on group market activity, trends and strategies for hospitality sales, marketing and revenue management professionals, Oct. 26 at the Hyatt Centric Arlington in Virginia.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced that the Loews Madison Hotel will join Hilton Hotels & Resorts' portfolio as The Madison Washington DC, a Hilton Hotel. The 356-room hotel, located in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C., has long offered sophisticated accommodations to some of the capital's most esteemed visitors. In partnership with affiliates of Walton Street Capital and Waterton, The Madison Washington DC is poised to set a new standard for hospitality and elevate Hilton's presence in this globally sought-after destination.
citizenM, a Netherlands-based hotel company, is pleased to announce plans for the company"s first hotel in Washington, DC. A partnership with E Street Development Group LLC, CityPartners, and Potomac Investment Properties, the group will construct a new mixed-used property located at 555 E Street, SW that will be anchored by the Dutch hospitality firm"s hotel, one of several new properties the citizenM brand has in development in the US.
Mauerhan will work closely with General Manager Donte Johnson while acting as a key liaison between the restaurant and hotel teams. Mauerhan will directly collaborate with executive chef Jonathan Dearden and lead bartender Sarah Rosner on creative food and beverage options in addition to generating creative programming for the hotel’s intimate rooftop bar and pool. Mauerhan began her career in hospitality over 10 years ago at The Capital Hilton where she was responsible for selling and servicing of events and meetings including long and short-term bookings. Since then, she’s grown an impressive roster of experience including roles at Lansdowne Resort, Fairmont Hotels and Omni Hotels and Resorts. Mauerhan has also served as the assistant director of catering for Embassy Suites DC Convention Center. In that position, she took on the development and execution of action plans including competitive set analyses and the development of packages to increase revenue. Prior to joining the Mason & Rook team, Mauerhan served as the catering director at the Compass Group in Washington.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s Washington, D.C., chapter today announced the appointment of Sheila Hession, a 30-year hospitality industry veteran, to its advisory board. Hession is executive director of sales at the MGM National Harbor resort in Maryland, where she is responsible for sales, catering and conference services. She will lend her professional experience and thought leadership to the chapter, which serves the hospitality industry throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
At the fifth annual Revenue Strategy Summit, held here at the Renaissance DC Downtown hotel this week, Kalibri Labs CEO and co-founder Cindy Estis Green posed a question: How much do comp sets matter anymore? “I’ve had quite a few owners come to me and say, ‘It’s just not working anymore to look at some of our traditional RevPAR metrics because comp sets don’t even make sense anymore,’” she said, adding that the merger between Marriott International Inc. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. complicated matters—many traditional comp sets had to be changed to make them legal comp sets, and as a result, hotels were added to comp sets that didn’t necessarily make sense. “It got me thinking about what needed to be looked at in terms of some of these metrics,” she explained. “Beyond net revenue, do comp sets make sense anymore? In this age of big data, can we do something a little more effective and customized for an individual hotel?”
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s Washington, D.C., chapter today announced the appointment of Carol Motley, a 22-year hospitality industry veteran, to its advisory board.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced today the appointment of Markus Platzer as General Manager of the historic Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. hotel. Platzer comes to Washington with nearly 30 years of experience managing dynamic, award-winning hotels around the world.