Caribe Hilton welcomes the addition of the brand new Caribar – a destination bar and lounge that blends Puerto Rico's culinary influences with the resort's heritage to deliver some of the most creative craft cocktails on the island. Bringing the soul of the island to the lobby of Caribe Hilton, Caribar is the newest spot in San Juan to enjoy exquisite tastings, socializing and "being seen."
Raised near the Hyatt Regency Cerromar and Dorado Beach Resorts, Denise Santos became interested in the hotel industry early in her life and now has over 16 years of hospitality experience. Most recently, Denise was the Director of Sales and Marketing at Doubletree by Hilton San Juan until her recent promotion to Hotel Manager of the property.
Replacing Denise Santos as Director of Sales and Marketing at Doubletree by Hilton San Juan is Lisandra Alicea, who has served as Senior Sales Manager at the property since 2009. With more than 18 years in the hospitality industry, she brings a wide range of experience in sales to the position including corporate and government market development, networking and group sales management.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), PRISA Group and McConnell Valdés Consulting today announced the groundbreaking for Puerto Rico's fourth Hyatt-branded select service hotel, the $29.7 million Hyatt Place San Juan. The announcement comes on the heels of the recent opening of the 126-room Hyatt House San Juan, which opened October 1, 2014, and confirms Hyatt's commitment to Puerto Rico and the region. Hyatt Place San Juan will be developed by a joint venture between affiliates of Hyatt, PRISA Group and McConnell Valdés Consulting, Inc. As part of the transaction, a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management and related agreements with the joint venture for the operation of the hotel. Hyatt Place San Juan is expected to open in the first quarter of 2016.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and PRISA Group and McConnell Valdés Consulting today announced the opening of Hyatt House San Juan, debuting as Puerto Rico's first extended stay hotel as well as the brand's first Hyatt House hotel outside of the continental United States. The Governor of Puerto Rico, the Hon. Alejandro Garcia Padilla, attended the hotel's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Parisi is an industry veteran and embarks upon this new role in tandem with her responsibilities as the Area Director of Sales & Marketing for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Caribbean Resorts. Her excellence as Area Director – including successfully planning and executing a $50 million transformation and repositioning of The Westin St. John Resort & Villas – lends to Parisi being a natural selection to join The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort family. Prior to her time as the Area DOSM for The Westin St. John Resort & Villas and Caribbean Cluster, Parisi held positions as the Director of Sales and Marketing, New Builds and Transitions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Complex Director of Sales and Marketing for W Hotels of New York City and sales and marketing positions for the Hilton Hotels Corporation, and Bristol Hotels and Resorts.
Previously, Sarmento served as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the property, Puerto Rico’s only AAA Five Diamond resort and the Caribbean’s only Audubon Gold Signature Certified Sanctuary. Sarmento has applied his experience in the industry to propel The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort to new heights. Under his supervision, the property’s Starvoice engagement score rose from 87 to 97 points and exceeded the past year’s total revenue by 11.9%. Sarmento has a long history of excellence in the luxury hospitality sphere and has held DOSM positions at The St. Regis Tianjin, The St. Regis Mexico City and at Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a Luxury Collection property, in addition to roles with the Sheraton and the Westin hotels internationally. Sarmento attended Glion Hotel School in Switzerland, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Hospitality Management, and has a command of six languages.
Basu hails from The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, bringing more than 23 years of nuanced experience throughout the luxury hospitality industry. Basu’s itinerant experiences in hospitality management pull from a myriad of destinations, rooted in his collegiate studies in India. His previous appointments entailed management positions at The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel; Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa; Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower, Panama; and his most recent position as hotel manager of The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), today announced the opening of the first Holiday Inn Express® hotel in the Condado district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. This 115 room hotel opening brings IHG's hotels in Puerto Rico to four including the recently renovated InterContinental® San Juan, Holiday Inn® Mayaguez & Tropical Casino and the Holiday Inn® Ponce & Tropical Casino hotels. With hotels situated in almost every key market throughout the region, IHG has over 80 hotels in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Hailing from La Concha Renaissance Resort where she spent six years as executive chef, Berríos pulls from a robust culinary history with additional positions held at venues such as The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan and Norwegian Cruise Lines where she worked aboard the Pride of Hawaii, Pride of America, Pride of Aloha and the Norwegian Wing.
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) is taking an outside-the-box approach with the launch of the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Education Forum (CHIEF) by creating an event from the ground-up that covers all crucial aspects of the Caribbean hospitality industry for hotel operators and the allied membership. The inaugural CHIEF conference will take place Oct. 3 - 5, 2014 at El Conquistador Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Puerto Rico. CHIEF will encompass multiple disciplines and aspects of Caribbean hospitality within an educational and sales setting. Sessions at CHIEF will focus on operations, managing distribution channels, sales & marketing, social media, sustainability and financial efficiency, all of which provide cost-saving measures that increase profitability.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), PRISA Group and McConnell Valdes Consulting today announced the opening of Hyatt Place Manatí in Manatí, Puerto Rico. The Governor of Puerto Rico, the Hon. Alejandro Garcia Padilla, attended the hotel's ribbon-cutting ceremony. Hyatt Place Manatí represents the first international hotel brand in the north central region of Puerto Rico and the second Hyatt Place hotel to open in Puerto Rico within the last three months, marking for a strong return of Hyatt-branded hotels to the Island after a seven-year absence.
Hilton Worldwide today announced the appointment of Pablo Torres to general manager of the 917-room Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he incidentally began his hospitality career as a food and beverage management trainee back in 1992. Known as the birthplace of the piña colada and the city’s largest hotel, this AAA Four Diamond award-winning property is also a proud recipient of Green Key due to its environmental awareness and efforts. Torres most recently held the position of general manager of the 304-room Hilton Short Hills located in the suburban bedroom community of Short Hills, New Jersey. Previously, he served as general manager of the 288-room British Colonial Hilton Nassau in The Bahamas. Torres has more than 20 years of business development and operations experience in hospitality management. From middle to large-scale volume facilities, Torres has held a myriad of key positions with many internationally recognized hotel companies throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Within Hilton Worldwide, he has also gained ample experience working on projects in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the opening of Hyatt Place Bayamon in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The hotel's opening marks the first Hyatt Place hotel to enter the Caribbean market and the return of Hyatt-branded hotels to Puerto Rico after a seven-year absence.
Cruz returns to the San Juan Marriott most recently by way of the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa and CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort, where he spent the last three years as director of sales and marketing. Prior to that he served as the director of sales and marketing at multiple Marriott properties including the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel & Casino (2001-2005), Miami Airport Marriott (2005-2010) and the Renaissance La Concha Resort & Casino in Puerto Rico. A native of Puerto Rico, Cruz received his bachelor's degree in hospitality from Purdue University, Indiana.
Husband joins W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island with extensive experience in hospitality and sales garnering a wide skillset in management, strategy and marketing. She worked with a bevy of brands from Westin to Wyndham at various beach destinations, including Jamaica, St. Lucia and St. Thomas among others giving her unparalleled insight to the culture of the Caribbean escape. Husband holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Tampa. As Director of Sales and Marketing, Husband is responsible for impacting revenue and yielding strategies along with overseeing catering and banquet sales activities. In her role, she will be challenged to maximize outstanding quality service for customers and increase profitability for the hotel. In her new role, Husband will implement and compile information for strategic sales plans, annual goals and marketing forecasts to further position the property in the market. In addition to strategy, Husband will be tasked with creating and maintaining the deep-rooted customer relationships which sets W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island apart.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced today that the 571-room hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, formerly known as Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza, has been renamed and rebranded as The Condado Plaza Hilton. Joining more than 550 Hilton hotels and resorts in 79 countries across six continents, The Condado Plaza Hilton now represents the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand's fourth hotel on the island.
he Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort, the beach-front hotel destination in the Isla Verde section of San Juan, has announced the appointment of Natalia Luna as Director of Sales and Marketing.With over 13 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Luna most recently served as the group sales manager at the Embassy Suites San Juan Hotel & Casino where she was responsible for $1.3 million in group sales. Previously, Luna has held positions as the senior catering manager at the Hilton Miami Airport Hotel, and group sales manager at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan. Luna earned a master’s degree in International Business, and a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University. She currently resides in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announces that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement for a Hyatt House hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico with an affiliate of Island Hospitality Partners, LLC, a joint venture of PRISA Group and McConnell Valdes Consulting. Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Luis Rivera Marín, PRISA Group President Federico Stubbe Jr. and other government officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony today, marking the construction commencement on Hyatt House San Juan, which is expected to open in fall 2014. Island Hospitality affiliates are also the owners of Hyatt Place Bayamón Hotel & El Tropical Casino and Hyatt Place Manatí & Casino, which are both currently under construction and expected to open in early 2014.
Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa today announced the appointment of Ramon Carillo as the resort’s new Executive Chef. Having started as a cook sixteen years ago at Wyndham Rio Mar, Carillo serves up delectable epicurean creations for guests longing to escape the ordinary. Carillo boasts culinary specialties in Caribbean, Asian and Italian cuisine. With his unerring grasp on flavors, he loves to create fusions from Caribbean seafood traditions such as Kung Po Lobster, a favorite dish to prepare.