Beginning his new role on Feb. 6, 2012, Ballesteros will be the "voice" of the 16 million visitors the city receives each year. He will help to create, direct and implement public policy decisions and priorities, with a seat at the table in discussions impacting the future of San Francisco as a destination.
Cosgrove, who after five years of working at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa Resort, officially began her new appointment on the first of December 2011.
Dolbee joins L'Auberge from Four Seasons Resort Whistler. Executive Chef since 2008, Dolbee helped Four Seasons Whistler earn Canada's only Five Diamond distinction and was an integral part in the concept, design and launch of the property's popular SIDECUT restaurant. Dolbee also managed the resort's culinary operations during the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Whistler, as well as partnered with First Nation's to develop an indigenous-inspired menu for the nearby Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Center. A Los Angeles native, Dolbee started his culinary career at age 18 as a chef tournant for the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Laguna Beach. His progression included positions in kitchens around the country from the prestigious Jonathan Club in Los Angeles and Manele Bay Hotel in Hawaii, to Wauwinet Inn in Nantucket and The Sagamore Resort in New York. In 2001, Dolbee joined one of Orange County's top free-standing restaurants, Pinot Provence, as sous chef working under famed culinary master Joaquim Splichel, then went on to earn enthusiastic reviews as Executive Chef of French 75 restaurant in Laguna Beach. In 2004, Dolbee returned to the hotel industry and successfully launched the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire's acclaimed The Blvd restaurant as chef de cuisine.
Inn at The Presidio, the first hotel in San Francisco’s Presidio, a national park site, has appointed Terry Haney as the General Manager. Haney brings extensive managerial and directorial knowledge to the position, with a wealth of more than 28 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.
Greystone Hotels has hired Debra Rosenberg Matsumoto as the general manager for The Hotel Wilshire. Greystone Hotels –which manages distinctive properties along the West Coast of the United States -in conjunction with OSM Investment Company launched The Hotel Wilshire, a 74-room boutique property in the heart of L.A.’s famed Mid Wilshire corridor, on September 1, 2011. The hotel is designed as a LEED property by the award-winning Killefer-Flammang Architects. The fresh and contemporary boutique hotel includes a rooftop pool and a bar and restaurant counterpart: The Roof on Wilshire. With more than two decades of luxury hospitality experience, at some of the finest establishments in Los Angeles and Europe, Debra Matsumoto will bring a combination of experience, management ability, people skills, energy and enthusiasm to The Hotel Wilshire. She is the inaugural General Manager of the property, and as such, will oversee daily hotel operational duties for the property. In her most recent role, Matsumoto was the Director of Sales and Marketing for JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot. There, through her expertise, strategically sound, creative and resourceful plans and long-standing relationships with group, transient and catering guests, she grew occupancy, ADR and REV/PAR an average of 10 percent annually and assisted the GM with many operational responsibilities on a daily basis. Matsumoto joined Le Merigot in 1999 during the hotel’s opening year as Director of Catering and Special Events, where her background in the culinary arts benefitted clients on a daily basis. Prior to joining Le Merigot, Matsumoto was Assistant Director of Catering for Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
LaTour Hotels and Resorts, which offers personalized luxury hospitality management services for four- and five-star properties worldwide, has announced Guy Hall as vice president of operations and business development of Asia. A skilled industry professional, Hall brings a wealth of management experience and business development knowledge to the company. Hall’s primary responsibility will be working closely with the principals of IndoChine Resort and Spa in Phuket, Thailand, supporting them as they bring the project to completion. As such, he will oversee the property management and rental program for the resort, which is a joint venture with the IndoChine Group of Singapore. Throughout Asia, Hall will direct all resort and HOA management activities and facilitate client relationships as they develop in the future. A division of ResortCom International, LaTour Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in San Diego and San Francisco and offers customized, luxury hospitality management services for four- and five-star properties. The company’s goal is to make the ownership experience as unique, tailored and memorable as possible through superior service, distinctive amenities, imaginative activities and an obsessive attention-to-detail.
Hilton Worldwide announced the appointment of Lisa Asdikian as general manager of Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach - Hotel & Resort. In her new role, Asdikian will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 248-all-suite Ventura County beach-front resort. She will report directly to Area Vice President, Ben Fusco. Most recently, Asdikian held the position of Hotel Manager as well as other managemet-level positions at Hilton Anaheim. She began her career in hospitality in 1988 at Embassy Suites in Costa Mesa as Front Desk Supervisor and then relocated to Las Vegas in 1990 with Harrah’s Entertainment where she held positions in sales and reservations and assited with the opening of the the 2,000-room New York New York resort hotel & casino in Las Vegas. In 1999, Lisa was transferred to Hilton San Diego where she served as Director of Front Office.
Colliers International today announced Executive Managing Directors Mike Mixer and Dharmesh Patel will lead Colliers International Hotels | USA. Colliers International Hotels specializes in hospitality real estate investment advisory services.
Mary Ahlstrom has been named opening Director of Sales at Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa. Currently under construction, the resort is situated along the California coast across from Carlsbad State Beach and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012. Ahlstrom most recently served as Director of Sales at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego, Calif. Under Ahlstrom's leadership, the sales team at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe tripled group revenue in her first year at the property. Prior to that, she was a national sales manager at L'Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa, Calif. and was consistently ranked in the top two for highest sales each year. Ahlstrom began her career in 1992 as a sales manager at the Hilton Valley Forge in Philadelphia, PA. She spent eight years at the property rising to the rank of Director of Sales and Marketing.
Wave Crest Hotels and Resorts has appointed Regie Brown to General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach in Carlsbad, Calif. Brown takes the reins from Bob Moore, who was promoted to Vice President and General Manager earlier this year and will oversee both the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad and the new Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa, opening July 2012. Brown has more than 17 years in the hospitality industry, with 10 of those working for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. He began his career as night manager at Four Seasons Resort Dallas and steadily worked his way up through the company with positions of increasing responsibility at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, HI, Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, Calif. and Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma, Bahamas. Brown most recently served as rooms executive at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. Prior to that, he was resident manager at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. In 2007, he helped open the Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa in San Diego as director of rooms. Brown also has held positions at The Pidgeon Company and La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad, Calif. Brown attended University of Texas Arlington. He currently resides in Carlsbad with his wife and two children.
Bringing a plethora of hospitality and customer service experience, Mary Jo “MJ’ Baird has been appointed as the new catering and sales manager of River Terrace Inn and Restaurant Cuvée, located in the heart of Downtown Napa. With perfect timing for the bustling holiday party planning and the upcoming 2012 wedding season, MJ has hit the ground running in her new position.
Gregory’s distinguished 25-year career in the culinary arts includes serving in key posts with several of the region’s largest and most prominent hotels, where he helped to generate millions of dollars in revenue and supervised hundreds of food and beverage staff. Most recently he was the executive chef and food and beverage director of the 400-room Hilton Long Beach Hotel. His other career highlights include serving as the food and beverage director and executive chef at The Westin Los Angeles Airport, a 700-room hotel, and as executive chef of the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, an 830-room property. Previously, he was executive sous chef at the 1,100-room Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Tower in Century City. He also held posts as the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood and at the Los Angeles Hilton and Towers.
Callihan, a Certified Hospitality Sales Professional and Certified Hotel Administrator, came to The Meritage Resort and Spa after working with Hilton Hotels, Choice Hotels and La Quinta. In working with these national brands she was responsible for leading and managing sales teams while achieving quarterly and yearly sales goals. Callihan has won numerous sales awards for exceeding sales targets, including La Quinta’s Shark Award five years in a row. Her experience in bringing large conferences to regional hotels will help The Meritage Resort as it prepares to open an additional 12,500 square feet of meeting space.
Manzo has over 20 years of experience in the industry. As Director of Product Development for Expedia-owned Classic Vacations, a leisure travel company specializing in upscale vacations, Manzo developed her passion for selling the personalized experience of boutique hotels. Manzo’s entire career has been in the tourism and travel industry, including several years with Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and as Director of Sales for Turtle Bay Resort located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Recently, Manzo served as Director of Catering and Tournament Events for ClubCorp at Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville, California.
Alex Cabañas, president business development and finance for Benchmark Hospitality International, has been recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanic Leaders for 2011” by Hispanic Business magazine. The leading national business publication targets the professional Hispanic community throughout the United States. Alex Cabañas joined Benchmark Hospitality in 2006 following a period with The Boston Consulting Group. As president business development and finance, Mr. Cabañas oversees the company's growth initiatives worldwide, and the development of Benchmark's capital investment opportunities and relationships important to the company's expansion plans. During his tenure with Benchmark Hospitality International, the company added 13 properties to its management portfolio of 35 properties. Additionally, Mr. Cabañas led Benchmark’s launch of the hospitality industry’s newest brand, Personal Luxury Resorts & HotelsSM, which includes luxury properties coast to coast and off shore. Mr. Cabañas is a graduate of Harvard Business School, where he earned a Masters in Business Administration degree. He also holds a Bachelors and a Masters degree from Texas A&M University.
Cochran, who worked for the prestigious Plaza Hotel and the historic Hotel del Coronado, also completed a 24-year tenure with Loews Hotels, most recently as general manager of Loews Coronado Bay Resort, where she received numerous accolades for her management success, industry innovations and community collaborations. Among her career accomplishments, Cochran orchestrated a landmark partnership with the California State Parks, generating $750,000 for preservation, enhancement, education, and ecological/historic interpretation of the Silver Strand State Beach, for which the agency bestowed Cochran its coveted “Hero Award.” Cochran also spearheaded a variety of guest programs that have become standard throughout Loews Hotels, including nationally recognized kids’ activities and an open-door policy for pets. In addition, under Cochran’s leadership, the resort won a string of management awards: San Diego’s “Best Place to Work” (San Diego Magazine and San Diego Business Journal), “Workplace Excellence” (Society of Human Resource Management), and “General Manager of the Year” (California Hotel & Lodging Association). Cochran served on the board of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau and was president of the Coronado Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration General Manager program.
HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the nation’s fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, today announced several general manager promotions, transitions and appointments resulting from the acquisition of four hotels earlier this year. Hector Moreno joined HEI as General Manager of the Hilton Mission Valley. Prior to joining HEI, Moreno was the senior director of hotel operations for the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, responsible for $63 million in annual room revenues for the 1,500-room complex. While there, he oversaw the opening of two hotel towers and a $1.3 million soft goods renovation. With nearly 20 years in the hospitality business, Moreno has held senior management positions with some of the industry’s leading brands, including Hilton, Wyndham, Sheraton and W hotels.
HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the nation’s fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, today announced several general manager promotions, transitions and appointments resulting from the acquisition of four hotels earlier this year. Gordon Luster was appointed General Manager of the Marriott La Jolla, a 360-room hotel acquired in July, 2011. Prior to this assignment, Luster was the General Manager of the Hilton Mission Valley.
HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the nation’s fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, today announced several general manager promotions, transitions and appointments resulting from the acquisition of four hotels earlier this year. Tim Lusher joined HEI as the General Manager for the Westin Pasadena, a 350-room hotel acquired in June, 2011. Lusher joined HEI from Starwood Hotels and Resorts where he capped off his 13-year tenure as general manager of the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, CA. There he managed the property through a complicated restructuring and prepared for a $25 million renovation, while maintaining service levels and financial performance. Throughout his 27-year hospitality career, Lusher’s hallmark has been complex assignments, including simultaneously managing Westin and Clarion properties during the recent economic downturn.
With experience working on top-tier luxury and lifestyle accounts, Kaye joins the Andaz team from The Rose Group, a boutique PR and marketing firm. As an Account Supervisor he worked with account such as The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, Tyra Banks, SKYY Vodka and Showtime’s EliteXC. Prior to his role at The Rose Group, Kaye was a PR and marketing consultant where he launched The Rundown, a daily men’s e-newsletter and a local beer company, Fireman’s Brew. He also spent time at Fingerprint Communications where he led a team to launch the Polaroid Malibu Beach House, Bacardi’s 42 Below Vodka, and Maxim Magazine’s Super Bowl and Hot 100 parties. Kaye graduated with a BA in Public Relations and Advertising from Chapman University.