Previously, Melissa Georges was senior sales manager for The Founders Inn and Spa of Virginia Beach, which Benchmark operated at the time. She began with Benchmark Hospitality working in sales for the company’s Cheyenne Mountain Resort of Colorado Springs.
In demonstrating its dedication as one of the finest southwest Virginia wedding and meeting destinations, The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, a Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, has named Lauren Sells Walker the director of catering at the historic property.
Max Kiebach comes to his new position with over 20 years of hospitality industry experience, with several years invested in the food & beverage departments at signature properties. He was most recently director of food & beverage for Bimini Bay Resort & Marina, located in Bimini, Bahamas. Prior to this he served as director of events for Shaping America’s Plate of Orlando. Mr. Kiebach has also held food & beverage operational and catering sales positions for properties throughout Florida and in New York City, including freestanding restaurants.
Kim Martinez was previously Director of Sales at the Marriott Grand Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama, a property similar in size to the resort. While in that position she earned both Regional and Global Sales Leader of the Year and Marriott’s Golden Circle Award. She was National Sales Manager at the following properties in California: Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa; Mark Hopkins Hotel and the Argent Hotel. During her tenure, Kim was a consistent top producer in sales for room nights, RevPar and incremental revenue. She is known for her motivational and inspirational skills. She has a Bachelor's degree from Bradley University and is a member of Meeting Planners International, Society of Incentive Travel Executives and Professional Convention Management Association. She has relocated to Leesburg, Virginia.
Bainbridge brings over seven years of events and catering experience to her new position. In this role, Bainbridge will be responsible for overseeing the catering market segment for the hotel, which consists of wedding, banquets and social events. Prior to joining Wyndham Virginia Crossings, Lisa worked in various catering positions in the Richmond market, including catering sales manager at the Hilton Short Pump and event and catering manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.
Ms. Bottenfield was previously the Director of Operations for the Crestline Hotels & Resorts managed Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel, Virginia Beach. She brings more than 10 years of operations and hospitality industry management experience to this new position. Prior to joining Crestline she held various positions with Tidewater Hotels & Resorts, as well as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. Ms. Bottenfield holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg.
Playa Hotels & Resorts announced today that Omar Palacios has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Palacios joins Playa following eleven years at Kerzner International Limited, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for One&Only Resorts, Kerzner's luxury hotel brand. Mr. Palacios' appointment follows the recent recapitalization and restructuring of the Company, which enables it to operate on a standalone basis. The Company was established in 2006 to invest in the acquisition and development of all-inclusive beachfront resorts in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Presently the Company owns 17 properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. These properties operate under the Barcelo brand which is owned by Barcelo Hotels & Resorts, and under the Dreams and Secrets brands, which are owned by AMResorts.
Prior to joining HEI in 2009 as assistant general manager of the Embassy Suites Tysons Corner, he was assistant general manager and director of food & beverage at the Embassy Suites Lexington for Winegardner & Hammons, Inc. Earlier in his career, he was general manager of Fiorella’s Italian Restaurant, where he oversaw front and back of house operations, and comedy club supervisor and beverage controller for The Doubletree Hotel-Lowell, Mass. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. McCarthy will report to Brian Mayer.
LATINA Style Magazine today announced that Susan Santiago, vice president of food and beverage for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, has been named one of the top five 2010 LATINA Executives of the Year by LATINA Style Magazine. Santiago, who was recently appointed as the first female vice president of food and beverage for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is a seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry and has been a member of the Hyatt family for nearly 20 years. Beginning her career as a restaurant server in Oystercatchers at Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, Santiago worked her way through an ascending series of food and beverage positions. Santiago also served as general manager of Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa and most recently served as general manager of Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino, where she was recognized by the company as “General Manager of the Year” in the Large Hotel Category for Hyatt.
Bruce Wardinski, Chairman of Barcelo Crestline Corporation today announced the promotion and appointment of James Carroll to President & CEO of Crestline Hotels & Resorts and Barcelo Crestline Corporation. Barcelo Crestline Corporation is the parent company of Crestline Hotels & Resorts which is among the five largest hospitality management firms in the U.S. The appointment comes as Bruce Wardinski, who was formerly President & CEO of Barcelo Crestline, assumes the position of Chairman of the Board for Barcelo Crestline Corporation. Prior to accepting his expanded position, Mr. Carroll served as the Chief Operating Officer for Crestline Hotels & Resorts, and before that, served as the Chief Financial Officer for Barcelo Crestline Corporation. Mr. Carroll joined Barcelo Crestline in 2004 from Dell, Inc. where he held several operations and financial management positions. During his tenure at Barcelo Crestline, Mr. Carroll also served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer.
Spiller is a 15-year hospitality sales veteran with experience at conference centers, hotels, resorts, and convention bureaus. He has worked with Hyatt Hotels, Marriott, Inter-Continental Hotels, Benchmark Hospitality and Ritz-Carlton. Spiller is a graduate of Howard University with a degree in hotel management. He is a member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP), Meeting Professionals International Greater New York (MPIGNY) and has previously served on the board of the Houston Metropolitan Alumni Club (HU). He lives in Ashburn, Virginia with his wife and two children. His hobbies include hiking and golf.
Yeager brings over 15 years of sales and marketing experience to the senior sales manager position. In this role, Yeager will be responsible for overseeing the corporate market segment for the hotel, which consists of the financial, manufacturing, media, telecommunications and transportation and automotive sectors. Prior to joining Wyndham Virginia Crossings, Yeager worked for Hyatt Hotels Corporation in a variety of sales and marketing roles in the Richmond and Washington, D.C., markets, including director of sales for the Hyatt Richmond and associate director of sales at the Grand Hyatt Washington.
In her new role as sales manager, Mauck will be responsible for overseeing the social, military, education, religious and fraternal organizations (SMERF) market for the hotel. Mauck joined Wyndham Virginia Crossings as a convention services manager in 2008, where she served as a liaison for meeting planners to ensure the success of meetings and events held at the property. Previously, Mauck worked for the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, the official sales and marketing organization for the city of Baltimore.
Ryan is responsible for the leadership for the entire golf operation and brings valued experience from a highly esteemed career in the golf industry that includes leadership positions at several reputable golf facilities and eight years of experience as a general manager with Troon Golf. Most recently, Ryan served as general manager of The Bridges Golf & Country Club in Montrose, CO, a semi-private club and past recipient of Golf Magazine’s “Top 10 New Courses” award. “I am thrilled at the opportunity to contribute to the long-standing reputation of The Golf Club at Lansdowne,” said Wilson. “Already considered one of the region’s top private golf courses, the challenge of improving upon a club that has already reached levels of high acclaim is something I am excited to accomplish.”
Sam Ackerman most recently worked as director of engineering with Trump International Hotel and Tower in Fort Lauderdale, a property he also helped open. He held the same title in his first appointment at Lansdowne Resort.
Cario is a past board member of the Richmond Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau and currently serves on the board of the Greater Richmond Hotel & Motel Association. He has worked in a number of management capacities in Richmond area hotels under the Wyndham, Doubletree and Embassy Suites flags. During his career with Wyndham, he opened or operated seven hotels in Chicago, Nashville, Maryland and Arizona. His Chicago-Oakbrook Terrace Wyndham received “Best New Hotel Award” in 1996. Most recently, he served as general manager of another downtown Richmond hotel, advancing operations following a $10 million renovation. He earned his bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Harrisburg, VA. Hilton Garden Inn Richmond Downtown offers 250 rooms and more than 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. The hotel forms one part of the restoration of the entire historic Miller & Rhoads building that also includes 133 condominium units and 20,000 square feet of retail space.
Scatoloni recently served as director of sales and marketing at another Richmond hotel, where he supervised a staff of 12. His career has spanned the nation, working on both the East and West Coasts. In addition, he has served as national sales manager for the Pasadena Convention and Visitor Bureau. He has worked for a number of major hotel brands, including Hilton, Hyatt, Radisson and Sheraton. Most recently, he completed an assignment for three independent Historic Inns in Annapolis, MD. “Mike brings our hotel both the local experience of having worked in Richmond the past five years, coupled with national contacts from a career working coast to coast,” said Gary Gutierrez, president of HRI Lodging, the owner and manager of the hotel. A native of White Plains, NY, Scatoloni earned a bachelor’s degree in business from California State University Dominguez Hills. He has been an active member and participant in a number of hospitality and travel trade organizations.
Nelson, who brings 25 years of hospitality experience to his new role, has a distinguished career that spans positions at leading conference centers, hotels and private country clubs in Calif., Texas, Colo. and Fla. Through multiple senior management positions, Nelson has spearheaded major property launches, hotel restructurings and resort expansions. He also brings to his new role previous experience in managing resort condominiums, championship golf courses, spas and marinas. Previous to taking the helm at Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center, Nelson was managing director of Pacific Palms Resort and Conference Center near Los Angeles, where he directed a major expansion of the property, which earned National Golf Course of the Year honors. Prior to this, Nelson held senior-level positions at resorts and conference center hotels, including Innisbrook in Tarpon Springs, Fla. and Cordillera Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo. He has also served as vice president of hospitality for The Woodlands Operating Company of Houston.
Peter Faraone, a hospitality industry veteran and decades-long Virginia resident, has been tapped to lead the nation’s most storied resort destination, The Homestead, located in Hot Springs, Va. Owned and operated by KSL Resorts, The Homestead has been welcoming guests, including 23 U.S. Presidents, since 1766. Faraone served most recently as managing director of the Lansdowne Resort, in Virginia. Prior to his post at the Lansdowne, Faraone held positions with leading hospitality brands including The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Intercontinental Hotels, KSL Resorts, and Marriott Hotels. Positions at Ritz-Carlton, with which Faraone worked for more than 10 years, included his role as GM of the Ritz-Carlton Tyson’s Corners. At KSL Resorts, he served as vice president of sales, and was instrumental in developing KSL’s first national sales force during a period when the company was expanding its portfolio of destination resorts.
Dori Familiant has been named complex general manager of both the Doubletree Hotel in Crystal City and the Embassy Suites Hotel Crystal City/National Airport by Hilton Hotels Corp. Familiant’s role will be to oversee the day to day operations of both the 630 room Doubletree and the 267-suite Embassy Suites hotels. He replaces Brian Kelleher. He has worked in the hospitality industry for 27 years, most recently as the general manager of Hiton Irvine in Orange County, Calif. Familiant assumed his new position June 15. Beverly Hills-based Hilton will relocate its headquarters to Tysons Corner later this year.