Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Randall Obrecht general manager for Sorrento Hotel, a Personal Luxury Resorts & HotelsSM property located in Seattle, Washington. James Simkins, Chief Operating Officer Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels, made the announcement.
Earlier this month, Skamania Lodge added Susan Renner to its Group Sales Team as National Sales Manager. Renner brings nearly two decades of experience in hospitality sales to her new role with the Columbia River Gorge resort. She will be responsible for overseeing the national, regional and state association markets.
Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Peter Birk executive chef for Hotel 1000, located in Seattle, Washington. Hotel 1000 is part of Benchmark Hospitality’s collection of Personal Luxury Resorts & HotelsSM. Denny Fitzpatrick, general manager, made the announcement.Peter Birk was most recently executive chef for Harborside Restaurant & Bistro, located on the waterfront in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood. Chef Birk helped open the popular restaurant. Prior to this, he held the title of executive chef at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle for five years after being promoted from chef de cuisine.
Provenance Hotels is pleased to announce the hiring of Angela Mose as director of sales for Hotel Max, an award-winning, art-filled boutique hotel property located in the heart of downtown Seattle. Mose brings an impressive track record in hotel sales and management to Hotel Max. Her most recent position was at the Hilton Seattle Airport Complex, two hotels with a combined total of 80,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 1,200 guestrooms, where she rose through the sales ranks to senior sales manager and was responsible room revenue of over $2 million annually. Prior to her time with Hilton, Mose served as director of catering, group sales manager and front office director at the former WestCoast Hotels chain.
Gillespie brings more than 20 years of hotel and resort marketing and sales experience. Prior to joining the Lodge on March 28, 2012, he led the group sales efforts at several prestigious properties in West Virginia including Waterfront Place Hotel, The Greenbrier, Stonewall Resort and Glade Springs Resort. Additionally, he worked at Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort in Cumberland, Md., Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Farmington, Pa., and Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford, Pa. While working at these hotels and resorts, Gillespie was able to exceed sales goals, increase revenues and successfully launch new services and amenities for the properties. He is a graduate of Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W.Va.
Matt Hagerman was previously the successful general manager of The Woodmark Hotel, located in Kirkland, Washington. Mr. Hagerman was a key member of the opening management team for the luxurious and award-winning Hotel 1000, a Benchmark Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels property. He also served as hotel manager for the acclaimed property. Earlier in his career he held positions within sales and operations for leading hospitality brands.
Skamania Lodge, located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, has hired Kara Owen in the newly created position of director of group sales. In this new role, Owen is responsible for leading the group sales effort and building awareness of the Lodge as a destination for conferences and group gatherings. The creation of this new position coincides with the design remodel of the Lodge, to be completed in late spring 2012, which will elevate the group meeting experience. Prior to joining Skamania Lodge, Owen served as director of sales for the RiverPlace Hotel in downtown Portland, Ore., and for the Portland Marriott City Center. As a seasoned veteran in the hospitality sector, she brings with her a deep knowledge of the marketplace and an understanding of the needs of event and meeting planners.
Prior to joining the Tulalip Resort Casino, the largest tribal property in the state, Askew worked for Port Madison Enterprises as hotel director at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort. He has also been director of operations at the Alderbrook Resort & Spa, and held top positions at other notable Pacific Northwest destinations, including Little Creek Casino Resort and Riverhouse Resort. In 2010, Askew was named Washington State General Manager of the Year by the Washington Lodging Association, and Innkeeper of the Year by the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau. He studied at Northern Arizona University's Hospitality School, where he majored in Hotel and Restaurant Management. With a devotion to tribal tourism development, Askew has served as co-chair of Northwest Tribal Tourism, a premier organization that encourages traveling in Washington Indian Country.
With more than a decade of experience under his belt, Timothy Bathke was recently named General Manager at Warwick Seattle Hotel. In his new role, Bathke will help further establish Warwick Seattle Hotel as the landmark Belltown hotel that is synonymous with service excellence, as well as a superior place to stay in Seattle. Offering magnificent views of the world famous Space Needle and Seattle skyline, Warwick Seattle Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Belltown, which boasts some of the city’s most popular restaurants and live music clubs and is only a few blocks from Pike Place Market and Westlake Center. Prior to joining the Warwick Seattle team, Bathke was General Manager at a top global franchise in Portland, Oregon, overseeing a property with a restaurant and 16,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. During this time, he was also operating an 80-seat, off-site Italian restaurant and managing the construction of another property from the ground up for the same company. From 2000 to 2006, Bathke worked with another international chain of hotels, starting as a Housekeeper and Guest Service Representative and finishing his tenure as its Area Operations Manager. As the Area Operations Manager, he managed properties in Springfield/Eugene, Oregon and Salem, Oregon, including all of the sales and marketing. Because of his diverse experience, Bathke has a philosophy of never asking an employee to do something that he wouldn’t personally do, which he will carry throughout his duties at Warwick Seattle Hotel.
Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Randall Obrecht director of food & beverage for Sorrento Hotel, a Personal Luxury Resorts & HotelsSM property located in Seattle, Washington. Sam Johnson, general manager, made the announcement.
Born and raised just outside of Laughlin, Nevada, Pearson began working at the River Palms Casino in Laughlin at the age of 16 in food and beverage, and continued his career as a valet attendant at the Grand Victoria River Boat Casino in Elgin, Illinois after graduating high school.
John Murphy was named general manager at the Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa in Kirkland.
Kott has more than 30 years of hotel and resort experience in senior management positions involving all aspects of rooms, food and beverage, sales and marketing and operations. He launched his career at Oregon’s famed Salishan Lodge and opened Salish Lodge before heading east to Topnotch Resort & Spa, in Stowe, Vermont. Kott returned to the Pacific Northwest as general manager for the Kimpton Group at Alexis Hotel and opened the Hotel Monaco, both in Seattle. His track record in the region also includes key roles with Noble House at The Edgewater Hotel, MTM Luxury Lodging at the Sorrento Hotel and Alderbrook Resort & Spa, and The Hotel Group at the Arctic Club Hotel.
Four Seasons Hotel Seattle welcomes Ilse Harley as the new general manager of the hotel. Harley's career with Four Seasons spans two decades and includes management positions in Boston, Maui, Atlanta, New York and most recently, at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
In addition to this role, Mara will retain her position as Coastal Hotel Group's National Director of Sales, which she has held since June 2008.
Prior to joining Warwick Seattle Hotel, Oh spent six years with national hotel brands in Portland and Seattle, holding positions in sales and catering management, guest services and general operations management. He graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, and was the official school mascot, Harry the Husky, during his senior year at the school. Oh is active with the Belltown Business Association, the Greater Seattle Business Association and the Seattle chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Christian Clerc, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC is proud to announce the appointment of Julie Barrow as Director of Sales. From inns to hotels, weddings to corporate groups, Barrow has 17 years of expertise in the hospitality industry.
Kiepe joins The Edgewater from Columbia Hospitality, Inc., where she was the Director of Sales for the Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie, Wash. During her tenure there, Kiepe was responsible for overseeing the resort’s sales, catering, conference services, and reservation departments in addition to managing marketing initiatives for the luxury resort. Kiepe brings more than 20 years of experience in travel and hospitality. At The Edgewater, she will be responsible for overseeing The Edgewater’s sales and marketing efforts. Previous to her work with the Salish Lodge & Spa, Kiepe was the Director of Sales for Bell Harbor International Conference Center; World Trade Center Seattle, Director of Sales for Argosy Cruises, and the Director of Sales for Holland America. Kiepe brings with her a unique knowledge of The Edgewater, as she was the Director of Group Sales at the historic hotel from 2003 to 2006. A native of Seattle, she holds an Associate Technical Arts (ATA) degree in Travel and Tourism from Edmonds Community College.
The Seattle Hotel Association (SHA) announces a new president and vice president to oversee efforts of the non-profit organization that promotes the economic well-being of Seattle’s hospitality industry. Howard Cohen, a SHA board officer since 2004 and vice president and general manager of Clise Properties – Hotel Division, will take his new position as the 2010-2011 board president. David Watkins, general manager at the Inn at the Market, will be SHA vice president. Don Dennis, general manager of Hotel Deca and David Sullivan, general manager of the Pan Pacific Hotel, will remain as treasurer and as secretary, respectively. Cohen has been in leadership roles at Seattle’s Clise Properties – Hotel Division since 2002. Prior to that, he held positions throughout Washington, including Sunstone Hotels and Red Lion Hotels & Inns. Over the past 30 years Cohen has dedicated his expertise in the hospitality and lodging industry. In addition to serving on the board of SHA, Cohen has also served on the board of directors of the Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association and is a current board secretary of the HERE Local 8 Union Pension and Health & Welfare Trusts.
He is an accomplished international luxury hotelier with a career spanning over 30 years. Alphy spent 15 years with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts as a Managing Director and later as Vice President of Operations, prior to joining Candela Hotels as Executive Vice President of Operations in 2006. During his three year tenure with Candela Hotels Alphy has developed a full operations plan for the company’s new luxury green hotel concept, including the 26-Hour day, Service Team concept and efficient energy usage systems. Alphy has lead the company’s Hotel Management Services Group which, in addition to management contracts, provides 30 to 90 day swat team style services for hotel openings, re-launches, leadership transitions and re-organizations, all with a focus on profitability. He recently completed a successful mission in Central America for the Bristol Buenaventura and the Bristol Panama City in Panama.