Guinn joins the JW Marriott Denver team from another Sage Hospitality property, the Curtis – a Doubletree by Hilton, where she most recently served as a Group Sales Manager. While at the Curtis, Guinn was named the hotel’s Manager of the Year for 2016. A graduate of Colorado State University, Guinn also previously worked at the Grand Hyatt Denver and the Vail Marriott Hotel Resort & Spa.
Upgrades to the full-service hotel included new modern furniture, lighting, carpet and soft goods in tones of blue-gray and camel in each of the 403 spacious guest suites. Additionally, a commissioned two-story art and water feature welcomes guests to the soaring lobby, which features a 14- story sky curtain that provides an abundance of natural light. The hotel"s 27,000 square feet of meeting space – which can host up to 650 people - now features fresh carpet and design, along with three new Executive Board Rooms.
HVS is pleased to announce that Brett Russell has been promoted to managing director and a senior partner of HVS Denver. During his tenure at HVS, spanning over 15 years, his consulting and appraisal experience encompasses more than 500 hotel assignments throughout the Americas, inclusive of market studies and feasibility studies for boutique and branded hotels, lodges, and resorts. Moreover, his mixed-use experience includes the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida; the PGA National Golf Resort in Palm Beach, Florida; the Mammoth Ski Resort in Mammoth Lakes, California; the Steamboat Springs Ski Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and several properties in Aspen, Colorado. He has also been involved with the redevelopment of historic buildings in Albuquerque, Denver, and Buffalo, as well as hotel transactions in top resort markets in the U.S. and Caribbean.
Breckenridge Grand Vacations Acquires Graham Frank as VP of Development BGV welcomes construction expert Graham Frank as the executive leader of the Grand Colorado on Peak 8’s development.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is delighted to welcome Aaron Baxendale as Executive Sous Chef of WYLD, the resort’s newly debuted signature restaurant. With more than 12 years of experience and a passion for embracing local flavors in his cooking, Baxendale blends harmoniously with WYLD’s sumptuous Alpine cuisine that brings the local Colorado bounty to life. A Cleveland native, Baxendale began his culinary career at Le Cordon Bleu at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, followed by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) accredited three-year apprenticeship program. His formal training led him to work in some of the finest restaurants in the country, including five years at the luxurious Greenbrier resort, two years at The Boathouse Club on Martha's Vineyard, and four years with Marriott International and The Ritz-Carlton – including most recently as Chef de Cuisine of Georgia’s Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation and Executive Chef of Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington D.C. During his first few weeks at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Baxendale has channeled his gastronomic approach of using simple yet bold flavors into the dishes he makes at WYLD, which pay homage to the resort’s pristine location rooted in nature and on the “edge of wild.” In his new role, Baxendale will lead the culinary team at WYLD to bring Colorado’s succulent bounty to life. The restaurant features an eclectic menu and refined mountain classics with a strong emphasis on locally sourced and sustainable meats, seafood, and seasonal vegetables. Signature dishes include Open-Face Lamb Dip with shaved Colorado lamb, horseradish cream, crispy onion, and au jus; Big Fat Toasted Grilled Cheese with Haystack chili jack, vacherin, and fontina cheeses paired with a tomato soup shooter; Niman Ranch Pork Bruschetta with lardo and Colorado wildflower honey; and more.
The Curtis - a DoubleTree by Hilton is pleased to announce that Bess Miller is now serving as the “Mistress of Mayhem” or General Manager at Denver’s only pop culture hotel. Managed by Denver’s Sage Hospitality, the Curtis is celebrating its 10th anniversary this spring with two major new art installations. The first is extravagant new hallway art to greet visitors to each of the hotel’s 13 themed guest room floors – including pieces dedicated to Colorado sports heroes on the 10th “Floor of Champions” and a Star Trek landing zone on the 8th “Sci Fi Floor.” The hotel is also completing a 1,600+ square foot custom mural installation by Denver-artist Forrest J. Morrison on each of the elevator landings in hotel’s 5-story parking garage. The Curtis art mural project is being curated by Denver’s NINE dot ARTS, which is working with Sage Hospitality to create “mini-museums” inside each of its hotels. Miller is overseeing both projects in her new role as General Manager. A member of the Sage Hospitality family for almost 19 years, she most recently served as the General Manager of The Westin Westminster. A graduate of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, she also previously served as the General Manager of the Denver Airport Marriott and the Assistant General Manager of the Courtyard San Diego Downtown.
Sage Hospitality is pleased to announce that Gerry Link is now serving as General Manager of The Maven Hotel, a vibrant new hotel concept opening this spring in downtown Denver. The independent Maven will deliver an urban hotel experience with an energetic lobby highlighting an eclectic mix of local art and handmade products and a passionate staff who live for hospitality. The first Maven Hotel will anchor Denver’s new Dairy Block mixed-use development by Sage, McWHINNEY and Grand American, Inc. Link is a 35-year hospitality veteran with extensive luxury boutique experience. He joins Sage from 21c Museum Hotels, an award-winning hospitality company with six boutique hotels dedicated to contemporary art along with seven chef-driven restaurants. Link opened and served as General Manager of the 21c Museum Hotels in Cincinnati, Ohio and Durham, N.C., with both hotels garnering many awards under his leadership, including the Cincinnati hotel being recognized as the #1 Hotel in the United States for by Conde Nast Traveler. A graduate of the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Link also spent more than 8 years with Renaissance Hotels & Resorts and 13 years with Hilton Hotels, including more than five years as the General Manager of the 250 room Hilton Vancouver Hotel & Convention Center.
Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa, a luxurious world-class destination in the heart of the American West, today announced the appointment of Stephen Johnson as general manager. Johnson boasts more than a decade of executive-level experience with expertise in strategic leadership, hotel and resort development, operations, sales, marketing, and revenue management. He will be responsible for all guest and hotel associate experiences at Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa, as well as the financial success of the property.
CustomerCount(TM) and Resort Trades have announced the first recipient of the Customer Engagement Professional (CEP) Award. The award, which recognizes outstanding leaders who exemplify customer engagement within the resort/hospitality industry, was bestowed upon Kevan Beall, General Manager of Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) Breck Inn Hotel. The Breck Inn is a hotel that the company operates primarily for tour guests. Since receiving the award, Kevan has been promoted to Assistant GM for BGV’s brand new resort, the Grand Colorado on Peak 8.
Distinguished hotelier Brent Martin has been appointed General Manager at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail, after first arriving on an interim assignment in late September.Martin’s illustrious career with Four Seasons began in 2007, first as Hotel Manager at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, followed by his promotion to General Manager at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand. In 2012, he returned to the United States, serving as General Manager at the then Four Seasons property in Philadelphia, where he was honoured to hold positions on the boards of Visit Philadelphia, Central Philadelphia Development Corporation and chairman of Compass, an organisation that provides consulting services by local business professionals to non-profit associations. Additionally, he invested considerable time to help social services organisations and cultural institutions in Philadelphia. When management of that property concluded, Martin stepped into a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts corporate role, during which time he provided strategic consulting services to hotels around the world, as well as to the corporate office.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain is pleased to announce it has promoted Kevin Delonay to serve as Director of Food & Beverage at the award-winning resort. Delonay has been a member of The Westin Riverfront team for more than seven years, most recently serving as the Executive Chef at Maya, the resort’s modern Mexican kitchen by Chef Richard Sandoval. A graduate of Virginia’s James Madison University, Delonay previously worked at several top Vail Valley restaurants, including Sweet Basil, Dish and the Game Creek Club. In his new position, Delonay will oversee all operations for The Westin Riverfront’s Maya, the Lift, the Parlor 126 Lobby Bar and Starbucks, as well as the resort’s more than 7,500 square feet of event space, which includes the 4,000 square foot Riverside Ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning Beaver Creek Mountain views, and a 2,000 square foot outdoor banquet terrace.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain is pleased to announce that it has hired Stephanie Bennett as a Senior Sales Manager and promoted Lauren Mackintosh-Zebrowski to the position of Catering & Events Manager. A graduate of Denver’s Johnson & Wales University, Mackintosh-Zebrowski has been a member of The Westin Riverfront sales team since 2014, most recently serving as a Sales & Catering Coordinator.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain is pleased to announce that it has hired Stephanie Bennett as a Senior Sales Manager.
Recently merged, Destination Hotels and Commune Hotels & Resorts today unveiled their new overarching company: Two Roads Hospitality. The newly created international lifestyle company features an unrivaled collection of truly individual hotels, resorts and vacation residences that caters to guests' personal journeys. Comprised of Joie de Vivre Hotels, Thompson Hotels, Destination Hotels, tommie and Alila Hotels & Resorts, Two Roads Hospitality is poised to be the leading operator of independent, boutique and lifestyle hotels with more than 95 properties in eight countries, and approximately $2 billion in total property revenues under management. Jamie Sabatier and Niki Leondakis will lead the newly established company as CEO of Two Roads Hospitality and CEO of Hotels & Resorts, respectively. Together, the leaders have more than 40 years of experience and proven expertise in building distinctive boutique and independent hotels. Both will focus on the financial, operational and cultural success that will propel the new company's future performance. Sabatier will oversee the company's operating and financial performance, global development and growth strategy, human resources and technology. In her new role, Leondakis will be responsible for hotel property financial performance, including operations, sales & marketing, guest experience, food & beverage programming, and interior design strategy, with a focus on elevating the overall portfolio's lifestyle experiences.
The Osprey at Beaver Creek, A RockResort is excited to announce the appointment of Ryan Murray to the position of executive chef. Bringing more than 15 years of extensive knowledge and experience, Chef Ryan will oversee the culinary operations at The Osprey Fireside Grill, Osprey Events & Banquets and the exclusive Trappers Cabin, all known for innovative farm-to-table cuisine.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain is pleased to announce that it has named Veronica Moretti to serve as the Director of Front Office of the award-winning resort.
Formerly Resort Manager at the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond Four Seasons Resort and Residiences Whistler, Cunha brings nearly two decades of luxury hotel experience to Denver. His career began at Hotel do Chiado in Lisbon, Portugal, joining Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon soon thereafter. His resume is dotted with hotels in cities around the world, from Shanghai to Dallas and Maui. His first assignment in the United States was in 2006 at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas as Assistant Director of Rooms, and later, he was promoted to Director of Rooms. He held the same position at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea for nearly three years before being promoted to Resort Manager of Four Seasons in Whistler.A native of Lisbon, Portugal, Cunha holds two degrees in hotel management and economics, and a post-graduate degree in world economics from Université Toulouse Le Mirail in France. Speaking five languages, Cunha will be joined by his wife, Catarina, and three children.
The Curtis - a DoubleTree by Hilton is pleased to announce that it has named Wendy Ratkin to serve as “Mama Bear” or Director of Catering & Conference Services at Denver’s only pop culture hotel. Ratkin has spent nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry, starting off in 1997 with Marriott’s Manager Training program. She most recently spent seven years as the Senior Catering Sales Manager at the Ameristar Black Hawk Resort. A graduate of Colorado Mesa University, she also previously served as a Catering Sales Manager at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and as the Director of Catering & Conference Services at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs.
The Curtis, managed by Denver’s Sage Hospitality, has also hired Macy Pinkussohn to serve as a Catering Sales Manager, or “Supernova of Shindigs.” A Colorado native, Pinkussohn returns to the Curtis with a decade of hospitality experience; she previously worked at the hotel as a Banquets Captain and Restaurant Supervisor. Pinkussohn earned both an undergraduate and a Masters in Business Administration from Denver’s prominent Johnson & Wales University. A dedicated “foodie,” she most recently served as a Catering Sales Manager at the SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown and as an Executive Meetings Specialist at The Westin Westminster. A recent bride herself, Pinkhussohn has good insight into the current pressures facing brides and her goal is to make each wedding a relaxing yet flawless experience.
Case joins the Denver Marriott Tech Center from Sage’s Westin Westminster, where he served as General Manager for four years. A graduate of Colorado State University, Case has previously served as the General Manager of the JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, The Oxford Hotel and the Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park. The Denver Marriott Tech Center is currently undergoing a major transformation, with the first phase of renovation now completed. It included a complete overhaul of the hotel’s Summit Tower, which now offers 286 guest rooms redesigned to reflect the natural beauty of Colorado. The transformation included the creation of five Residential Suites complete with full kitchens, living rooms and workspaces, plus 36 Studio Suites.