Previously, Marco was the General Manager at the Sleep Inn, right next door. He has been dedicated to the Midway Hotel Center since 2004, where he started at the Holiday Inn Select as an international intern from the University of Sunderland in England.
Hall started with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in 1992, and since has held various positions with hotels under the Fairmont umbrella in Canada and Bermuda. As Hotel Manager for Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, Hall oversees the functions and quality control of many departments within the illustrious hotel including rooms, food and beverage, security, engineering, parking, and the hotels business center and spa. We are excited to welcome Ken Hall to our team. His extensive experience with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and his commitment to guest satisfaction and excellence are the at tributes that ensure he will be an outstanding addition to our hotel, stated Mark Huntley, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park.
Destination Hotels & Resorts has appointed Heidi Edinger, CMP, CASE as the director of sales and marketing for MileNorth™, A Chicago Hotel. In her new role, Edinger will be responsible for strategy, development and implementation of marketing, public relations, and sales initiatives for the newly-branded property in addition to strengthening relationships within the local community. The focus at MileNorth is on creating a Chicago-centric brand with warm and inviting service and Midwest hospitality. The hotel’s central location in the heart of the Windy City is just steps from The Magnificent Mile, near the city’s numerous cultural and tourist attractions and three miles from the convention center, making it an attractive choice for business, convention and leisure travelers. Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property and in all guestrooms is the icing on the cake. As part of Destination Hotels & Resorts’ mission to integrate hotels into the destinations where they are located, Edinger and her team will work to develop local partnerships in addition to fostering relationships with the meetings and travel industries, associations and agencies. Her twenty years of experience in the hospitality industry, combined with her vast knowledge of the Midwest market make Edinger a perfect fit for this role.
Ken Hall, who takes on the role of hotel manager, Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. With 20 years of hospitality experience, Hall brings a wide scope of industry knowledge to the hotel, gained during a career which has taken him around the world from Jasper Park, Canada to Fujiya, Japan.
Oakley has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the U.S. hospitality market. He joined Sheraton New Orleans Catering & Convention Services in 1999, and has grown within the hospitality industry ever since.
Corrigan arrived at The Blackstone from The Curtis, which she joined in 2008 as General Manager, or "Queen Bee" in the playful style of the hotel. Arriving during challenging economic times for the hospitality industry, Corrigan played a key role as Sage Hospitality soft-branded The Curtis with Doubletree. Hilton recognized her role by including her in the prestigious Circle of Leadership program. She was also named Sage Hospitality's Leader of the Year in 2011. Prior to joining The Curtis, Corrigan spent four years as General Manager of the 206-room, all-suite Embassy Suites Denver Southeast. From 2002-2004, she was owner and operator of The Last Detail, a self-launched, lifestyle management outfit in the Denver suburb of Louisville. Previously, Corrigan held a host of hospitality management positions, from Director of Marketing and Operations at Starwood Vacation Ownership in Denver to Executive Director of Operations at Bally's Grand Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Her industry experience dates back to 1980 and includes positions at The Tropicana Hotel Casino and the Playboy Hotel & Casino.
Prior to this appointment, Lynch successfully opened the Trump SoHo New York as the Director of Sales and Marketing. During the pre-opening stage, Lynch was responsible for the hiring and managing of the sales team as well as implementing an action plan for the hotel’s opening in 2011. Once open, he contributed to exceptionally high occupancy during for the hotel’s first two years of operation.
Destination Hotels & Resorts appoints Frank Leone as General Manager of the newly-branded MileNorth™, A Chicago Hotel. In this role, Leone will be instrumental in the rebranding of the property, building a culture on exceptional, genuine service, as well as the day-to-day operation of the hotel. Destination Hotels & Resorts puts an emphasis on integrating its hotels into the destinations where they are located and building a strong authentic experience. The focus at MileNorth is on creating a Chicago-centric brand with warm and inviting service. The hotel’s central location in the heart of Chicago’s bustling business and steps from The Magnificent Mile, near the city’s numerous cultural and tourist attractions and just three miles from the convention center, makes it an attractive choice for business, convention and leisure travelers. Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property and in all guestrooms is the icing on the cake. Leone brings a vast knowledge of the hospitality industry to his new role, combined with years of experience in the Midwest market. Prior to joining MileNorth, he held several management positions with Starwood Hotels, Sage and, most recently, with Remington Hotels as the general manager of The Silversmith Hotel & Suites in downtown Chicago.
Swissôtel is pleased to announce the appointment of Jack Breisacher as the new General Manager of Swissôtel Chicago. Breisacher returns to Swissôtel Chicago from China, where he spent the last twenty months at the helm of Swissôtel Beijing, Hong Kong Macau Centre.
Prior to this appointment, Evanich served with Irvine Company Resort Properties. He joined the organization in 2008 and served as Managing Director of the award winning Island Hotel Newport Beach. Previously Evanich also served with Ritz-Carlton Hotels for seven years. During his tenure, he served as General Manager for some of the company’s finest hotels including The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park. He also served as a general manager at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park and The Ritz-Carlton Boston Common.Evanich’s early career included experience as director of food and beverage for the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel where he oversaw a major renovation of the property’s food and beverage operations. He was also the Director of Food and Beverage at the Fairmont Hotel San Francisco and director of operations of the Westin Cincinnati and the Westin Maui. In addition to his experience as a hotel executive, Evanich is a highly trained and accomplished chef. He studied culinary arts in Italy, France and Scottsdale, Ariz., and has worked as an executive chef at various high profile resorts, among them the Marriott Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert, the Maui Marriott Resort and the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale.
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is pleased to announce experienced hotel professional Mark Huntley as their new General Manager and Regional Vice President. Huntley started with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in 1986, and has since held various positions with hotels under the Fairmont umbrella across the United States and in London.
Gray, who first received the honour for the Chicagoland area in November, was named the state’s Guest Services Employee of the Year on December 16 at the IHLA Stars of the Industry Awards Luncheon in Chicago, which honours outstanding talent and performance of hospitality employees who provide extraordinary service. A 15-year member of the Ritz’s concierge team, Gray shines with her reputation of going above and beyond for the Hotel’s guests. From securing coveted Oprah tickets to setting up a top-secret hair dye appointment for a rock band member so he would not be recognised, Gray always finds ways to fulfill the most unique guest requests.
A graduate of Texas Christian University, Rodgers also served in the United States Marine Corps between 2005 and 2009. During this period, he completed two combat tours in Iraq as a machine gunner in the 0331 Infantry.
The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) has awarded the prestigious Hotelier of the Year Award for the Chicago market to Jerry Keyes, White Lodging employee and General Manager at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown. The award was presented at the group's 14th Annual Stars of the Industry Employee Recognition Program, which was held on November 2 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare.
With more than 30 years of hotel management experience, as well as a wealth of knowledge about the Windy City, Pinto previously served as vice president of Oakbrook Hotels & Resorts and general manager, Pheasant Run Resort, the Midwest’s largest entertainment resort, located in the Chicago suburbs.
North Carolina native Jason Smith has relocated to the Lake Forest, Illinois area to assume the General Manager position at the Hilton Garden Inn. An industry veteran with more than 12 years of General Manager expertise, this is Smith's first position with White Lodging. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Smith's first General Manager job was at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Wilmington where he was employed by Summit Hospitality. Smith stayed with Summit Hospitality for the next ten years working as a General Manager at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Raleigh, North Carolina; the Residence Inn by Marriott in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and then at the Hampton Inn back in Wilmington. In this position he planned and executed a pre-opening public relations and marketing campaign, which culminated with a grand-opening event attended by more than 100 key decision makers.
John Santangelo comes to his new role at Eaglewood Resort & Spa with three decades of industry experience. He was most recently director of food and beverage for Pheasant Run Resort, located in St. Charles, Illinois. He has served in the same position for a leading casino brand.
In this newly created position, Mendoza will be responsible for the development of a core global framework for Hyatt that enhances the company’s diverse and inclusive workplace and focuses on strategies that can be implemented locally by colleagues around the world.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, A Four Seasons Hotel, welcomes Tom Segesta as its new General Manager. Segesta, who most recently spent eight years as General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Austin, replaces Patrick Ghielmetti, who was named Vice President for Human Resources for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Asia Pacific Properties. Segesta joined Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in 1987 as Director of Housekeeping at Four Seasons Seattle. His career path has taken him through Four Seasons hotels in Boston, Vancouver, Newport Beach and Las Vegas before he was named General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Austin in 2002.
Ken Jesina comes to his new responsibilities with Benchmark Hospitality from the PGA Golf & Country Club in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. While there, he led food and beverage operations, as well as membership sales and services support. Jesina has extensive hotel operations experience gained over a 25-year career at both corporate and commercial conference centers and luxury resorts. These include properties within Benchmark's portfolio and other leading hospitality brands. Additionally, he has worked in front office, food and beverage, and engineering operations for Five Star independent resorts.