Most recently, Peros was Sales Manager for the hotel but his hotel career includes positions as a Housekeeping Manager for Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa and Property Operations Manager with Starwood Hotels where he was part of the reopening team at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa.
With over 16 years of experience in Hawaii's hospitality industry, including Five Diamond service and a great record of improving revenue maximization and operational efficiency, Pickett recently guided the 51-room Aqua Lotus Honolulu through a successful $2.5 million room renovation and upgrade. His knowledge and experience in food and beverage is also great asset as the hotel will launch an exciting new full-service restaurant in 2013.
Noel Marquardsen was previously human resources manager for HawkTree, Inc., a diversified holding company and leader in transportation services in Honolulu. Prior to this she served as area human resources manager for Securitas Security Services, Inc., the largest security services provider in the US and the state of Hawaii, also located in Honolulu.
Marcus Stewart has been named Executive Sous Chef of Four Seasons Resorts Lanai. In his new role, Chef Stewart will assist Executive Chef Kevin Erving in overseeing all culinary operations and menu development for the seven restaurants and bars at Manele Bay and The Lodge at Koele. Chef Stewart joined Four Seasons Resorts Lanai from Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta in 2010. While in Atlanta, he served as Chef de Cuisine at Park 75 and played an integral role in the success of rebranding the restaurant. Prior to Atlanta, he served as Sous Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Houston. Chef Stewart’s other culinary experience includes positions at renowned chef Frank McMahon’s restaurant Hank’s Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina and Bogenhauser Hof in Munich, Germany.
Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Bryan Ashlock hotel manager for Turtle Bay Resort, the landmark property on Oahu’s North Shore. Danna Holck, vice president and general manager, made the announcement. Bryan Ashlock was most recently director of food & beverage and executive chef for the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa. He has previously served as executive chef for several Sheraton properties in Hawaii. Mr. Ashlock has also held the title of executive sous chef for luxury properties within Hawaii, Japan and Hong Kong.
Simeon Miranda, general manager of the Best Western The Plaza Hotel and the OHANA Honolulu Airport Hotel , is pleased to welcome Mark Turina as sales and catering manager for the two Outrigger-managed properties. In this newly created role, Mr. Turina will report directly to Stephanie Nojima, director of sales and marketing, and is responsible for selling, promoting and optimizing revenue for the food and beverage and catering departments. Formerly a guest service representative with another Outrigger-managed property, the Holiday Inn® Waikiki Beachcomber Resort, Mark Turina has gained valuable hospitality experience working in various supervisory positions, including front desk night auditor and relief hotel manager.
Fisher, a 13-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, has worked in management positions throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Charles makes the move to Hawaii from Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, where he served as Resort Manager for the 163-room luxury resort in the Mae Rim Valley of Thailand. Prior to Chiang Mai, Fisher was with the Regent Singapore, a Four Seasons hotel, as the Director of Rooms. His past Four Seasons experience also includes globetrotting appointments in Nevis in the West Indies, New York City and London. Fisher is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honours in hotel and restaurant management. He is also the recipient of the United Kingdom’s Acorn Award, which showcases the top 30 under 30 years of age in the hospitality business. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Fisher looks forward to experiencing island life on Lanai and exploring the many off-the-beaten path adventures.
Halekulani Corporation, which owns and manages both Halekulani and the Waikiki Parc Hotel on Oahu, Hawaii, has appointed Ulrich Krauer to the position of General Manager of Halekulani. Mr. Krauer, who has helmed several of the world’s most iconic hotels during the course of his career, will join Halekulani on August 27, 2012 and will be responsible for directing all aspects of day-to-day management and operations of the legendary 453-room property. This announcement was made by Peter Shaindlin, Chief Operating Officer of Halekulani Corporation. Mr. Krauer most recently served as Asset Manager to Somerset Grace Bay in the Caribbean and, previously, as General Manager of Kona Village Resort on the Big Island. In addition, he has held the position of Manager Director and General Manager at the St. Regis Monarch Beach and Sonoma Mission Inn in California; Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, Texas; Hotel La Samanna in St. Martin, French West Indies and the legendary Hotel Bel Air in Beverly Hills. He also served as Resident Manager at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and the Grand Bay Hotel Miami. Mr. Krauer’s international experience includes management positions in five-star properties in Bern, Davos, Locarno, St. Moritz and Vevey in Switzerland; Megeve, France; St. Andrews, Scotland; Costa Smeralda in Sardinia and the luxury cruise ship MS Vistafjord of Norwegian America Lines. Hailing originally from Bern, Switzerland, Mr. Krauer is fluent in English and German, and proficient in Italian, French and Spanish. He is a passionate aficionado of Hawaiian culture, culinary arts and wine, and is an avid outdoor sports enthusiast.
As general manager, Sosner is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the 350-room Kaua'i Beach Resort including the multiple food & beverage venues. He also performs site manager duties for the Association of Apartment Owners.
Frank Lonardo most recently served as hotel sales task force manager for multiple luxury properties in markets on the east and west coasts of the US Mainland, including Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club in Redondo Beach, California; The Woodmark Resort, Spa and Yacht Club in Kirkland, Washington; The Madison Hotel in Washington, DC; and Stowe Mountain Resort and Spa in Vermont.
Caceres began her career with Outrigger Hotels and Resorts in 2006 as a guest service representative at the OHANA Waikiki West hotel. Two years later, she was promoted to guest service manager at the then OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber. In 2011, she became a sales coordinator where her skills and talents were quickly recognized and rewarded with her new promotion.
Wilding most recently served as resident manager at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. He first started at the flagship property in 2000 as director of front office operations, and was later promoted to executive assistant manager, before being promoted to resident manager in 2007. Wilding began his career with Hilton Hotels in 1989 at the Irvine Hilton & Towers as a food and beverage management trainee. In 1991, he moved to the Hilton Anaheim Hotel & Towers where he was promoted to front office manager of the 1,576-room property. Since then, he has served at two other Hiltons in California, including the Hilton Los Angeles as assistant director of front office operations, and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, where he was director of front office operations. Throughout his career, Michael has been recognized for his leadership, winning the Hilton Leadership Award twice.
Walker is a 24-year industry veteran and has been affiliated with Hilton Worldwide since 2002, most recently serving as general manager of the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. Before that, she served as general manager for Hilton Newark Airport and previously worked for the Fontainebleau on Miami Beach and Hilton Chicago. Prior to joining Hilton, Walker was employed by Wyndham Hotels Corporation as general manager for The Mayfair in St. Louis and hotel manager for the Wyndham Salt Lake City. Walker began her career with Hilton at the Burbank Airport Hilton and Convention Center. It was at this hotel that she was named Employee of the Year and her prize was a trip to Hawaii with a stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village. With her new post, Walker has returned to the hotel that she enjoyed decades ago as a rising star.
Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the promotion of Danna Holck to vice president and general manager for Turtle Bay Resort, the legendary property on Oahu’s North Shore. Greg Champion, Benchmark’s chief operating officer, made the announcement.Danna Holck was previously general manager at Turtle Bay Resort. Her appointment to this position last year marked her return to her native Oahu. Prior to joining Benchmark Hospitality International, Ms. Holck served as general manager for Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. She has previously held general manager and executive-level positions at major resorts throughout the United States.
Julie Arigo has been promoted to general manager of the Waikiki Parc Hotel, the hotel’s owner, the Halekulani Corp. said Friday. Arigo has 18 years of service with the hotel and served most recently as hotel manager. She has previously worked for Sheraton and Westin hotels, the company said. Arigo holds a degree in business administration with an emphasis in travel industry management from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is also vice chairwoman of Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association.
Bruce Schneider, vice president of condominium and vacation ownership at Outrigger Enterprises Group, is pleased to announce the promotion of Loan Montgomery-Freitas to assistant resort manager at the Wyndham Vacation Resorts Royal Garden at Waikiki. In her new role, Montgomery-Freitas is responsible for assisting the resort manager with all aspects of hotel operations. Montgomery-Freitas was most recently front office manager at the Holiday Inn® Waikiki Beachcomber Resort where she saw that property through two brand transitions. Prior to that, she was front office manager at the OHANA Waikiki West hotel and assistant manager at the OHANA Waikiki East.
Flores, originally from Paris, France, makes the move to Hawaii from Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto, where she served as director of sales for the 200-room luxury hotel. While at Silicon Valley, she achieved the coveted Four Seasons President’s Club status for exceeding her annual goal by 122 percent. Prior to joining Four Seasons, Flores held various sales manager positions with Joie de Vivre Hotels and Stanford Park Hotel in northern California.
Rodger MacDonald has been named director of marketing and will lead brand management at Hilton Waikoloa Village, delivering top line results through direct interaction with all revenue generating departments at the resort. MacDonald boasts an extensive hospitality background with almost 30 years of successful senior executive hospitality and management experience in Hawaii, across the United States, Mexico, Europe and South America. Most recently, MacDonald served as the executive director of sales and marketing for Kona Village Resort. Among his many accomplishments, MacDonald successfully directed the marketing and sales effort as the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa underwent a multi-million dollar restoration and repositioning from a AAA Three Diamond to Five Diamond resort.
Marriott International, Inc. has announced the appointment of Paul Toner as general manager of the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina on Oahu. Toner assumed his new post January 14, succeeding Dan Banchiu who is retiring after 32 years with the company. Most recently Toner was senior vice president and chief operating officer of RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality, which he joined in 2008 following many years as a senior executive with Marriott International in the Hawaiian Islands.