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Appointment

Rikki Grace has been appointed as Sales Manager at Hilton Waikoloa Village

A familiar face at Hilton Waikoloa Village, Grace began her career at the resort as an intern while attending Washington State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Hospitality Business Management. Grace found continued success at the resort in the human resources department. In her most recent role of training manager, Grace lead all Management Training Programs, achieved “green” on the Hilton Waikoloa Village Balanced Score Card Training Index every year as training manager, received a perfect score on the resort’s Quality Assurance Audit Training Documentation section for three years, and led the bi-monthly Business Partners’ Orientation for all on-property vendors.

Hilton Waikoloa Village
Kohala Coast, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Christof Luedi has been appointed as General Manager at Fairmont Orchid

Mr. Luedi’s previous post was at The Fairmont Kea Lani on the island of Maui where he held the positions of General Manager since 2001 and Regional Vice President, Hawaii since 2005. Luedi has more than 20 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry across the United States. An avid waterman with a passion for outrigger canoe paddling, Mr. Luedi will feel right at home on the Island of Hawaii. In 2003, Mr. Luedi together with local Maui community leader Kimokeo Kapahulehua, envisioned traveling the entire Hawaiian archipelago in a traditional six-person Hawaiian outrigger canoe, beginning on the Island of Hawaii. This dream became a reality in July of 2008 when the paddlers completed their final leg which marked the completion of a six-year, 1,650 mile archipelago journey.

Fairmont Orchid
Waimea, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Anthony Freda has been appointed as Resort Manager at The Kapalua Villas

Anthony Freda comes to The Kapalua Villas from Four Seasons Resorts Lanai where he was food and beverage director at the Koele Lodge and Manele Bay Hotels. Prior to that, he gained valuable management experience working at various four and five diamond properties including Four Seasons Hotels in Florida, Georgia, and New York; The Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Georgia, California, Hawaii and St. Thomas; Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Mississippi, and Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Jersey .

Outrigger
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Simeon Miranda has been appointed as General Manager at OHANA Honolulu Airport Hotel and Best Western The Plaza Hotel

Miranda comes to Outrigger with over 23 years of executive management experience with Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International. Most recently, he was general manager at the Marriott Suites Hotel in Anaheim, California. Prior to that, he was resident manager at the Hilton Waikoloa Village for four years. Previous to his time on the Big Island, Miranda was general manager at the Embassy Suites Resort in Lake Tahoe and the Double Tree and Red Lion hotels in Sacramento. Miranda earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Seattle University. He has been active in the hospitality industry and community through local memberships in visitor and convention bureaus and lodging associations, something he looks forward to continuing in his new position. He has served on the boards of Lake Tahoe-Douglas and Sacramento Rotary Clubs, was an education consultant for Junior Achievement in Sacramento, and is a member of Jazz Jubilee and Business Volunteers for the Arts in Sacramento.

Outrigger
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Susan Kaui Koehler has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk

Koehler joins the team at Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk after 18 years with Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort in Oxnard, California. She brings extensive experience with business development, sales-team training and management, plus familiarity with marketing beachfront resort properties from her time as senior sales manager, then director of sales and marketing. At the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort, Southern California’s only all-suite resort on the beach, Koehler led advertising efforts and developed promotions and packages targeting leisure and group segments. Additionally, she managed public relations efforts and supervised television and movie productions on property. Koehler previously held sales and marketing positions in California, targeting the Western region at Sheraton Hotels, Ramada Worldwide Sales, and Intercontinental Worldwide Sales. The Kamehameha Schools graduate earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Denver before beginning her career in California. Like many Hawaii-born individuals, Koehler has coveted the idea of returning home to continue her professional business career and is delighted to join the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk team.

Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk
Waikiki, Hawaii, United States
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Appointment

Michele Brumblay has been appointed as Director of Catering & Conference Services at Makena Beach & Golf Resort

In her new position, Ms. Brumblay is responsible for overseeing catering, weddings and conference services for Makena Beach & Golf Resort. She comes to her new role with more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including several years within the Maui market. She previously served as director of sales for the resort.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Robert McConnell has been appointed as General Manager at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach

McConnell joins the Outrigger Waikiki following five years as general manager of two Outrigger affiliate properties, the OHANA Honolulu Airport Hotel and Best Western The Plaza Hotel, where he oversaw multiple renovation phases and re-branded the OHANA Honolulu Airport Hotel. A proven hospitality professional with a strong work ethic and well-honed leadership skills, McConnell brings more than 20 years of management experience in the hospitality industry. He joined Outrigger Hotels & Resorts in May 1988 and has worked in a succession of management positions at various Outrigger properties in Hawaii, including night auditor, relief manager, assistant hotel manager, general manager, and group manager. McConnell also brings several years of international hotel experience, having served as general manager of several of Outrigger’s Pacific resorts in the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Fiji. McConnell is a Certified Rooms Division Executive and a Certified Hotel Administrator through the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association. In 1996 and 1997, he was the recipient of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious President’s Award.

Outrigger
Waikiki, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Michael Nisky has been appointed as General Manager at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

Prior to his new post, Nisky served as general manager of the luxury JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong since 2004. He began his career with Marriott International in 1975 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Arizona. He was responsible for opening and managing hotels, and was involved in the opening of four Marriott Hotels, including the first JW Marriott Hotel in South Korea where he was the general manager. Nisky also served as the area general manager in Denver Marriott Tech Centre; general manager of Singapore Marriott Hotel, and held senior positions in Marriott in Arizona, California, Colorado and Kauai where he was at the Kauai Marriott Resort in 1997. Nisky is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. In his spare time, Nisky enjoys mountain biking, traveling and skiing. He is married with two children.

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
Waikiki, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Henry Perez has been appointed as General Manager at Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

Perez, a veteran hospitality executive, brings more than 20 years of experience in hotel and timeshare management to Hilton Grand Vacations. Most recently, Perez served as area general manager for Aqua Hotels, overseeing hotels in Waikiki and Maui. Prior to Aqua, Perez was hotel manager of the Outrigger Guam Resort. He also served as executive vice president/chief operating officer and general manager of the Lawai Beach Resort on Kauai and has held executive positions at Embassy Suites, Marriott, Omni, Intercontinental and Crown Sterling properties in California, Hawaii and Florida. In 2001, when he served as general manager at the timeshare development, Lawai Beach Resort, Perez earned the American Resort Development Association's Registered Resort Professional (RRP) designation. Perez is a graduate of Miami Dade College with a degree in Hotel Management. He is also a graduate of the Embassy Suites and Marriott Hotels General Management training programs. A native of Miami, Florida, Perez has resided in Hawaii since 1993. He is married to Simone and has three sons.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Michael Lee has been appointed as Michael Lee Director of Sales & Marketing at Makena Beach & Golf Resort

Previously, Michael Lee was a partner of Hospitality Taskforce, a company that places sales, marketing, conference services and food & beverage professionals on special taskforces within hotels across the country. Prior to this, Mr. Lee served as assistant general manager and director of sales for Hilton at the Hampton Inn Tropicana, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Lee has held the title of director of sales for Marriott at the Kauai Coconut Beach Resort. Before this he was employed outside the hospitality industry for a period, serving as executive vice president for Asia Pacific Environmental Technology. Earlier in his career, Lee was director of sales and marketing for the Four Star Westin Maui Hotel. On the mainland, he served as director of marketing for the Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas Hotel, and as director of sales for the Four Star Desert Inn Resort, a Sheraton Hotel located in Las Vegas. Prior to this he worked in sales for Sheraton properties on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai and in Los Angeles. Michael Lee attended Chaminade College and the University of Hawaii. He is a past recipient of the Partner of the Year Award from Hilton Sales Worldwide. Mr. Lee is a member of the Southern California and Aloha Chapters of Meeting Professionals International.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Barrett De Santos has been named Director of Sales at Honua Kai Resort & Spa

Ed Sowers, General Manager of Honua Kai Resort & Spa on Kaanapali North Beach, has named Barrett De Santos Director of Sales for the 628 suite luxury resort. As Director of Sales, Barrett will be responsible for the direction and management of leisure sales activities including retail, wholesale and online business partners. A native of the Island of Oahu, De Santos has nearly 28 years of hospitality experience, most recently as General Manger of Outrigger Aina Nalu Resort on Maui and six years as the senior sales manager for Outrigger’s beachfront division. Earlier, he held sales positions with Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel and Halekulani Hotel on Oahu, as well as the Royal Lahaina Resort and the former Embassy Suites Resort on Maui.

Honua Kai Resort & Spa
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Timothy Clark has been appointed as Hotel Manager at Aqua Aloha Surf & Spa

Clark joined Aqua in late 2009 after working for over 20 years with Kyoya Company, Ltd. and Starwood Hotels Hawaii. He held a variety of management positions including Uniformed Services Manager at Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort and Director of Guest Services at Sheraton Moana Surfrider and Princess Kaiulani. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Clark is certified in a number of hotel job skills training and Six Sigma processes which are a great resource toward improving guest experiences with Aqua Hotels.

Aqua-Aston Hospitality
Waikiki, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Terry Dowsett has been appointed as General Manager at Ilikai Hotel & Suites

Dowsett joined Aqua Hotels in 2005 and assisted with the re-opening of Aqua Palms & Spa. Aqua then named Dowsett general manager of Hotel Renew, where he saw the property through its total renovation and upgrade, followed by an appointment to general manager of Park Shore Waikiki. Prior to joining Aqua, Dowsett was Director of Operations at Classic Resorts. He has more than 20 years of Hawaii hotel experience which also includes general manager positions with Embassy Vacation Resorts in Kaanapali and Outrigger Prince Kuhio. Dowsett received his B.S. in Marketing from Florida State University and also graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He is a Certified Hotel Administrator, Certified Resident Manager and Realtor Associate. Being appointed General Manager of Ilikai Hotel and Suites is full-circle for Dowsett who was Assistant General Manager of the hotel 20 years ago.

Aqua-Aston Hospitality
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Markus Schale has been appointed as General Manager at Hotel Wailea Maui

Schale was appointed general manager of the all-suite Hotel Wailea Maui in October. He oversees all operations of the boutique resort. Born and educated in Germany and the Netherlands, Schale obtained a B.A. in Travel & Tourism from Ryerson University in Toronto. While in Canada, he worked in various roles at several hotels including Sutton Place. In 2001 Schale was appointed President & CEO of Horizon & Co., one of Canada’s leading small group luxury travel companies. Upon the sale of Horizon & Co., Schale moved to Maui where he has been residing ever since.

Aqua-Aston Hospitality
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Dina McCallion has been appointed as director of sales at Outrigger Condominium Collection

Ms. McCallion comes to Outrigger with many years of experience at Kapalua Resort. She has held the positions of sales manager and director of sales for The Kapalua Villas, and most recently was the director of sales for the Kapalua Resort where she was responsible for sales and co-op marketing for The Kapalua Villas, Kapalua Golf, Kapalua Golf Academy, Kapalua Adventures Zip Lines Tours, Kapalua Spa, and Kapalua Farms and Pineapple Tours. She has also worked in sales at the Kapalua Bay Hotel when it was managed by Marriott Renaissance and Starwood.

Outrigger
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

TJ Oesterling has been appointed as General Manager at The Outrigger Kapalua Villas

In his new position, TJ Oesterling is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations of this newest addition to Outrigger’s Condominium Collection. Oesterling returns to Outrigger from his position as the regional vice-president operations – Pacific Region for Wyndham Vacation Ownership. He also held various positions with Hilton Grand Vacation Club, and prior to that he was regional vice president of Shell Hospitality Management, Inc., overseeing the management of four properties in the state of Hawaii. Oesterling was also regional account representative for RCI, the world's largest timeshare exchange company. During his four years with Outrigger, TJ Oesterling was vice-president of the Condominium and Timeshare Division.

Outrigger
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Michael Blaksteen has been appointed as Director of Food & Beverage at Makena Beach & Golf Resort

A native of Denmark, Michael Blaksteen comes to his new role with 15 years of experience within the food & beverage industry. Most recently, Mr. Blaksteen served as assistant food & beverage director for the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii, responsible for a food & beverage program generating $40 million in annual revenue with 13 full service outlets. He had originally joined the property in the role of banquet beverage manager. Previous to these appointments, Mr. Blaksteen was assistant food and beverage director for the historic, ocean-front Hotel Laguna of Laguna Beach, California. He gained important experience in opening a hotel while serving as front desk manager of The Hampton Inn, located in Foothill Ranch, California. Earlier in his career, Michael Blaksteen was employed in positions of increasing responsibility within the international cruise industry. He launched his career in hospitality at the Kur und Sporthotel Parkhotel Frank in Oberstdorf, Germany. Mr. Blaksteen earned his hotel management degree as Hotelkaufmann at the Staatliche Berufsschule Mindelheim in Germany. He is currently the Balli and Conseiller Société Mondiale du Vin of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Bailliage de la Grande Île D'Hawaï. Additionally, he is a member of L'Academie de Gastronomie Brillat-Savarin and holds many prestigious Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Mr. Blaksteen is fluent in English, German and Danish as well as Norwegian and Swedish.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
Maui, Hawaii, United States
Appointment

Roy Butteling has been appointed as Director of Group Sales at Fairmont Orchid

Prior to joining The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Roy spent 6 years as Director of Accounts for The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Hawaii overseeing their sales and marketing efforts. Roy brings with him over 20 years of experience to the position. As the hotel’s Director of Group Sales, Roy will oversee a 7-person sales team as well as his own territory of Southern California, Washington and Oregon. The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, a AAA Four Diamond destination resort on 32 oceanfront acres offering 540 guestrooms on the island’s northwestern coast.

Fairmont Orchid
Waimea, Hawaii, United States