&R Hotel Management has announced the appointment of Marcello Munoz as general manager of the 271-room Holiday Inn New York–Times Square South ̶ the newest addition to its managed portfolio ̶ which is scheduled to open later this year.
A hospitality professional with a track record of operational successes, Daley will serve as general manager of the prominent Dream Downtown, responsible for overseeing all operational and financial aspects of the hotel to promote growth and assure optimum performance. He assumes this role following his shift as director of operations for Hampshire Hotels Management.
M&R Hotel Management today announced the appointment of Edward Malone as general manager of its 105-room, full-service Holiday Inn Staten Island.
GB Lodging and Thompson Hotels announce the appointment of Managing Director Robert Andrews. Mr. Andrews, a decorated graduate of London South Bank University, most recently served as Director of Operations for the four New York City Kimpton Hotels. Previously, he was General Manager for both the Soho Grand and Tribeca Grand Hotels.
GB Lodging and Thompson Hotels announce the appointment of Director of Sales and Marketing Allison Ante to the executive team of The Beekman, a new Thompson Hotel opening within an historic landmark in Lower Manhattan. Ms. Ante, an alumnus of Johnson & Wales University, brings over 15 years of hospitality industry experience to The Beekman. Her prior positions include Global Director of Sales for the Viceroy Hotel Collection, and most recently the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Soho Grand and Tribeca Grand Hotels.
HREC Investment Advisors is pleased to announce that veteran lodging transaction advisor Mark von Dwingelo has joined HREC as a Senior Vice President in the New York office. Prior to joining HREC, Mark was Senior Vice President for JLLs Hotels & Hospitality Group, focusing primarily on mid-market hotel transactions in the Northeast. During his 30 years of experience, Mark has appraised, valued and provided consulting/transaction advice on hospitality assets worth in excess of $5 billion. He has held positions in the hospitality i ndustry with KPMG, Landauer Horwath, PKF Consulting and Laventhol & Horwath. Mr. von Dwingelo is a graduate of the School of Hospitality at Florida International University.
Locker brings with him extensive experience in catering and events at luxury hotels including most recently, Langham Place on Fifth Avenue, where he served as Director of Catering and Events since 2014. Throughout his career, Locker has consistently exceeded his budget forecasts, overseeing a substantial budget for meetings and conference services at Langham Place and personally managing, selling and servicing corporate, philanthropic and catering events at the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York for nearly nine years. Additionally, Locker possesses substantive experience managing a range of events at The Plaza Hotel including large fundraising galas, corporate conferences, society weddings and Bar Mitzvahs to smaller meetings and social events.
The Conrad New York, a contemporary luxury hotel in Lower Manhattan, is pleased to announce the appointment of Zena Phillips as director of catering and events. With 463 guest rooms, a unique catering partnership with Union Square Events, and an array of meetings and event spaces including two ballrooms, a boardroom, a rooftop bar and a private dining room, the Conrad New York is an ideal setting for a range of corporate and leisure events. Phillips joins the hotel team with a decade of experience, previously working at esteemed properties such as Conrad Miami, Hilton Toronto and Waldorf Astoria New York.
The Westin New York Grand Central has appointed Kerstin Pace as Director of Sales and Marketing. Pace brings broad international experience to the hotel, after 15 years in various sales roles at Starwood brands in diverse markets across five countries.
An industry veteran, Hankins has more than 20 years of hospitality sales experience at a range of upscale luxury properties. Prior to joining Omni, she was the vice president of sales for SIXTY Hotels in New York. Before that, Hankins held a series of leadership positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. These positions included New York metro market transient leader for seven Starwood properties; helped open the Westin New York Grand Central in 2012; was area director of sales for the four W Hotels in New York; and was an account director for Starwood's global sales team leading the efforts for the northeast region. "We are excited to bring in amazing talent such as Kristin," said Delfin Ortiz, general manager for the Omni Berkshire Place. "Her passion, energy and proven track record make her the perfect fit for our hotel, and a complement to the Omni brand." Hankins grew up on the West Coast, and graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in political science with an emphasis on international relations and German.
John Brehm joins ECS as Vice President, Sales and Business Development, where he will lead the global sales effort and develop new business opportunities. He brings over eighteen years of leadership experience from American Express Global Corporate Services and most recently Travel Leaders Group, where he served as the Vice President of Franchise Sales.
David McManus will assume responsibility of all hotel operations as the property celebrates its 2 year anniversary later this month. McManus brings with him more than 25 years of New York City hospitality business experience which includes leading iconic properties such as The Empire Hotel in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and overseeing and successfully re-launching and re-positioning of the Shelburne NYC hotel into the marketplace. The renovation resulted in numerous internal year end awards and recognition for McManus, including the award for ‘Hotel of the Year’. Most recently, McManus was the Opening General Manager of Hotel Hugo, a lifestyle boutique property located in SoHo, Manhattan.
As the newly appointed Director of Sales and Marketing, Angela Pina will be responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing efforts for Hyatt Union Square New York. With over 10 years of sales experience in New York City, Angela offers a unique, diversified background with experience in both luxury-lifestyle properties and various branded hotels. Prior to joining Hyatt Union Square New York, Pina was responsible for a cluster of hotels under the HHM umbrella as Area Director of Sales and Marketing. In this role, Pina oversaw all of the hotels in the HHM downtown sub-region and Independent Collection. Before joining HHM, Pina held the position of Director of Sales and Marketing for Sixty LES, a boutique hotel in New York’s Lower East Side neighborhood, as well as Director of Sales and Marketing for Sixty Thompson, a boutique property in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Pina’s background also includes regional sales management experience with Morgans Hotel Group and Denihan Hospitality Group, where she assisted with the launch of The James New York and repositioning of the prestigious The Surrey Hotel.
Loews Regency Hotel, the landmark hotel in Midtown Manhattan, today announces the appointment of Yvette Edwards as Director of Marketing. With more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, Edwards boasts a deep understanding of both large business hotels and smaller boutique properties, as well as seasonal and luxury resorts, including properties in New York City, Philadelphia, Newport, and the Bahamas. In her role as Director of Marketing at Loews Regency, Edwards will oversee the planning and implementing of sales, marketing and product development programs for the hotel. “We are delighted to welcome Yvette to the Loews Regency family,” said Jim McPartlin, Managing Director, Loews Regency. “Yvette’s extensive knowledge and breadth of experience, not to mention her warm personality and commitment to excellent customer service, make her a great addition to the team. We look forward to her guidance in continually enhancing the guest experience at Loews Regency.” Prior to joining Loews Regency, Edwards served as a member of the opening team for the 733-room Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas, a campus including 40 restaurants, 35 retail shops, a golf course, spa and the largest casino in the Caribbean. As Pre-Opening Director of Sales & Marketing, Edwards was responsible for the booking policies, procedures, and revenue management of the 200,000 square feet of convention and outdoor event spaces used by all four Baha Mar resorts, in addition to overseeing group, leisure, public relations, marketing, catering and social media for Grand Hyatt. Before her time at Baha Mar, Edwards spent four years as the Director of Sales & Marketing for Grand Hyatt New York and Andaz 5th Avenue, where she was nominated for Director of Sales of the Year. Between 2002 and 2009, Edwards developed her skills through Director of Sales & Marketing positions at the Columbus, Newport, and Philadelphia Hyatt Regency properties. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Yvette began her career as a Front Office agent with Holiday Inn, working in rooms operations for several years before moving into catering and conventions services and eventually sales and marketing. “From the buzz of Broadway to the glamour and glitz of Fifth Avenue and the lively, ever-changing restaurant scene, there is no place quite like New York City,” said Yvette Edwards. “I am thrilled to join the team at Loews Regency and help bring the very best of this energetic city to our guests.” Edwards has received numerous accolades throughout her career. Most recently, she was recognized with the 2014 Leader of the Year Award for Baha Mar Resort. Edwards has also served as a Board Member of the HSMAI Philadelphia Chapter.
Kurt Stahura has been named dean of Niagara University’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, a prominent appointment at one of the university’s flagship programs.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Sam McDiarmid to the role of director of business development, agency sales. McDiarmid joins Shangri-La from the Plaza Hotel, New York, where he held the role of travel industry sales manager, handling the North American leisure, business travel and entertainment markets. Prior to his time at the Plaza Hotel, McDiarmid held several sales positions throughout the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, including a regional role representing the company’s three hotels in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. McDiarmid began his hospitality career with Marriott, where he held a variety of roles including a position within the Marriott global sales organization as group sales manager selling Marriott full service hotels in North and South Carolina, and West Virginia. His hotel career began as front desk agent at the Marriott City Center Charlotte, where he discovered his love of the hospitality industry.
Waterford Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Sandra Romeo to the position of Director of Sales at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, Ithaca, New York. The 91-room Homewood Suites is managed by Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm with headquarters in Waterford, Connecticut.
Shiel joins the hotel from Denihan Hospitality Group where he spent the last four years working in sales for the properties Affinia Fifty, Affinia Gardens and The Benjamin in New York. During his tenure as Director of Sales, he oversaw the complete repositioning of Affinia Fifty following a $20 million renovation.
Questex Travel Group has named Eric Edmunds business development manager, responsible for growing its Global Meetings and Incentive Travel Exchanges (GMITE) events portfolio across the western United States, western Canada, Mexico, Latin America and South Pacific.Prior to joining Questex, Edmunds spent three years as West Coast regional director of sales for Palace Resorts of Doral, Florida, which operates all-inclusive luxury resorts along the Caribbean coast of Mexico and in Jamaica. He focused on the chain's meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions division. Previously, Edmunds spent two years in a similar role with Edmunds Direct Inc, a media and hotel marketing representation firm based in Fountain Valley, California.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Mehdi Eftekari as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel New York. Eftekari arrives at the I.M. Pei landmark and Four Seasons flagship at an opportune moment, amid a hotel-wide renovation including the opening of the new TY Bar and the recent the launch of the hotel’s new event space FIFTY7.