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Deirdre Yack has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at Lexington New York City
Highgate Hotels announced today the appointment of Deirdre Yack as director of sales and marketing for the Lexington New York City. Yack brings nearly two decades of sales experience to the storied 723-room Midtown Manhattan hotel currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. With an expertise in full-service hotels in the New York market, she will play an integral role in the re-launch of the property through the development and implementation of strategic sales and communication plans.
Paul Holden has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at Conrad New York
A 20-year veteran of the industry, Holden has worked at many Hilton Worldwide properties in the tri-state area including DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel New York City - Times Square; DoubleTree by Hilton Somerset Hotel and Conference Center; Hilton Newark Airport, New Jersey; and most recently, the Hilton Short Hills, New Jersey. Holden will oversee all of the marketing and sales efforts for the hotel, restaurant, event space and retail shops. In addition, he will promote the property’s partnership with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events, as the exclusive caterer to Conrad New York’s 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space.
Jim McPartlin has been named Managing Director at Loews Regency Hotel
Loews Hotels & Resorts today announced the appointment of Jim McPartlin as Managing Director of the company’s flagship property, the Loews Regency Hotel. With more than 25 years of hospitality experience, he will oversee all sales, marketing and operational aspects of the soon-to-be revitalized iconic hotel. McPartlin was most recently the General Manager of the W New York Times Square. Under his leadership the hotel achieved a market share of 118.5% in 2012 and their employee opinion survey improved from 78% in 2011 to 91% in 2012.He spent several years with W Hotels Worldwide, including opening the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences, Director of Brand Operations for the Western Region and General Manager for the W San Francisco. McPartlin has also held senior level positions with Andrè Balazs Properties, The Ian Schrager Company and Kimpton Hotels. McPartlin received his Bachelor’s of Science degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York and resides in New York City.
Troy Pade has been appointed as General Manager at Cassa New York
Cassa New York, part of Viceroy Hotel Group’s Urban Retreats Collection, announces the appointment of Troy Pade to General Manager. Troy joins the Cassa New York team with extensive luxury hospitality experience within the Viceroy portfolio. Originally from Newberg, Oregon, Pade has made the move from West to East coast. His new post as General Manager of Cassa New York comes after 3 years as manager of Viceroy Santa Monica, where he acted as Interim General Manager for over 6 months, as well as the Interim General Manager at Hotel Milano San Francisco for 4 months, proving his expertise and knowledge within the hospitality field. Troy joined Viceroy Santa Monica in May, 2010 as Director of Hotel Operations and received the highest of praise in his role. In 2011, his responsibilities expanded to include managing the property’s Sales and Marketing Division.
Andrew Labetti has been appointed as General Manager at Omni Berkshire Place
Labetti was formerly general manager at The Benjamin Hotel in New York for five years. While there, he oversaw a multi-million dollar renovation that included the opening of the National Bar and Dining Room. Additionally, Labetti was a top three finalist for The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) 2011 New York General Manager of the Year award.
Jeff David has been named Managing Director at Knickerbocker Hotel
Highgate Hotels and FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated are pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff David as Managing Director for the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City. The iconic landmark tower located on 42nd and Broadway in Times Square, that originally opened in 1906, will debut as an updated 330-room and suite lifestyle boutique hotel for the upscale corporate and leisure traveler. With his five star pedigree spanning twenty years in hospitality management, and as recent winner of the prestigious ‘Hotelier of the Year Award 2012’, David will lead the hotel through an initial repositioning phase before its reopening in early 2014. David brings with him an extensive background in the luxury market. Having launched his career at one of the world’s most recognized properties, the Four Seasons Regent Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, David built a solid foundation of expertise in this sector. His growth continued with a move to the Four Seasons Boston where he functioned as an integral part of the management team that elevated the property into the only 5-Star, 5-Diamond hotel in New England. After nine years at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, David managed independent hotels and was later recruited by the Los Angeles-based Viceroy Hotel Group, a lifestyle hospitality brand known the world over for stylized properties across a range of markets. As a fundamental part of this team for almost six years, his tenure at properties in Palm Springs, California, Snowmass, Colorado and Anguilla in the British West Indies provided extensive exposure to the inner workings of these luxury hotels in the brand’s portfolio. Most recently as the General Manager of the Viceroy Anguilla, David was a key player in opening and operating of this $550 million flagship property. His efforts here were recognized when he won the coveted title of ‘Hotelier of the Year 2012’ at the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Associations (AHTA) Annual Tourism Gala in December 2012. David also managed the historic Viceroy Palm Springs in California, traveling regularly between the two destinations. David later transitioned from his post in Anguilla and Palm Springs to oversee the 2009 opening of the Viceroy Snowmass, a $200 million ski-in, ski-out facility that he guided through an on-time, under budget launch. Additionally, David has served as the Food and Beverage Director at Rosewood Hotel’s and Resort’s Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, as well as General Manager of several distinct luxury New England properties including the famed Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and The Chanler at Cliffwalk in Newport, Rhode Island.
James Marino has been appointed as General Manager at Lexington New York City
Highgate Hotels announced the appointment of James Marino as General Manager of the Lexington New York City. With more than two decades of luxury hospitality experience in major metropolitan markets such as New York and Chicago, Marino will oversee operations of the storied Manhattan hotel currently in the midst of a multi-million dollar transformation. Marino joins the Lexington New York City from the Hyatt Arlington in Arlington, Virginia where he served as general manager for three years. His strong background in finance, sales and marketing drove the successful operation of the 318-room hotel; Marino exceeded Hyatt Arlington’s annual budgeted revenue goal for two consecutive years while also increasing the overall RevPar (Revenue per Available Room) by more than 20%. Under his guidance, the Hyatt Arlington also improved its standing on the international travel review forum, Trip Advisor – jumping from #31 to #9.
C. Scott Rohm has been appointed as President at SH Group
Starwood Capital Group announces C. Scott Rohm as President of SH Group, Starwood Capital’s hotel brand management company that oversees the development and launch of the group’s two new luxury and lifestyle hotel and residence brands, Baccarat Hotels and 1 Hotels & Resorts. In this role, Rohm will oversee the operations of the SH Group managed hotels, including development, operations, sales, finance & accounting, and human resources. The appointment of Rohm is an important step in preparation for the launch of the two hotel brands, including the initial five hotel openings scheduled over the next twenty-four months: Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York, NY, Baccarat Hotel Rabat, Morocco, 1 Hotel & Residences South Beach, FL, 1 Hotel Central Park, NY and 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge Park, NY. SH Group will be an important element of the growing hotel operations team at Starwood Capital, which includes the revenue management and distribution groups and global asset management team, led by Steven Hankin, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations, and the firm’s in-house proprietary Design and Construction teams.
Kelly Leftheris has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing at Warwick New York
Leftheris began her distinguished career at New York-based Affinia Hotel Group in 1990, where she worked as a sales representative for the company’s Manhattan portfolio and later as corporate sales manager. In 1996, she began working as sales manager for Crowne Plaza Times Square, where over the next five years, she rose to director of sales for the hotel, leading a team of 15. She was subsequently hired as director of sales and marketing at Crowne Plaza Clark, N.J. to spearhead a team that reinvented the hotel’s brand.
Jennifer Nuoffer has been named Director of Travel Industry Sales at The Waldorf Astoria New York and the Conrad New York
Jennifer Nuoffer of The Waldorf Astoria New York is now also director of travel industry sales for Conrad New York. Nuoffer is responsible for all travel industry, consortia, and leisure agency accounts for both of Hilton Worldwide’s New York City-based luxury properties. For the past two years, Nuoffer has served as director of travel industry sales of the Waldorf Towers, the exclusive boutique hotel within the Waldorf Astoria New York, where she has developed a network of highly regarded relationships within the luxury travel realm.
Cornelia Samara has been appointed as General Manager at Andaz 5th Avenue
Cornelia Samara has spent almost ten years with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, where she has held managerial positions at properties such as Park Hyatt San Francisco and Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Ms. Samara has also held leadership positions at various other urban and resort properties, allowing her to experience all aspects of hotel operations across a variety of nation-wide destinations. Cornelia Samara's true passion for hospitality began many years prior to her first hotel experience. A German National of Palestinian and German descent, Ms. Samara has pursued a life of world travel and has lived and visited numerous countries around the world. She once circled the globe in 30 days, making stops in Pakistan, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines and more. She also spent one year living in and learning about Singapore. Ms. Samara felt that to truly experience a destination she must immerse herself in the local culture and explore every aspect of the area's traditions, cuisine, art and history. This same philosophy was what enticed her to accept the position of General Manager at Andaz 5th Avenue.
Joyce Polsenberg has been appointed as Area & Development Director, Americas at Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH)
Joyce Polsenberg is based in the New York office and will continue to bolster awareness and strength for the brand in the Americas. Coming from a diverse background, Polsenberg began with an undergraduate degree in Finance and International Business from Georgetown University. She then worked at Lehman Brothers on the trading room floor before obtaining a Master of Management in Hospitality from Cornell University, as well as at a leading hospitality brand as the Global Director of Business Development. Joyce's duties and responsibilities are two-fold, including overseeing the US office as well as expanding the SLH brand in the Americas, and in particular South America. Joyce lives in Manhattan in the West Village and is an avid explorer of the shorelines of the USA from Florida to Maine and the Gulf of Mexico to the islands of Hawaii. She loves to sail and ski, but back in New York she is a virtual restaurant guide, always exploring new restaurants and returning to old favorites.
Niki Leondakis has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Commune Hotels & Resorts
John Pritzker, Co-Chairman of Commune Hotels & Resorts named Niki Leondakis to serve as the company's new CEO. Ms. Leondakis joins Commune from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group where she most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer.
Edward Maynard has been appointed as General Manager at Westin New York Grand Central
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announces that Edward Maynard has been appointed General Manager of the new Westin New York Grand Central, which will officially fly the Westin flag next month following a $65 million renovation. Maynard brings nearly three decades of experience in hotel management to his new position. He has held several general manager positions at notable hotels in New York, including sister Starwood hotels the W New York Union Square and the W New York, where he served most recently.
Steve Batta has been named General Manager at JW Marriott Essex House
Marriott International, Inc. continues to grow its world-class JW Marriott hotel brand with the opening of JW Marriott Essex House New York, the brand's first hotel in New York City. Mr. Stephen Batta was named General Manager of JW Marriott Essex House New York. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Batta has spent the majority of his career in the New York City market. Most recently, Batta was the General Manager of the Renaissance New York Hotel 57, where he led his team to achieve exceptionally high associate engagement levels and placed a strong focus on leadership development.
Mark Zovic has been appointed as General Manager at Hotel Utica
With its recent renewal of the Hotel Management Contract, LHR Hospitality Management is pleased to announce Mr. Mark Zovic as the General Manager of the historic Hotel Utica in Utica, New York.
Ashfer Biju has been appointed as Executive Chef at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel
Ashfer Biju is the Executive Chef at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel on New York’s Central Park. Responsible for all culinary operations at the classic hotel, Chef Biju is a talented man on a mission: to deliver inventive, seasonal, sustainable options that delight a diverse array of discerning palates from around the world. He directs a culinary team of 50 cooks and seven sous chefs, and puts daily afternoon creative sessions devoted to testing and tasting new concepts under development to great use.
Jeffrey Miller has been appointed as General Manager at Andaz Wall Street
Andaz hotels announces the appointment of Jeffrey Miller to the position of General Manager at Andaz Wall Street; while former General Manager, Toni Hinterstoisser, will lead the highly anticipated opening of Andaz Amsterdam in late Summer 2012. Jeffrey Miller brings twenty-two years of experience with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts to Andaz Wall Street and has experienced every aspect of hotel operations and management throughout his career. Mr. Miller has held leadership positions at properties such as Park Hyatt Los Angeles and Grand Hyatt New York. Most recently Jeffrey Miller oversaw the successful rebranding of the Hyatt at The Bellevue becoming the preferred venue for "black-tie" social events in the Philadelphia area and landing the hotel on Travel + Leisure's "Top Urban Hotels in North America" list.
Cesar Avery has been appointed as General Manager at St Giles Hotel New York
St Giles Hotels has announced the appointment of Cesar Avery as the new general manager for Manhattan portfolio which consists of two Manhattan side-by-side properties – The Tuscany and The Court. Avery, a nominee for the 2010 HSMAI Big Apple Chapter General Manager of the Year Award, is a hospitality industry executive with experience leading upscale boutique hotels in Washington D.C. and New York City. Avery joins St Giles after nearly a decade with the 130-room boutique Roger Smith Hotel in New York where he served as general manager for 8 years. Prior, he worked as their director of marketing. During his tenure the property’s rooms division revenue rose by 40 percent, with average rates increasing by 25 percent.