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Appointment

James Franks has been promoted to General Manager at The Hilton College Station Hotel and Conference Center

Sage Hospitality and the Hilton College Station Hotel and Conference Center are pleased to announce the recent appointment of James Franks as the General Manager of the highly respected Brazos County hotel. Franks was promoted from Hotel Manager after having been with the property for more than four years. Before joining the Hilton College Station in 2008, he opened the Hotel ZaZa and The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, both in Texas, in various senior leadership roles. His more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry includes 12 years of service to hotels in Texas. “James clearly lives and breathes the ‘Howdy!’ culture that the Hilton is known for,” says Jim Darter, Senior Vice President of the Full Service Division at Sage Hospitality. “He is a tremendous leader and we are highly confident that he has the right skills and attitude to continue to drive excellent results with this hotel and the College Station community.” Franks will be the first new general manager at the Hilton in 18 years following Barron Hobbs.

Sage
College Station, Texas, United States
Appointment

Marcus Latner has been appointed as General Manager at Lone Star Court Hotel

Lone Star Court, a new upscale, retro-inspired, motor court concept hotel by Valencia Group, set to open at the Domain in summer 2013, has named Marcus Latner as general manager. Latner has been with Valencia Group for more than 10 years, starting as a valet parking attendant at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio and rising through the ranks all the way up to his new position as general manager of Valencia Group’s newest property, Lone Star Court. After earning a bachelor’s degree from University of Texas and a master’s degree in business communications from Monmouth University in New Jersey, Latner got a job as a valet parking attendant at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio just as it was opening in 2003. He was quickly promoted to a bellman position, where he was mentored by hotel staff to develop management skills, serving in the front office, housekeeping, food and beverage, and sales.

Valencia Hotel Collection (VHC)
Austin, Texas, United States
Appointment

Michelle Clement has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at W Dallas Victory

Michelle Clement has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at W Dallas Victory Hotel. She brings more than 22 years experience to the position, including 13 years with Starwood brand hotels. Most recently, Clement was Complex Director of Sales and Marketing for The Westin and Sheraton Stonebriar in Frisco. She has also worked at The Westin Galleria in Dallas as Director of Sales and Marketing and The Westin City Center as Director of Group Sales. Clement has previously worked with the W Hotel brand in New Orleans as Director of Group Sales for W New Orleans and W French Quarter. She also held sales manager positions at Fairmont, Hyatt and Le Meridien hotels in New Orleans. Clement earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaura nt and Tourism Administration from the University of New Orleans.

Starwood
Dallas, Texas, United States
Appointment

Tom Thomas has been appointed as General Manager at Magnolia Hotel Dallas

Leigh Hitz, president and chief executive officer of Stout Street Hospitality, recently announced that Tom Thomas has been hired as the general manager of Magnolia Hotel Dallas. Tom has more than 35 years of travel and hospitality experience throughout the United States. He most recently managed an Embassy Suites in Frisco, Texas. He spent many years with Hilton Hotels as a general manager in Chicago and various locations in Texas. He also oversaw a diverse group of hotels for the company, which ranged from the historic Drake Hotel in Chicago to a conference center property in Grapevine, Texas. Earlier in his career, Tom worked for a number of conference center hotels managed by Benchmark Hospitality.

Stout Street Hospitality
Dallas, Texas, United States
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Appointment

Les Utley has been appointed as General Manager at Hotel Contessa

Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Les Utley general manager for Hotel Contessa, located on the picturesque Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. Greg Champion, Benchmark’s chief operating officer, made the announcement. Prior to joining Hotel Contessa, Les Utley was general manager of The Heathman Hotel, located in Kirkland, Washington, near Seattle. He has served as general manager for multiple luxury hotels and resorts throughout his productive career. Mr. Utley began his hospitality career working in sales and marketing in Cincinnati, and has held director of sales & marketing and general manager positions at luxury hotels in Los Angeles, New York City, Vail, Houston, and previously in San Antonio. While serving in his most recent position, Mr. Utley held Board of Director positions for the Washington Lodging Association, Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and Kirkland Downtown Association. He is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and business. Mr. Utley is returning to San Antonio with his family.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
San Antonio, Texas, United States
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Appointment

Diana Spina has been appointed as Catering Sales Manager at The Westin Galleria

Diana has over six years of catering and hospitality experience. She joins The Westin Galleria Dallas from the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco where she was the Catering Sales Manager. Diana has also worked for the Sofitel San Francisco Bay in their Catering Department and the Palace Hotel in Guest Services. Diana earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Broadcast Journalism at St. Scholastica’s College in the Philippines. She is also a certified wedding planner with the Bridal Society in New York.

Starwood
Dallas, Texas, United States
Appointment

Andrew Zinni has been appointed as General Manager at Marriott Austin South

White Lodging is pleased to announce that Andrew Zinni has been promoted to General Manager of the Marriott Austin South in Austin, TX. Previously, Zinni served as the Director of Food and Beverage at Louisville Marriott Downtown in Louisville, KY. Prior to joining White Lodging in 2011, Andy was the general manager of the Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce, Florida, a 346-member private equity club.

White Lodging
Austin, Texas, United States
Appointment

Freddie Khoo has been appointed as Director of Food & Beverage at Four Seasons Hotel Houston

Mr. Khoo arrives here from the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles where he held a similar position, but it is yet another promotion in an amazing, world-traveling career that has had him in the tropical paradises of Lanai, Hawaii, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean to the thriving metropolis of Singapore, the excitement of Seattle and glow of Toronto in Canada.

Four Seasons
Houston, Texas, United States
Appointment

Steven DeFelice has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at Hotel Contessa

Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Steven DeFelice director of sales & marketing for Hotel Contessa , located on the famed Riverwalk in San Antonio. Ted Davis, Benchmark’s senior vice president sales & marketing, made the announcement.Steven DeFelice was previously director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, a Hyatt flagship property located in Santa Fe. Prior to that, Mr. DeFelice was the director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio. He has also held sales & marketing positions for other major hospitality brands at properties located in New Orleans, Phoenix, and Point Clear, Alabama.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Appointment

Julie Vogel has been appointed as Director of Sales at Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas/Frisco

Director of Sales Julie Vogel brings over 10 years of industry experience to her new role, most recently serving as the Corporate Group Sales Manager for the John Q. Hammons Embassy Suites hotel in Frisco. Prior to the Embassy, Vogel worked as a Director of Sales and Marketing for Hilton Worldwide in Addison, TX, where she was recognized for substantially growing the hotel’s RevPAR index. Vogel also has experience working within the sales departments for Prime Hospitality and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. She has a B.B.A. from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.

Magnolia Lodging Development, LLC
Dallas, Texas, United States
Appointment

Gayle Wilkinson has been appointed as General Manager at Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas/Frisco

Magnolia Lodging, LLC recently announced the appointment of Gayle Wilkinson to General Manager and Julie Vogel to Director of Sales at the Homewood Suites by Hilton® Dallas/Frisco. Prior to joining the Homewood Suites, Wilkinson was the award-winning General Manager for the Homewood Suites Birmingham/South Inverness in Alabama. Both Wilkinson and her hotel were recognized annually by the Homewood Suites brand for excellence in leadership, operations and overall Total Quality Scores. Most recently, Wilkinson was recognized as a 2011 General Manager of the Year award of merit winner, the 2011 Homewood Suites Stewardship Award Winner for community service, and the Birmingham/South Inverness hotel received a 2011 Connie Pride Award of Merit for ranking within the top five Homewood Suites hotels in a brand that comprises over 300 open hotels.

Magnolia Lodging Development, LLC
Dallas, Texas, United States
Appointment

Courtney Van Amburgh has been named Marketing and Social Media Specialist at The Westin Galleria Dallas

The Westin Galleria Dallas, Starwood's 2011 Westin Hotel of the Year, announced today that it has hired Courtney Van Amburgh as the Marketing and Social Media Specialist. Before joining the Westin Galleria Dallas team, Courtney was collaborating marketing and business developments for the hotel and Galleria Dallas. She has over seven years of strategic communications experience and has worked for Communities in Schools Dallas Region, Genesco Sports Enterprises, Moore Norman Technology Center and Jazz in June.

Starwood
Dallas, Texas, United States
Appointment

Mary Crisman-Portobanco has been appointed as Director of Human Resources at Hotel Contessa

Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Mary Crisman-Portobanco director of human resources for Hotel Contessa, located on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Jeff Wardlaw, Benchmark’s general manager at the property, made the announcement. Mary Crisman-Portobanco was previously human resources director for Barceló Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in the Dominican Republic. Previous to this she served in the same role for Hilton Hotels in Manalapan, Florida, where she began with the company as vacation club sales associate.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
San Antonio, Texas, United States