Waldorf Astoria Key West announces the appointment of David Ferrier as director of food and beverage for Casa Marina and The Reach Resorts. With more than 16 years of hospitality experience, Ferrier manages the culinary program for both resorts including 15,000 square feet of event and banquet space, Casa Marina’s Sun Sun, RUMba rum bar, and Spencer’s by the Sea at The Reach.
WoodSpring Hotels, the nation"s fastest growing extended-stay hotel company, today announced the grand opening of WoodSpring Suites Miami Southwest. The hotel, owned by Gold Coast Premier Properties, LLC, will be operated by Overland Park, Kansas-based Hotel Management & Consulting, LLC (HMC). The hotel is located at 16055 SW 117th Avenue, Richmond Heights, Fla., 33177.
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village announces the appointment of Michael Tighe as general manager. Widely known and respected within the Marriott family, Tighe brings more than 27 years of experience and leadership and will oversee day-to-day operations of the resort.
At Magnuson Worldwide, America's fastest growing hotel brand, we are proud to announce the branding of the Magnuson Hotel Jacksonville Downtown.
The new AC Hotel Gainesville Downtown, a chic and modern 144-room property in the heart of Gainesville, F.L., is nearing completion and is slated to open in early 2018. Located just a Heisman"s throw from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, more popularly known as "The Swamp," the property will be managed by Concord Hospitality and marks the third AC Hotel in Florida and the first outside of Miami.
Lionheart Capital, a Miami-based global real estate development and capital investment firm, announces the appointment of Cristiano Buono as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach. Buono has held various leadership positions in both residential and hotel management, at properties including The Ritz-Carlton Club, Aspen Highlands, and The Ritz-Carlton Abama, Golf & Spa Resort in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and EDITION Hotels: The London EDITION, and most recently, The New York EDITION. With The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach’s completion this winter, as General Manager he will open the celebrated Master Italian Architect Piero Lissoni’s first full-scale architectural project in the United States and will lead a high performing and talented staff of Ladies and Gentleman, inspiring them to always honor The Ritz-Carlton culture and offer the signature gold standards of service. Buono brings to The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach more than two decades of experience from over ten countries around the world and a long-standing relationship with The Ritz-Carlton brand. His deep understanding of working effectively with teams from many cultures, hands-on approach and passion for luxury experiences will focus on The Residences’ owner engagement, managing and implementing long standing hotel-style amenities, and pushing his team to provide outstanding levels of service. With extensive professional experiences across the globe including Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom, and Spain, Buono’s expertise comes to Miami Beach– a city where many cultures come together and within a property where many world travelers call home. Buono holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Hotel Management School IPAS and speaks English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian fluently.
The 2016 winner of the Good as Gold award presented by the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce for civic engagement and 2015’s SRQ Magazine Women in Business Leadership Circle, Director of Marketing & Communications Sandra Rios directs Zota Beach Resort’s marketing efforts, pulling from her 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. During her previous position as public relations manager at Foxwoods Resort Casino and the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Conn., Rios executed publicity plans for numerous retail and restaurant openings and multi-million dollar facility expansions including the opening of Lake of Isles, a Rees Jones golf course and Hard Rock Cafe Foxwoods.
Noble House Hotels & Resorts—a collection of luxury hotels and resorts—announces the Friday, November 10th soft opening of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Banyan Cay Resort & Golf (Banyan Cay), a private, members-only golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla. The golf course is the latest addition to Noble House's recent expansion of its roster of premier properties throughout the United States. Situated on 250 acres in the heart of West Palm Beach, the redesign of Banyan Cay began in November 2016 with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by golf icon and globally acclaimed course designer Jack Nicklaus. The layout has the distinction of being the 300th golf course worldwide to feature the design work of the Golden Bear.
As the Epicurean Hotel’s new front desk supervisor, Teresa Riccardi supervises front office staff and implements and supports hospitality practices. Riccardi also handles any guest-related issues and the check-in process to ensure guest satisfaction. For the past year, Riccardi has worked as manager in training at Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, a Mainsail Lodging property located in the British Virgin Islands. Her other industry experience includes concierge positions at The Promenade at the Foundry Hotel and the Renaissance Providence Hotel, both in Rhode Island. She graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in Hotel & Lodging Management.
Genevieve Wojick has been promoted from assistant front desk manager to front office manager, now responsible for daily oversight of the hotel’s front office operations. She started at the Epicurean Hotel three years ago as an Epicurean Host. Prior to joining Mainsail, Wojick graduated from Florida State University and held front desk positions for The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans and the Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor.
Shawn Routten, the new director of operations, has been with Epicurean Hotel’s parent company Mainsail Lodging & Development for nine years. In this position, Routten oversees day-to-day operations of both the room and food and beverage departments, and supports the culinary and spa teams, as needed. Routten started as a front desk agent at Mainsail Suites & Conference Center in 2008 and worked his way up to opening the Epicurean Hotel in 2013 as front office manager. Routten is a graduate of Florida International University.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises today announced the appointment of Megan Hernandez as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the cruise line. Ms. Hernandez will lead the brand’s global marketing strategy and drive worldwide preference among both travelers and valued travel agent partners for Regent’s most inclusive luxury experience. Ms. Hernandez was most recently the Vice President of Guest Experience Marketing for Norwegian Cruise Line, where she led loyalty, product, consumer, and travel partner marketing, and market research. Prior to Norwegian Cruise Line, Ms. Hernandez was with Procter & Gamble and AT&T. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola Marymount University.
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach, a newly renovated resort set along the Intracoastal Waterway in Hollywood, Fla., is the latest addition to the growing portfolio of hotels from DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) 14 market-leading brands.
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Sandy Lam director of sales & marketing for The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located in Orlando, Florida. Bill Lee, general manager, made the announcement. A veteran hotelier, Sandy Lam brings extensive experience and a solid history of results from positions held at properties from New York to Florida. She was most recently director of sales & marketing for the Radisson Resort Orlando Celebration. In this role she was honored with the Director of Sales & Marketing of the Year Award by Interstate Hotels, which operates the property. Prior to this, Ms. Lam served as area director of sales & marketing for BVHG Hospitality and director of sales & marketing for the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, an InterContinental Hotels Group property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. She has also held leadership roles for hotels in New York City, including Swissôtel The Drake, the New York Helmsley and The Helmsley Palace. She resides in Windermere, Florida.
With over 10 years of experience, Judson will oversee all group sales efforts for W South Beach. Most recently, Judson served as senior sales manager for The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami. Prior experience includes sales management positions with Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International at The Hotel Arts Barcelona, Penha Longa Resort in Sintra, Portugal and Vila Sol Algarve, a Renaissance Spa and Golf Resort.
Peters brings more than 28 years of leading hospitality experience to W South Beach. In his new role, Peters oversees all sales and marketing efforts, including leisure, entertainment and business travel, catering and group sales, digital and creative marketing efforts, branding initiatives, strategic partnerships, advertising, and media efforts. Most recently, Peters served as area sales leader for 15 Marriott managed properties in Miami and Marco Island. Prior experience includes several sales and marketing leadership positions under various hotel flags in Florida, Texas and the CALA region, including Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance Brands.
Woodbine Development Corporation (Woodbine) and IMG Academy (IMG) broke ground on a 150-room upscale boutique hotel on the northern edge of IMG"s 500-plus-acre campus. The five-story hotel—which will be known as The Legacy Hotel at IMG Academy—will serve guests and clients of the world-class training facility, including visiting teams, coaches, student-athletes, staff and parents. Additionally, it will provide a go-to destination for visitors to the surrounding community. The hotel is anticipated to open in the fall of 2018.
Hotel Equities and F&F, LLC broke ground recently on a new-build Staybridge Suites by IHG at 4901 Griffin Road in Davie, Florida. Construction is underway for the hotel with completion expected in late 2018. Hotel Equities serves as the management company for the property.
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is pleased to announce the appointment of Christiana “Criss” Menassa as Executive Chef. Chef Menassa brings more than 30 years of experience in the culinary world and will be overseeing all of the hotel’s culinary operations, including the property’s two dining venues, Marker92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro and The Nauti Mermaid Dockside Bar & Grill.
Waterford Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Jenny Mazzurco to Director of Sales of the 119-room Fairfield Inn & Suites in Boca Raton, FL. Fairfield Inn & Suites Boca is managed by Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm located in Waterford, CT.Mazzurco comes to Waterford Hotel Group with more than 20 years of experience. Most recently, Mazzurco served as the Senior Sales Manager at the Hyatt House in White Plains, a 159-room property where she led the sales team and often assisted at other properties.