BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named El Hassan Erroudani director of operations for Villas of Grand Cypress, a Gemstone Collection resort located in Orlando, Florida. Mark Cox, Benchmark's general manager for Villas of Grand Cypress, made the announcement.
Brad McCreedy brings 20 years of hospitality experience to the general manager role. McCreedy will manage day-to-day operations, oversee associate development and work to uphold LBA’s standard of providing exceptional guest service. His strong customer satisfaction skills will be an asset to the hotel’s success. McCreedy previously served as area general manager for three hotels in the Charlotte area.
LBA Hospitality, a full-scale hotel management, development and consulting firm, has named Brad McCreedy to the role of general manager for Hampton Inn & Suites Gainesville-Downtown, a property owned by Key International.
Salamander Hotels & Resorts, the luxury hotel company founded by Sheila Johnson, today announced the appointment of J. Michael Williams as the new managing director of Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, in Tampa Bay. A former Innisbrook director of sales and marketing, Williams returns to the renowned resort in his new role as it readies to host the world’s finest golfers on its Copperhead Course for the Valspar Championship, an official PGA TOUR event.
sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues globally, today announced that hospitality executive Chris Sariego is joining as Vice President and General Manager of Delano South Beach in Miami and SLS Baha Mar in The Bahamas. Sariego brings over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. He has worked across the United States, Caribbean, South America and Europe. Most recently, Sariego spent over four years at the Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas as Senior Vice President and General Manager with direct responsibility for the Luxury Cove Resort, The Reef Luxury Residential Resort, The Dolphin Cay, The Marine Park and the Water Park. In addition, he was President of the Homeowners Association and President for the Blue Project Foundation. Previously, Sariego held General Manager and senior leadership roles at The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Intercontinental and Starwood Hotels. Sariego holds an MBA from Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile and a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University in Miami.
NEW YORK, NY (February 28, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Christian Glauser-Benz as Vice President of Development for Latin America and the Caribbean. Tapping into nearly 15 years of experience in hotel development and portfolio expansion, Glauser-Benz brings a wealth of knowledge and an extensive global network of relationships with real estate developers, capital groups and private investors to Dream Hotel Group.
Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Ltd. (NHHR), a collection of luxury hotels and resorts, announces the appointment of Tina Gerson as Director of Sales to Pelican Grand Beach Resort, located just steps from the Atlantic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In this role, Gerson oversees all sales efforts to drive revenue for the boutique hotel while working with the larger Noble House team to achieve goals and grow sales for groups and leisure visitors.
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa announced today the appointment of Vincent Bucci, as its new Managing Director. With an award-winning track record and an extensive background in hotel and food & beverage operations, he will be responsible for ensuring the successful re-launch of the storied 30-year-old resort as it finalizes a $40 million-dollar transformation re-defining island style with modern elegantly designed accommodations, a redesigned pool, and a brand-new dining experience, The Deck at 560 Bar & Restaurant.Bucci offers the team at Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa more than 37 years of hotel industry experience in the country’s top markets. His roots began at the Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia as the food & beverage controller. He was quickly escalated to prestigious managerial positions at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. and Morton’s of Chicago in Columbus, Ohio and New York City. Serving in both area and property general manager positions, he held task force positions, developed training programs, and successfully led the transition of multiple hotels including Hyatt Regency Atlanta Perimeter, Hyatt Palm Springs and Doubletree Suites Nashville.
Trump National Doral® is pleased to announce the appointment of Didier Lailheugue as Executive Chef. Regarded as a culinary expert, Lailheugue offers more than 23 years of experience in kitchen management, development of recipes and menus, and has garnered high recognition from culinary experts.
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beachfront resort hotel on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, has appointed Laurie Graupner as the new executive chef of Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood, the resort’s AAA Four-Diamond restaurant. Chef Graupner joined the Seagar’s team five years ago as a part-time prep cook who quickly learned and moved up as a line cook then earned title of Sous Chef under the leadership of Chef Dan Vargo, the previous executive chef of Seagar’s and newly appointed executive chef of Hilton Sandestin Beach.
An industry veteran with more than 20 years in luxury hotel brand development and operations, Servat has spent the last two in Miami, having most recently served as general manager of Melia Hospitality International. There he was responsible for budgeting pre-opening activities for two 5-star hotel properties, Melia Costa Hollywood Hotel and ME by Melia Hotel, and managed all aspects of project planning across developer, general contractor and management company during the construction process. Prior to his time in Miami, Servat was based in Washington D.C., where he worked as a senior consultant at Steigenberger Hotels AG, as well as served the general manager at Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ W Hotel, Washington D.C.
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beachfront resort hotel on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, has appointed Dan Vargo as the new executive chef for the property. In his new position, Chef Vargo will blend Baltimore's traditional and historical influences, Martha’s Vineyard’s emphasis on organic produce and seasonal seafood, and the Ritz-Carlton’s world-class standards for fine dining and excellence in service into the Hilton Sandestin Beach experience. Chef Vargo started his journey at Hilton Sandestin Beach in April 2012 as executive chef at Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood, the resort’s AAA Four-Diamond restaurant.
Lipschutz brings more than 40+ years of industry involvement and 29+ years of Marriott-specific experience to Orlando World Center Marriott. Since beginning his career in 1977, Lipschutz gained more than a decade of know-how in well-known restaurant franchises before transitioning into the hotel sector and serving at multiple notable Marriott hotels — from Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach and Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center to JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. However, Lipschultz joins Orlando World Center Marriott most recently from the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes as the Food and Beverage Director, where he oversaw the management of the resort’s F&B department to ensure operations met the highest standards.
Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Richard Branson, welcomes Korollan King as the new Vice President of Accounting. King, who is based in Miami, will oversee the brand's accounting and financial operations. Most recently, King served as the Corporate Director of Finance & FP&A at Nikki Beach International, where she oversaw financial statement preparation, budgeting, internal controls, process improvement, and cash management for the brand. She has also held several senior accounting positions at Ernst & Young, where she developed detailed audit plans and identified risks for the various business processes.
Salles brings 20 years of business development and portfolio management experience to the team and will report to Alejandro Navia, Head of Sales and Marketing. Previously, Salles was chief commercial officer for MetroRio and served as portfolio director at BRMALLS, where he was responsible for property management and leasing and operations for twelve regional malls in Rio de Janeiro, with a net operating income of $188 million and 3.7 million sq. ft. of total GLA. He also served as sales and operations manager for IBM. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from PUC-Rio and an extension in marketing from the Kellogg School of Management.
Martinez will be the primary point of contact for investors and analysts in Latin America and the U.S. He brings years of experience in investor relations, previously working as assistant vice president of investor relations at Lippert Heilshorn. Previously, he headed both investor relations and financial communications for Legrand Hart. Additionally, he has held senior positions at The Dilenschneider Group where he led the Grupo Elektra and TV Azteca accounts. He will also report to Rodriguez.
Miranda brings over 22 years of hospitality experience and has worked closely with senior executives and hotel ownership groups including The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, LXR Luxury Resorts (an affiliate of The Blackstone Group), OTO Development and Hospitality Investors Group. Miranda will be responsible for providing vital operational and financial information from DAD’s management affiliate to DAD executives and general partners. He will be based in the firm’s Coral Gables office and report to Rodriguez.
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Antonio Estremera as executive chef for The Grove Resort & Spa, an expansive 106-acre hotel destination in Orlando, Florida, minutes from Walt Disney World®. The resort will open its first phase on March 10. The 878 room, all-suite hotel will feature multiple food and drink venues, including a three meal-a-day restaurant, two poolside eateries, two lounges, and a large-scale grab-and-go style marketplace. Each will be overseen by Chef Estremera. Bill Lee, The Grove’s general manager, made the announcement. Mr. Estremera arrives at The Grove Resort & Spa with more than 16 years of experience and more than half of his career spent in upper management positions. His tenure in the hospitality world has taken him up and down the eastern region of the U.S., including a selection of Benchmark properties. Within the collection, Mr. Estremera most recently served as executive chef at the Emilio & Gloria Estefan-owned Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa in Vero Beach, Florida; as executive sous chef at the Center for Leadership Excellence in Bethesda, Maryland; and as chef tournant for Lansdowne Resort, a Leesburg, Virginia, property formally operated by Benchmark. Mr. Estremera grew up in the food and beverage industry, learning the essentials of cooking during his formative years while working in his family’s restaurant. It was there that his love for the culinary arts developed, and he utilized his acquired skills to guide his remarkable career as executive chef. He’s since applied his refined technique and creativity to match the needs of the most discerning guests, meeting professionals, sophisticated special event planners, and wedding consultants. Mr. Estremera and his family are relocating to Orlando.
Swire Hotels has announced the appointment of Giovanni Beretta to the position of Vice President of Swire Hotels in the USA & General Manager of EAST, Miami. With over 20 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, he will oversee Swire Hotels interests in the USA & Americas and the operations of the newly opened lifestyle hotel and residences at Brickell City Centre.
Hotel Key West at Stock Island Marina announces Michael Hartman as Managing Director of the new-build, 100-room hotel. This appointment expands his current role as General Manager of Stock Island Marina Village to include overseeing the upscale, full-service hotel, which is slated for an early 2017 opening.