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Nicole Whitaker has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at YVE Hotel Miami by Destination Hotels

Host Hotels & Resorts, the nation’s largest lodging real estate investment trust, in conjunction with Destination Hotels, the largest operator of independent hotels and resorts in North America, announced today the appointment of Nicole Whitaker as Director of Sales and Marketing at the new YVE Hotel Miami (YVE). The 243-room property which launched December 2014 is ideally situated in the heart of downtown Miami at 146 Biscayne Blvd.

Ron Day has been appointed as General Manager at Casa Marina and The Reach: Waldorf Astoria Resorts

Bringing more than 25 years of leadership experience in hotel management and operations, Day most recently served as general manager of Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica where he led a team of 700. Day began his career in hotels in 1987 as director of restaurants for the Scottsdale Princess Resort and has since held management positions at The Buttes Resort in Tempe, Arizona; Adam’s Mark Hotels; El Conquistador Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Puerto Rico; and Miami Beach Resort & Spa. In addition, in 2007, he oversaw the conversion of Saratago Hotel in New York to the Hilton brand. Day’s result-driven leadership skills and passion for the hospitality and culinary industry has put him on many boards and executive councils including Jamaican Hotel & Tourism Association, Saratoga Springs Convention & Tourism Board, American Institute of Wine and Food; Arizona and Delaware Valley chapters, Chaine des Rotisseures in Phoenix, Mobile, Philadelphia and Jamaica as well as SKAL International. Day holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Business; School of Hotel & Restaurant Administration from Florida State University.

Francis Purvey has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at Sonesta Fort Lauderdale

With more than 20 years of experience in destination and hospitality sales and marketing, Purvey was assistant director of tourism for Bermuda, where he spearheaded a number of successful programs. He later moved to the U.S., where he continued his career as director of marketing and leisure sales at the Radisson Suite Resort (now Marriott Sand Key) in Clearwater, Florida. He spent 13 years in that position and was credited with developing a strategic marketing and sales plans that led to significant success for the resort financially, as well as in customer service and guest satisfaction. Since leaving Clearwater, Purvey has served as director of sales and marketing for Bahia Mar Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale as well as Radisson’s two Caribbean properties in Aruba and St. Martin.

Ron Kerere has been appointed as Director of Food & Beverage at Orlando World Center Marriott

As a leader in the global hospitality industry, Orlando World Center Marriott is proud to announce the appointment of Ron Kerere as Director of Food & Beverage to its distinguished culinary team. In this role, Ron will oversee all food and beverage operations for the hotel's 2,009 guestrooms and suites, 10 diverse and seasonally-inspired restaurants and lounges, as well as a multi-million dollar banquet operation for the 450,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space. A native to Virginia, hailing from a small town near Washington, D.C., Ron brings a wealth of culinary experience, and a noteworthy education gained at Radford University, Va. Ron's resume also touts quality industry experience as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at Morongo Resort in Cabazon, Calif., Beverage Manager at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. and Assistant Beverage Manager at Sunset Station Hotel & Casino in Henderson, Nev. Most recently, Ron was General Manager of Gaylord Opryland Attractions in Nashville, Tenn., leading his team to achieve remarkable results in the areas of guest service, STAR satisfaction and financial success. Over the course of his career, Ron was notably the recipient of the Gaylord Opryland's 2010 Excellence in Leadership Award and winner of the 2014 Hedgehog Award.

Edita Matic has been appointed as Director of Sales & Revenue Management at Marenas Beach Resort

Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Edita Matic director of sales and revenue management for Marenas Beach Resort, located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, north of Miami. Rikki Boparai, managing director of the Personal Luxury collection of Florida, made the announcement.

Robert Stanfield has been named General Manager at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate

Stanfield joined Omni Hotels in 2013 as director of operations for Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate and shortly after was promoted to resort manager, a position he held until this recent promotion. "During his time at ChampionsGate, the resort has seen consistent high guest satisfaction ratings as a direct result of his leadership skills," said Stephen Rosenstock, senior vice president of Operations of Omni Hotels & Resorts. "We are pleased to wish Robert much success in his new role with Omni Hotels & Resorts."

Jane Maine de Biran has been appointed as Director of Leisure Sales at Trump National Doral Miami®

With more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, Maine de Biran began her career at Westin Hotels & Resorts’ regional office in New York City as National Accounts manager, responsible for corporate and associations accounts. She then moved to the travel industry segment with Rockresorts, a portfolio of luxury properties owned by Laurance Rockefeller. In 1990 Maine de Biran moved to Paris, France where she gained experience in the international arena and worked on various foreign hotel projects including Hotel Montalembert, Hotel Pont Royal and Hotel de Vigny. In 1996 Jane founded the luxury hotel representation firm JMB Associates (later rebranded to M Luxury Collection). The collection featured a wide array of luxury resorts and hotels worldwide, such as Auberge du Soleil, One Devonshire Garden, Miraval Spa and Hotel Pont Royal to name a few. She sold M Luxury Collection September 2014, just prior to joining the Trump National Doral family.

Jacqueline Bassett has been appointed as National Sales Manager at Renaissance World Golf Village Resort

Bassett joined the resort from the historic, Four-Diamond The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, where she was National Sales Manager, with a focus on serving the association market. Prior to that she was National Association Sales Manager for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, where she represented the Twin City Quarter Complex in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which included two full-service hotels. Her experience also includes five years as Group Sales Manager at the Four-Diamond Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Ware College in London, England.

Paul Dake has been appointed as National Sales Manager at Renaissance World Golf Village Resort

Dake came to The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort with extensive hospitality convention sales experience. This includes serving as Director of Sales for three years at the 600-room Amelia Island Plantation, where he oversaw a team of 9 sales managers and a total staff of 15. He also served as: Director of Sales at Hawk’s Cay Resort in the Florida Keys for seven years; as Director of Sales for South Seas Resorts’ nine waterfront properties for four years; and as Director of Mid-Atlantic Sales at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa. His broad experience also includes creating and owning a site-selection company that assisted corporate clients in placing meetings and incentive programs.

Dawn Walzak has been appointed as Director of Sales at Hilton Orlando

As director of sales, Walzak will oversee all group sales activities including the development of and business transactions for the 1,400-room equal parts business and leisure hotel which encompasses more than 250,000 square feet of meeting and event space including a 50,000 square foot outdoor Promenade. Most recently at Tishman Hotel Corporation, she was directly involved in the sales, marketing and revenue strategy of the hotel and resort portfolio of multiple brands including Westin, Sheraton, InterContinental, Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, Four Points, Radisson, Doubletree, Ramada, among other boutique and independent properties.

Mike Burgess has been appointed as Regional VP of Development at Vantage Hospitality

Industry development leader Mike Burgess is now heading up the eastern region development for Vantage’s Upscale Brands that include the company’s midscale to upscale offerings of Lexington® Inn, Lexington Hotel, and the brands that are being relaunched under the Vantage umbrella - Jameson Inn®, Jameson Suites® and 3 Palms Hotels & Resorts®.

Wolfgang Wehen has been appointed as General Manager at Newport Beachside Resort

As General Manager, Wehen will oversee day-to-day operations, including the property’s onsite supper club, Kitchen 305, and widely acclaimed Aveda Seven Seas Spa & Salon. He will also manage sales, revenue management, finance and catering services for the property. In addition he is going to support the expansion of the Newport Group supporting transitions and conversions of new hotel projects.

Alex Paz has been appointed as Executive Chef at JW Marriott Miami

JW Marriott Miami, the luxurious AAA Four Diamond hotel located in the heart of Brickell Avenue, is excited to announce Alex Paz as their new Executive Chef. Paz will lead the hotel’s culinary program, including restaurants The Trapiche Room, serving impeccable Mediterranean cuisine; La Terrazza Café and Bar, which serves American cuisine with a more casual ambiance; and Isabela’s, an American cuisine restaurant for breakfast and private events. Paz will also be responsible for elevating the hotel’s banquet offerings, creating personalized experiences and gourmet menus for groups of any size. Chef Paz prides himself in including a bit of Floridian flair in every dish he creates. He carefully sources his products from local providers, including north and central Florida’s top farmers and ranchers for home-grown meats and dairy. Based in Miami, he will also be able to feature the freshest seafood options on the menus, which are modified daily. The Chef attributes his unique cooking style to his travels throughout the Caribbean, Central America, Europe and South East Asia. Today, Chef Paz’s dishes are a careful blend of local and global cuisine, much like the city of Miami.

Dena Roady has been appointed as General Manager at Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa

Roady has a long history with Hyatt, which spans 17 years and various roles in 10 North America full service properties. Most recently, Roady was general manager, Hyatt Market Street, The Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. Prior to her two-year role as general manager, Roady was executive assistant manager at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona from 2010-2012. Roady also served the same function for Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, TX from 2008-2010 and Hyatt Regency Irvine, Irvine CA from 2006-2008.

Zachary Felter has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at 1 Hotel South Beach

Zachary Felter brings extensive knowledge of the Miami hospitality market to 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach. Prior to 1 Hotels, he quickly accelerated from national sales manager to director of sales at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel where he managed a team of 11, established new programming that successfully met and surpassed sales goals, and created and executed the hotel’s sales budget and plan, adjusting as necessary to meet goals. Felter began his career as a member of the sales team at the iconic Eden Roc Miami Beach Hotel.