Alliance Hospitality, a premier hotel management company, announced today that Evan Fuller has been hired as General Manager for its Wyndham Bay Point Resort property located in Panama City Beach, Florida. Rolf Tweeten, Chairman of the Board, made the announcement.
After officially opening its doors last month, the stylish, Spanish-influenced The Hotel Zamora introduces the dynamic executive team at the helm of the area’s first new hotel in more than two decades. Eustance brings more than 15 years of hospitality sales experience to The Hotel Zamora. Living in St. Pete Beach for more than a decade, she is well versed in the destination’s tourism trends. Most recently, Eustance was sales manager for the Loews Don CeSar Hotel, where she was repeatedly awarded Loews Hotels’ Superstar status for outstanding achievement. As senior sales manager, Eustance coordinates all meetings, event and room block sales to create unique group experiences and maximize revenue potential.
After officially opening its doors last month, the stylish, Spanish-influenced The Hotel Zamora introduces the dynamic executive team at the helm of the area’s first new hotel in more than two decades. Ingram’s resume includes tenures at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort and most recently, the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale, where he was director of front office operations. At The Hotel Zamora, Ingram manages guest services, including valet, concierge, housekeeping and communications, to provide the best possible guest experience.
After officially opening its doors last month, the stylish, Spanish-influenced The Hotel Zamora introduces the dynamic executive team at the helm of the area’s first new hotel in more than two decades. Robertson’s hospitality management skills are a product of his 27+ years of experience in luxury properties, which include the Grand Heritage Hotel Group, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. In his career, Robertson has trained hundreds of employees on best practices related to sales and marketing strategies and guest services. At The Hotel Zamora, Robertson oversees staff management, leads financial strategy and coordinates with the property’s sales team to drive new and repeat business.
A resident of South Florida for 15+ years, Chris Bielski is no stranger to the market. Having most recently served in the Market Sales Leader position for South Florida he also held positions as Sales Leader at the Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott and Area Director of Sales for Fort Lauderdale and Miami, along with a seven-‐year stint with Doral Golf Resort & Spa. Chris also served as the Area Director of Sales & Marketing for all Marriott managed hotels in South Florida for three years. Prior to living under the sunny skies of Florida, Chris called the Midwest home where he actually began his career as a banquet cook at the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort near Chicago, IL. From there he went on to hold various food & beverage, catering and sales positions in Chicago, Cleveland & Detroit, before moving in to leadership roles as Director of Catering Sales, Director of Group Sales and Director of Sales & Marketing. Having now been with Marriott for more than 30 years, Chris will continue his run in Florida as the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa.
Having achieved top financial results and held various executive positions, Karen Chastain brings more than two decades of substantial leadership experience within the Marriott brand. Karen assumes her new role by way of the Scottsdale Marriott and the Scottsdale Marriott Old Town Suites where she served as Multi-‐Property General Manager. Prior to that she worked with the Marriott Western Regional Team as the Regional Director of Finance and Accounting for five years and the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa as the Director of Room Operations and Sales Manager, achieving top customer scores and financial results. Throughout her Marriott career, Karen is known to consistently achieve outstanding guest satisfaction, associate engagement and house profit, and looks forward to maintaining that streak in Fort Lauderdale as General Manager.
David Dvorak CMP, the former Vice President of Catering and Event Management for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE: HOT), will join Cendyn Arcaneo, in a newly created role -- Vice President, Strategic Accounts. Mr. Dvorak, who is credited with achieving over $1.75 billion in food, beverage and ancillary revenues annually while at Starwood, that consistently met or exceeded budget, will lead new product configuration sales strategy and services for Cendyn Arcaneo® with particular focus on the meeting planning industry.
Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach, the iconic Miami resort slated to open this summer following a $280 million renovation, is pleased to announce Nils Stolzlechner as its new general manager. An industry professional with more than 20 years of international hospitality experience, Stolzlechner brings his luxury property expertise to South Beach and Shelborne Wyndham Grand.
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beachfront resort hotel on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, has announced the appointment of Richard Hays as the resort’s newest regional sales manager. Based in Harwood, Md., Hays will direct the resort’s sales efforts into the mid-atlantic and Northeastern markets. A nearly 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Hays’ previously held sales positions at properties including Hyatt Regency La Jolla in San Diego, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. and Marriott International. Hays holds degrees in music and a Master’s of Science in business administration from the University of Maryland. In his free time, he tends to his garden, sings in a choir and revels in traditional Chesapeake cooking.
Orlando hotel, hospitality and meetings industry veteran Barb Bowden has been named managing director of operations for Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando. Bowden brings extensive experience and knowledge managing the day-to-day operations of large-scale hotel properties. Prior to joining Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, Bowden served as general manager of the Orange County Convention Center, the second largest convention and tradeshow facility in the United States. Before that, she spent 27 years with The Peabody Orlando, starting as a front desk supervisor and working her way through the ranks to become general manager in 2010, and then vice president in 2013. Bowden is a cum laude graduate of Missouri State University. She is a current Executive Committee Member of the Americas Board of Directors of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
Wyndham Grand Jupiter at Harbourside Place, Jupiter’s newest upscale hotel scheduled to open this September, recently announced the appointment of Matthew Boris as general manager. Boris is responsible for all efforts leading up to the hotel’s opening as well as managing day-to-day operations and hotel staff upon opening. With more than 15 years of hospitality industry experience, Boris is versed in property opening, management and operations. Most recently, he held several roles ranging from director of operations to hotel manager at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, which opened in 2011.
Caliendo has more than 33 years of experience in the hotel industry, all with Hyatt, and he most recently served as the general manager for six years at Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas.Prior to Hill Country, Caliendo served as general manager for the Hyatt Regency Miami, Hyatt Regency Coral Gables and Hyatt Regency Deerfield. Caliendo also held various food and beverage positions including opening the resort on Grand Cayman, Grand Hyatt Tampa, Los Angeles and New Orleans.
Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Bob Edwards general manager for the Gilchrist Club, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® property located in Trenton, Florida, nears Gainsville. Greg Champion, Benchmark's executive vice president and COO, made the announcement. This represents the second time Mr. Edwards was appointed general manager of the Gilchrist Club. He held the title, along with that of senior vice president, from 2010 to 2012 as well. Between these two leadership appointments at the Gilchrist Club, Mr. Edwards served as general manager of Kessler Canyon Ranch in DeBeque, Colorado. He has served in the same position for Cheyenne Ridge Outfitter and Signature Lodge, located in Pierre, South Dakota, as well as the Deep Water Cay Club in the Bahamas.
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa has welcomed Arielle Feinberg as the new spa director of the property’s 14,000 square feet Heavenly Spa by Westin™. Having managed some of the country’s most luxurious spa facilities, Feinberg brings a wealth of knowledge that she will use to lead the development of new well-being programming such as adding new treatments and amenities for guests and locals.
Campbell brings over 30 years of leadership experience in hotel management, finance and operations. He began in the food and beverage industry in 1979 and worked for Houlihan's Restaurants and LA Cafes holding several key management positions including vice president of operations. In 1987, he joined the hotel industry as director of food and beverage for the Hotel Park Tucson where he remained for two years before joining Renaissance Hotels and Resorts in Dallas, Texas. After six years, Campbell joined Remington Hotel Corporation in Indianapolis before taking the appointment of general manager for Meristar Hotels and Resorts. Interstate Hotels brought him to Missouri in 2000 where he received the General Manager of the Year award in 2002. He was appointed general manager of Millennium hotels in 2006 where he remained until 2010. Prior to joining Hiltons of Branson, he was interim general manager of the Radisson Branson.
With nearly eight years of sales and marketing experience, Sales Manager Goncear's duties include soliciting accounts, growing client relationships and business, and meeting set sales goals. She most recently served as Marketing and Sales Coordinator for The Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and previously as Sales Consultant for Weston Volvo in Weston, FL. She graduated from LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.
As General Manager, Winter will be responsible for all phases of the hotel's operations and administration, including the management of approximately 30 associates. A native of Montauk, NY, she joins the Boca team from her most recent position as General Manager at the Ocean Beach Resort in Montauk. Winter's previous management experience includes positions as Assistant General Manager and Guest Services Manager for several hotels and resorts in the Long Island, NY area, as well as her role as Front Desk Supervisor at the Waterford Hotel Group-managed Courtyard by Marriott in Warwick, RI. She is a graduate of New York University's Stern School of Business in New York City with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and International Business.
Liberty Group has named Jennifer Hand general manager of the upcoming Aloft hotel. The 130-room Aloft hotel, under construction at the Mercantile Bank building, is now scheduled to open July 3, said Punit Shah, Liberty Group’s president and chief operating officer. Hand most recently was senior sales manager of the Wyndham Tampa Westshore. That hotel has since changed flags and become the Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore.
Allan most recently held the position of general manager of Pier Sixty-Six, down the street from his new assignment at the 25-story, all-suite flagship property. No stranger to Hilton, Allan was part of the Hilton family as hotel manager at GALLERYone, a DoubleTree by Hilton all-suites resort on the Intracoastal waterways. Allan started his career with Hilton Worldwide in food and beverage at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resort and Towers. Early in his career, he was instrumental in establishing Shula's Steak Houses as a nationally recognized restaurant brand, growing the organization from two restaurants to over thirty locations in most major markets.
Laura Santoni, a 25 year veteran with Marriott, has been announced as the new Vice President of Global Sales for the Caribbean and Latin America. As a key member of Marriott's Global Sales leadership team, Laura will be responsible for providing strategic sales leadership and management oversight to the global sales teams currently deployed throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Working in tandem with the region's sales & marketing leaders, Laura and her team will develop and implement sales strategies that optimize profitable market share from targeted high-value accounts. Laura began her Marriott career in 1991 as Director, Travel Industry Sales of the Orlando Marriott Hotel. Since then she has successfully held numerous positions including General Manager of the 1100-room Marriott Village at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Vice President, of Sales for the Northern Mid-America Area sales and most currently, Laura held the position of Vice President of Sales for Florida.