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Marylouise Fitzgibbon has been appointed as General Manager at W Fort Lauderdale

Prior to joining W Fort Lauderdale, Fitzgibbon was the General Manager of W Atlanta Buckhead, where she was responsible for the opening of the hotel from concept to completion in 2008. Within the first three months, her marketing savvy helped the hotel secure over 230 pieces of press coverage in top tier publications, reaching a global audience of nearly 200 million. Under her leadership, the hotel was named 2009 Buckhead Business of the Year and became one of the area’s premier destinations.

Brian Comes has been appointed as Hotel Manager at Hyatt Regency Orlando

Brian Comes, Hotel Manager of Hyatt Regency Orlando, has been part of the Hyatt family for 25 years. Comes will support Tom Smith in positioning Hyatt Regency Orlando as one of the premier convention center hotels in the brand's global portfolio. Comes has held various positions as Director of Catering and Convention Services and several General Manager roles throughout the United States. In his most recent role as General Manager of Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, he was awarded Hyatt's General Manager of the Year for mid-size properties. Comes is a graduate of James Madison University and moves to Orlando with his wife Mirey, daughter Kaitlyn, and son Chris.

John Annicchiarico has been named Director of Sales & Marketing at Villas of Grand Cypress Resort

Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed John Annicchiarico director of sales and marketing for the Villas of Grand Cypress. Mark Cox, Benchmark's general manager for the Villas, Benchmark's Personal Luxury Resort® in Orlando, Florida, made the announcement.A veteran of the hospitality industry, John Annicchiarico was most recently the director of marketing for Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California. Prior to this he served in multiple positions with luxury hotels in Florida and California. Earlier in his career he worked for Universal Orlando during a $2.8 billion expansion of the resort, serving in both guest services and sales and marketing roles.

Joan Bowden has been appointed as Director of Spa at W Fort Lauderdale

W Fort Lauderdale welcomes Starwood spa veteran Joan Bowden as the new director of its iconic bliss spa. Bowden’s responsibilities as director of spa will include overseeing marketing and promotions, retail initiatives and operations of the 4,000 sq. ft. facility featuring a luxe nail lounge, pampering treatment rooms, men’s and women’s lounges that open on to an outdoor terrace, a retail boutique and a legendary brownie buffet.

Jim Mauer has been appointed as General Manager at Eden Roc Miami Beach

Destination Hotels & Resorts – the country’s fourth largest hospitality management company – is proud to announce the appointment of Jim Mauer as General Manager of Eden Roc Miami Beach, located on world-renowned Millionaire’s Row. In this role, Mauer will be responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the property, including sales, marketing and human resources.With a track record of more than 25 years of exceptional service experience and operational efficiency, Mauer joins the Eden Roc team most recently from the Bonaventure Resort & Spa, where he served as the General Manager. During his time at Bonaventure Resort & Spa, Mauer was responsible for overseeing the operations of more than 65,000 sq. ft. of resort space, and helping to transform the culture and physical design of the property. Mauer’s extensive management experience also stems from his work with other notable hotels, including Marriott’s Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center, Livonia Marriott and the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. At Eden Roc Miami Beach, Mauer hopes to continue the development of a cohesive leadership team and culture that will enhance the Eden Roc Miami Beach experience.

Dan Normandin has been appointed as General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Miami

Dan Normandin has been appointed General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, effective July 15th. He will be responsible for all operations of the 221-room hotel as well as the office space, condo-hotel program and 186 residential condominium units also housed in the 70-story tower on Miami's Brickell Avenue. Normandin replaces Simon Pettigrew who, after two years of being with Four Seasons Miami, has accepted the position of Vice President of Hotel Operations at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas.

Wes Santos has been named Marriott 2012 Diamond General Manager of the Year at the 2013 Marriott Conference

At the 2013 Marriott Conference in Orlando, FL May 29-June 1, 2013 Wes Santos from the Fairfield Inn and Suites Charlotte/Matthews, NC was recognized as Marriott’s Diamond General Manager of the year. Nominees were selected based on performance that goes above and beyond normal job responsibilities by providing outstanding and unique service to the property, to the guests and to the community. Wes was recognized for his overall hotel leadership, his team building and team development skills. The Fairfield Inn and Suites under Wes’s leadership has improved Trip Advisor rankings from 79th to #1 out of 166 hotels in the Charlotte market. His Guest Service Scores are some the highest in the brand and financial growth has surpassed all budgeted projections.

Kumar Anne has been promoted to General Manager at Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation

Kumar Anne has been promoted to general manager of the Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation. Previously, Anne was the resident manager at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in Indiana. Anne comes into his new promotion with extensive food and beverage experience, and has held a number of management positions during his career, including director of room services at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston, director of food and beverage for the Central Park Inter-Continental Hotel and the director of food and beverage at the Grand Lido Braco in Jamaica. Prior to joining White Lodging in 2011, Anne was the general manger for the Venetian Yacht Club in Babylon, N. Y.

Javier Beneyto has been appointed as General Manager at Metropolitan by COMO

he Singapore-based five-star hotel group has just appointed Javier Beneyto as the general manager of their first hotel in the continental U.S. --Metropolitan by COMO, Miami Beach. The hotel will open this Winter and Madrid native Beneyto, who has previously worked at COMO properties in the Maldives and London, will oversee the construction and refurbishment of the Art Deco property on Collins Ave. Once the hotel opens, he will also oversee the day-to-day operations of the hotel as well as the food and beverage service.

Doug Kaminski has been appointed as Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Miami

Douglas Kaminski has been appointed Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, effective immediately. As head of the Sales & Marketing Department of the 221-room Hotel on Miami’s Brickell Avenue, he’ll be responsible for all aspects of international and domestic group business as well as leisure sales and marketing. Kaminski replaces Tony Rodriguez who has accepted the position of Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Palm Beach.

Megan Harrison has been appointed as Marketing Manager at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

With her vast experience in management and marketing, Ms. Harrison offers unique insight and leadership. Most recently Ms. Harrison worked as community relations/public relations coordinator for Walton County Tourist Development Council where she managed their social media account deployment, was in charge of Visit South Walton Artist of the Year program, and developed newsletters and press releases. Ms. Harrison’s management career is also highlighted by her ability to manage large financial budgets and staff both effectively and efficiently at her previous places of employment.

Matthew Boris has been promoted to Hotel Manager at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek

Boris, formerly director of operations for the 400-room property, has been on staff since the resort’s pre-opening in 2011. He shares more than 15 years of hospitality experience with the Wyndham Grand Orlando’s established team. Boris developed his managerial experience with an array of Orlando resorts. Prior to joining the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek team, he held positions as director of operations at the Westin Imagine Orlando, director of guest services at Ginn Reunion Resort Orlando and director of front office operations at Walt Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin Resort. Boris began his hospitality career with an internship in the esteemed Walt Disney World College Program.

Samantha Spurgeon has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at W South Beach Hotel & Residences

Spurgeon joins W South Beach from the Westin Maui Resort & Spa and Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas where she served as Director of Sales and Marketing. During her tenure in this dual-property role, she was responsible for strategy development and execution as it pertained to group, business and leisure revenue, as well as additional streams from food and beverage, catering and the spa. Additionally, Spurgeon oversaw public relations activity, managed through her Director of Public Relations, and worked closely with the Director of Leisure Sales to enhance overall occupancy and ADR. Prior to joining Westin, Spurgeon lead sales and marketing initiatives for W Los Angeles – Westwood for three years. Overseeing a team of eleven, including eight sales managers covering the entertainment, corporate, leisure, group and catering areas, Spurgeon reorganized the all-suite hotel’s strategies and drove a 17% increase in occupancy and a $3.5 million increase in room revenue. Spurgeon spent two years as the National Account Manager for group and incentive travel with Rank Hotels Limited in London before joining Starwood in 1992. As a Sales Manager at Le Meridien Grosvenor House, Park Lane London, her focus remained on incentive and group travel; she was later named as Director of Incentive and Group Sales for the property. Spurgeon’s career continued to blossom as she moved on to become the Director of Leisure Sales for the incentive and conference markets with Le Meridien Deluxe Hotels London, serving Grosvenor House, Piccadilly and Waldorf.

Thomas Steinhauer has been appointed as General Manager at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort

An 18-year veteran of Four Seasons, Steinhauer will make the transition from Maui to Orlando in July joining the pre-opening team as the Resort prepares to open its doors in 2014. In his current position Steinhauer manages the daily operation of the 380-room AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star Maui Resort, which employs close to 800 staff members and is consistently rated among the top resorts in the world. In addition, he provides guidance for Four Seasons Spas in the Americas Region.

Richard A. Ross has been appointed as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beachfront resort on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, has announced the appointment of Richard Ross as the resort’s new vice president of sales and marketing. With 20 years of leadership success in hospitality and tourism, Ross has amassed numerous industry achievements. Most recently he was vice president and director of sales and marketing for Remington Hotels, based at Hilton Fort Worth, where he was nominated for Sales Leader of the Year, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Ross’ hospitality career includes various positions at Hilton, including complex director of sales and marketing at Buffalo Thunder Resort, where he was instrumental in opening the resort three months ahead of schedule and under budget.

Barry Bloom has been appointed as Executive Vice President of Asset Management and Chief Operating Officer at Inland American Lodging Advisor, Inc.

Mr. Bloom will assume his new position on July 1 and in the interim will provide consulting services to the company while he concludes his work in his current position as an Associate Professor of the Practice at Boston University. Mr. Bloom previously was a senior executive with CNL Hotels & Resorts from 2003 until the sale of the company in 2007, and was instrumental in the growth and ultimate liquidity event of the company as its Executive Vice President of Portfolio Management and Administration. Since then, he successfully led his own hotel investment firm, Abacus Lodging Investors LLC, in addition to completing his Ph.D. in Hospitality Management and teaching at the University of Central Florida, DePaul University and Boston University. His prior experience includes work for Hyatt Development Corporation, Tishman Hotel & Realty, VMS Realty Partners and PKF. Mr. Bloom will be based in IALA’s corporate headquarters in Orlando, Fla., and assume responsibility for all of the company’s asset management and project management activities.

Jackson Cherry has been appointed as Director of Hotel Operations at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

native of Watkinsville, Ga., Cherry has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 10 years. Most recently he was general manager of Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., where he is credited with increasing the property’s guest service scores by five percent and helping achieve the resort’s most financially successful quarter in 2012. Cherry’s hospitality career includes various positions at properties throughout the South, including WaterColor Inn and Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. and King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga. He also became a certified trainer in 2011 through the renowned BHR Training program, where he learned effective staff management and leadership skills. Prior to his hospitality career, Cherry was an information systems technician for the United States Navy for two years.

Westgate Resorts Founder David Siegel has been named Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame Member at Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Westgate Resorts is pleased to announce that our President and CEO David Siegel has been named to the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame by the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management in recognition for his long-standing "service and commitment to the local hospitality industry." A pioneer in the tourism industry, Siegel has spent more than 30 years shaping Westgate Resorts into the largest privately owned business in Central Florida. With nine full-service resorts boasting a total of approximately 17,535 beds in the Orlando area alone, Siegel is one of the largest hoteliers in Central Florida. In addition, Siegel has been honored as the "Entrepreneur of the Year" for construction and real estate in Central Florida and finished second in the "Entrepreneur of the Year" national competition. Siegel also holds an honorary doctorate from Florida A&M University for his work in community service, as well as the National Community Service Award from the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).