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Appointment

Michael Nealon has been appointed as General Manager at Homewood Suites Tampa Airport-Westshore

Michael Nealon holds a Bachelors Degree in Communications/Hospitality Management from Bowling Green State University. Mike joined the McKibbon team in 2006 as Director of Sales for the Residence Inn Tampa Westshore, and was awarded Direct Sales Leader of the Year by Marriott International for his work with the Residence Inn Tampa Westshore in 2007. In 2008, he was promoted to the position of Market Director of Sales for the entire Westshore market when Avion Park’s three new hotels were developed. Prior to joining McKibbon, Mike worked for four years with Innkeepers Hospitality and Blackstone Hotel Group. His extensive sales experience will benefit the entire cluster, as Michael Nealon will serve as the lead sales general manager for the market.

McKibbon
Tampa, Florida, United States
Appointment

Robert Festinger has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) at The Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort

Robert Festinger was previously employed as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at The Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort in Sunny Isles Beach - FL, United States. In his new position, Robert Festinger will oversee the day to day operations of the Newport Group; Kitchen 305, Seven Seas Aveda Spa & Salon, Newport Marketing, Newport Hospitality and Newport Vacation Club.

The Dana Agency
Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, United States
Appointment

Heiko Dobrikow has been named General Manager of the Year at HSMAI's South Florida Chapter

At its 28th annual gala, the South Florida chapter of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored Heiko Dobrikow of the historic Riverside Hotel, as General Manager of the Year for his outstanding leadership skills in revenue generation, commitment to and support of his staff, creative marketing strategies, and contributions to the HSMAI. An industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in hospitality, Dobrikow joined the prestigious Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Boulevard in 2010 as General Manager. With extensive and international expertise in all areas of the hospitality industry, his role with the hotel includes creating unique marketing and sales techniques to developing a successful management team that ensures revenue optimization, service excellence and employee satisfaction. His leadership has earned him a track record in achieving most improved guest satisfaction scores and significant sales results through innovative strategies.

HSMAI (USA)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Appointment

Dana Beth Hagendorf has been appointed as CMO and Vice President of Marketing at Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Most recently, Hagendorf was Founder and Principal of Gallant Media Group, a brand consulting firm specializing in the growth of luxury lifestyle brands via marketing, advertising, media planning and creative, corporate identity, strategic partnerships, events and customer relationship management. There Hagendorf handled a number of high-end clients including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and luxury jeweler Jacob & Co. Prior to the founding of Gallant Media, Hagendorf served as Vice President of Marketing at Audemars Piguet North America, the world’s oldest watch manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families, where she managed all of the brand’s marketing, advertising and public relations strategy for the U.S. and Canadian markets.

Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Appointment

Matthew Jones has joined McKibbon Hotel Management, Inc. as Director of Sales for Tampa Downtown Hotels

McKibbon Hotel Management, Inc., based in Tampa, Florida, announced that Matthew Jones has been selected to join the company’s sales and marketing team as Director of Sales for the company’s two downtown Tampa hotels, the Courtyard by Marriott® Tampa Downtown and the Residence Inn by Marriott® Tampa Downtown. Matthew is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, and he began his career in the hospitality industry with Marriott International in 1987, working in a variety of operations and sales positions. He worked as Area Director of Sales with Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio, earning the title of Area Director of the Year in 2004. In 2006, Jones relocated to Florida, and served as Director of GroupSales for the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater. Most recently, he worked with GF Management in Philadelphia, PA as Regional Director/Vice President of Sales.

McKibbon Hotel Management, Inc.
Tampa, Florida, United States
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Appointment

Marco Selva has been appointed as General Manager at St. Regis Bal Harbour

Marco comes to St. Regis Hotels & Resorts from the Gencom Group, one of the nation’s leading investment/development firms specializing in luxury hospitality and residential real estate, where he acted as the Executive Vice President. While at Gencom Group, Marco oversaw the company’s luxury portfolio, which included Ritz-Carlton residential/resort destinations in Philadelphia, Key Biscayne, Florida, Kapalua, Hawaii, and Rancho Mirage in California, among others. Prior to his position with Gencom, Marco worked with the Ritz Carlton hotel company, and most recently acted as an Area Vice President for the brand, overseeing operations and development for over 20 properties in the Southeastern U.S., Caribbean and Latin America, where he succeeded in leading the hotels to an annual revenue of over $1 billion.

St. Regis Bal Harbour
Bal Harbour, Florida, United States
Appointment

Diane Petit has been named General Manager at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal

Orlando hotel industry veteran Diane Petit has been appointed general manager of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. She most recently served as executive assistant manager at the company’s sister on-site hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando. The move marks Petit’s latest promotion in a steady rise through the company’s Orlando campus. Petit joined Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando in 2001 as director of food and beverage and was later promoted to executive assistant manager, before being promoted to the same role at Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Her experience in the Orlando hotel industry spans more than 20 years. She worked as assistant general manager at the downtown Orlando Marriott and also served as a beverage manager and restaurant manager at the Hyatt Orlando. Petit resides in Orlando with her husband and son.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal
Orlando, Florida, United States
Appointment

Greg Nunez has been appointed as Hotel Manager at Mandarin Oriental, Miami

Greg has more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry and began his career with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in 2002. He joins Mandarin Oriental, Miami from Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Mexico where he held the position of Acting General Manager. He was Hotel Manager at Elbow Beach, Bermuda and Director of Operations, the Americas for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Prior to his time with Mandarin Oriental, Greg held a variety of positions with Boca Raton Resort & Club and The Plaza Hotel.

Mandarin Oriental
Miami, Florida, United States
Appointment

Rebecca Kendig has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at il Lugano

Kendig joins il Lugano from the Crowne Plaza Ft. Lauderdale at Sawgrass Mills Mall, where she developed marketing initiatives for the hotel's website, advertising campaigns and local community as Director of Sales & Marketing. An active and involved professional, Kendig has applied her passion to industry organizations and charitable efforts over the years, including the Central Pennsylvania Association for Female Executives; Pennsylvania Association for State Association Executives; Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Women's Council; and American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Born and raised in Lebanon, PA, Kendig earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She resides in Plantation, Florida.

Sage
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Appointment

Robyn Crooks has been named Director of Sales at Hampton Inn-Jacksonville Downtown I-95

Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) recently named Robyn Crooks to the position of Director of Sales for the 118-room Hampton Inn-Jacksonville Downtown I-95 in Jacksonville, Florida. Mrs. Crooks comes to Jacksonville from the from a dual role in Brunswick, Georgia where she served successfully as Director of Sales for the both the Hampton Inn & Suites and the Comfort Suites hotels.

Hotel Equities
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Appointment

David Friederich has been appointed as General Manager at the Grand Bohemian Hotel

The Kessler Collection proudly announces David Friederich as the new general manager of its flagship AAA Four Diamond Grand Bohemian Hotel. Friederich’s duties as general manager include overseeing the hotel operations, management of hotel staff, budgeting for the property, project management, crisis control, achieving key business goals and focusing on maintaining and establishing local relationships. David will also lead the efforts to establish the Grand Bohemian Orlando as the corporate training hotel for the Kessler Collection, allowing all chefs, task force members and key Grand Performer hotel staff to be trained with the same consistent level of expertise. David Friederich, a veteran hotelier, has more than 20 years of Five Star and Four Diamond hospitality management experience. Friederich attended Florida International University in Miami, Fla. and began his career in hospitality and hotel management with more than 11 years at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. His additional experience in hospitality includes the Four Seasons Olympic in Seattle, Wash., Cloister Hotel in Sea Island, Ga., The Westin Kierland in Scottsdale, Ariz. and most recently, Auberge Resorts.

the Grand Bohemian Hotel
Orlando, Florida, United States
Appointment

Douglas Hustad has been named Managing Director at Turnberry Isle Miami

Hustad is an accomplished professional with more than 25 years experience in hospitality leadership positions. For the past seven years, he was Vice President/General Manager of The Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. There, he managed hotel operations and product development, helping earn the property numerous awards, including Travel + Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels, Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

Turnberry Isle Miami
Aventura, Florida, United States
Appointment

Jessica Rose has been appointed as Director of Sales at Hilton Garden Inn Orlando - International Drive North

Jessica comes to the Hilton Garden Inn Orlando - International Drive North hotel from Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens, where she was director of sales for the past three years. Her previous experience includes two years as senior sales manager for a Double Tree in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and one year as the business development manager for catering at Don Shula’s Hotel & Golf Club in Miami Lakes.

Buffalo Lodging Associates
Orlando, Florida, United States
Appointment

Michael Hatzfeld has been appointed as General Manager at il Lugano Hotel

Sage Hospitality has announced the appointment of Michael Hatzfeld as General Manager of il Lugano in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The son of a career hotelier who has been drawn to hospitality throughout his life, Hatzfeld is responsible for all operations of the newest member of the hotel group's Premier & Lifestyle Division, including guest services, sales and marketing, and dining operations including da Campo Osteria Italian restaurant.Born and raised in a hotel family, Hatzfeld studied hospitality at the college level, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management in 1989. He took his first job in Europe with ITT Sheraton, headed to the hotel group's Asia Pacific Division shortly thereafter, returned to Europe with Kempinski Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, and then joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in 1999.

Sage
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Appointment

Gary Faehr has been appointed as General Manager at Hampton Inn Jacksonville Downtown I-95

Hotel Equities recently named Gary Faehr the General Manager for the 118-room Hampton Inn Jacksonville Downtown I-95 in Florida. Mr. Faehr will provide leadership and manage the hotel through an extensive renovation. It is part of the revitalization efforts in the Southbank district of downtown Jacksonville. With more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, Mr. Faehr came to Hotel Equities from Indianapolis, Indiana where he served as General Manager of a Hilton Garden Inn. Through his work at that hotel, he participated in the successful revitalization of downtown Indianapolis.

Hampton Inn Jacksonville Downtown I-95
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Appointment

Patrick Mitchell has been appointed as Vice President of Sales North America at Club Med

Club Med – the original all-inclusive resort company – is proud to announce today the appointment of Patrick Mitchell as Vice President of Sales for the North American Zone as part of a continued growth strategy for the brand. Following the events of 9/11, Club Med North America, along with the rest of the travel industry, suffered major financial consequences. It was a moment of reflection and Club Med made the decision to move forward with a major repositioning and multimillion dollar product investment that had been planned. The new focus on family upscale vacations proved to be successful with continued annual growth in profitability and customer satisfaction. Today, the brand is ready to reclaim its position as the leader in all-inclusive vacations. With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Patrick Mitchell has most recently held the position as Vice President of Global Sales Strategy and Planning at Norwegian Cruise Line. Previously, Mitchell held various positions at Royal Caribbean Cruise Line including Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Sales, Vice President of National Accounts, Associate Vice President of Field Sales and Associate Vice President of Marketing Services. Mitchell brings extensive expertise in strategic planning, development of sales planning methodologies and an impressive track record of growth of new sales distribution channels including a focus on developing the meeting and incentive market. Mitchell obtained his MBA from Yale University.

Club Med
Miami, Florida, United States