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Appointment

Pamela Hirneisen has been named President at HSMAI Los Angeles Chapter

A longtime HSMAI member, Hirneisen brings over ten years of hotel experience to her position. Hirneisen’s responsibilities for HSMAI’s LA Chapter include supporting the Association and its policies internally and externally as well as exercising the governing authority of the Board of Directors when advised to do so by the Board. Hirneisen is also responsible to act as the main liaison between the Board and the Managing Director and to enforce adherence to the Association's Constitution and By-laws and assure the integrity of the Board process. Bringing a background in hotel sales and revenue management, Hirneisen most recently administered the promotional and marketing efforts for the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Westside. As the Director of Sales and Marketing, Hirneisen was responsible for sales of $8 million annually. Among her accomplishments, the 260-guestroom hotel opened in April 2008 after a $36M top-to-bottom renovation. With more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and a full-service restaurant, the Courtyard is a far cry from typical Courtyard by Marriott hotels. In 2006, the Courtyard by Marriott Silver Spring Downtown was awarded Marriott’s Opening Hotel of the Year award under her leadership as Director of Sales & Marketing. Hirneisen will start in mid May as the Director of Sales & Marketing for the recently renovated 405-room Holiday Inn LAX. Prior to her position with Marriott, Hirneisen worked with some of the premier hotel groups across the country including Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Huntington Hotel Group, and Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

HSMAI Los Angeles Chapter
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Edward Moses-Granger has been appointed as General Manager at The Hotel Hanford

Moses-Granger has played a key role in the design direction of the hotel's renovation and development of its new food and beverage service. Previously, Moses-Granger served as Clubhouse Director at The Santaluz Club in San Diego, and has held executive management positions at Sherwood Country Club, Shutters on the Beach / Hotel Casa Del Mar, Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club and L'Ermitage Hotel.

The Hotel Hanford
Costa Mesa, California, United States
Appointment

Kevin Busch has been appointed as Director of Marketing at Clift, a Morgans’ Hotel

Busch is a seasoned hotelier with 20 years of experience at a variety of properties throughout Southern California and Hawaii. He most recently served as director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center. This will be Busch’s first post in Northern California. The 372 guest rooms at Clift are generously scaled and beautifully appointed. Outfitted in tranquil and warm shades of ivory, grey and lavender, they exude a sensual softness that is a welcome counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Clift, a Morgans’ Hotel
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Ken Owens has been appointed as Managing Director at Tapestry Resorts' Travel Escapes Club

Tapestry Resorts has announced the appointment of longtime travel professional Ken Owens to the position of managing director of Travel Escapes Club, Tapestry Resorts’ members only full-service travel club. Owens has taken on this position in addition to his other responsibilities as Vice President of Reservations and Travel Services, overseeing Tapestry Resorts’ reservations, call centers and Platinum Concierge Services. Owens brings over four decades of experience in the travel industry. Prior to joining Tapestry Resorts in 2002, Owens was the Vice President of Marketing for RCI Resort Management. He has also held high level management, director and VP positions with Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), Sitmar Cruises, Princess Cruises, Radisson Hotels/Diamond Cruise line, The Moorings and Balboa Travel. The Travel Escapes Club, Tapestry Resorts’ members-only travel club, was specifically designed to provide value-added discounted travel options to timeshare owners and timeshare vacation club members. Members can enjoy discounts on cruise ships, car rentals, hotel and resort lodging worldwide, timeshare and condo rentals, airline tickets, destination activities and events and more.

Tapestry Resorts' Travel Escapes Club
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

Peter J. Bonell has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at Paradise Point & Spa

Bonell was most recently president of Performance Golf Alliance LLC, a global leader in golf travel marketing. He was also vice president of sales and marketing for Ginn Clubs & Resorts in Celebration, Florida, directing revenues and marketing activities for two luxury properties encompassing 850 units, four clubs and six golf courses. In addition, he has worked as vice president of sales and marketing for an array of iconic destinations, among them Colonial Williamsburg Resorts in Williamsburg, Virginia; Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company in Hershey, Pennsylvania; and The Broadmoor, an historic five-star property in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was also director of sales and marketing for the Mohegan Sun resort and casino in Connecticut, a 1,200-room property with 150,000 square feet of convention space, 23 restaurants and a 10,000-square-foot arena. A native of New York City, he is a former United States Navy Seal and holds BS and MBA degrees in marketing from Mercy College. He is a Certified Hospitality Marketing Executive, and serves on the international board executive committee of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI); and is an advisory board member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI).

Paradise Point & Spa
San Diego’s Mission Bay, California, United States
Appointment

Danielle Staffieri has been appointed as Director of Catering & Conference Services at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort (BBC&R) is pleased to announce the appointment of Danielle Staffieri as the new Director of Catering & Conference Services. Danielle joins the Sales & Catering Team with 17 years experience in the food & beverage and hospitality industries. Prior to joining BBC&R, Danielle was Senior Catering Manager at the luxury resort St. Regis located in Monarch Beach, CA. There she was responsible for all specialty high-end catering events---layering hotel experience into her portfolio of previous catering expertise.

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort
Newport Beach, California, United States
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Appointment

Christophe Depuischaffray has been appointed as Executive Chef at InterContinental San Francisco

Born and raised on a farm in the Loire Valley in central France, Depuischaffray’s future career as a chef was apparent at an early age and he developed an appreciation for great food and wine while cooking with his mother. Later, his studies at the Lycee d’Hoteliere et Tourisme de Val de Loire Blois, France, earned him a Certificate of Culinary Professional Aptitude and a Diploma of Culinary Professional Education and he cooked his way across Europe working in kitchens from France to England to Germany. A desire to explore the cooking regions beyond Europe led him across the Atlantic to Bermuda and Canada for four years before returning to his roots and working with One-Michelin starred restaurants in France and Germany. In 1994, Depuischaffray joined the InterContinental Hotels Group as the Fine Dining Chef at The Grill Restaurant in Cairo, Egypt. He later moved to the InterContinental Manila in the Philippines and the Grand InterContinental Hotel in South Korea. After spending a few years as Executive Chef at the Caravelle Hotel in Vietnam, he rejoined the InterContinental Hotels Group in Madrid and later moved to San Francisco to assume the roll of Executive Chef at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco. Along with his vast knowledge of day-to-day kitchen operations and a worldly view of the culinary arts, Depuischaffray has had a multitude of other culinary exposures including, a guest-chef appearance on the international hit television show “Yan Can Cook.”

InterContinental San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
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Appointment

Nelum Gunewardane has been appointed as Hotel Manager at InterContinental Mark Hopkins

Bringing over 17 years of hospitality experience, Gunewardane began her career in 1992 with the InterContinental Hotels Group at the Riyadh InterContinental Hotel in Saudi Arabia, and then moved on to the May Fair InterContinental Hotel in London in 1997. From London, she joined the InterContinental The Barclay in New York in 2001 where she initially served as Assistant Manager in the Front Office department and finally as Front Office Manager in 2005. During her tenure at The Barclay, Gunewardane was the recipient of a cash scholarship from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in cooperation with the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, which she used toward three intensive classes in Managing Hotel Electronic Distribution, Hospitality Financial Management: Operations Decision-Making, and Strategic Pricing for Hotels: Revenue Enhancement through Pricing. After several promotions in New York, she was then appointed in 2006 as Director of Front Office Operations for the opening team of the InterContinental Boston, a 424-room new-build property located in Boston’s historic waterfront district. In 2007, Gunewardane was recognized as “Best of the Best for Director of Front Office” for InterContinental Hotels, North America. Gunewardane holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.

InterContinental Mark Hopkins
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Jeff Holland has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at CordeValle, A Rosewood Resort

Holland, who most recently served as director of group sales at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, in Greensboro, Georgia, brings more than 13 years of golf resort experience to his new role. He has also held senior sales positions at properties including the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa, Pinehurst Resort, and The Club at Seabrook Island. Additionally, CordeValle Sales Manager Ashley French has been promoted to director of group sales. French has been a key member of CordeValle’s sales team since 2007 and has previously held sales and marketing posts at renowned properties that include Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club and Bernardus Lodge, both in Carmel, California. Cradled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, CordeValle, A Rosewood Resort, is a hidden gem that combines the extraordinary beauty of an awe-inspiring landscape with the hospitality of a luxury resort. Sprawling over almost 1,700 acres, CordeValle is a sanctuary of 45 elegant rooms offered in spacious Bungalows, expansive Fairway Homes or secluded Villas. The resort also boasts the on-property 85-acre Clos LaChance winery and vineyard. CordeValle is a mere 45 minutes north of Pebble Beach and just 30 minutes south of San Jose.

CordeValle, A Rosewood Resort
San Martin, California, United States
Appointment

Guy Hall has been promoted to area manager at Grand Pacific Resort Management

Grand Pacific Resort Management, a privately-owned timeshare vacation ownership management company located in Carlsbad, CA, has promoted Guy Hall to the newly-created position of area manager. In this new role, Guy will be responsible for the day-to-day operations at Carlsbad Seapointe Resort, as well as have direct oversight of Coronado Beach Resort. Grand Pacific Resort Management is one of the oldest and largest vacation ownership companies based in California. Servicing over 45,000 owner-families every year, it manages over 1,000 units in California and Hawaii.

Grand Pacific Resort Management
Carlsbad, California, United States
Appointment

Stefan O. Huemer has been appointed as General Manager at InterContinental Los Angeles Century City

Mr. Huemer comes to Los Angeles directly from Kuredu and Komandoo Island Resort and Spa where he was Regional General Manager for five years. The Austrian born hotelier brings with him twenty years of International working experience that spans various positions in Austria, Germany, Philippines, Singapore, and France with luxury companies such as Mandarin Oriental and Kempinski. During his tenor he and his properties have been the recipients of many awards the most distinguished of which are: Kuredu Island Resort and Spa: Hotelier of the Year for Highest Occupancy, 2006-2007 presented by the President of the Maldives, Most Romantic Resort in Asia and number seven world wide from Expedia, Best All-Inclusive Resort Worldwide from Hayes & Jarvis, United Kingdom, Imperial Mark for excellent performance within the luxury resort industry, UK Imperial Mark Award for Most Outstanding Hotel Operations; and Golden Fan Award for Outstanding F&B Operation in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Mr. Huemer is an alumnus of Cornell University, New York, USA; F&B, Marketing Management College, WIFI-University of Vienna, Linz, Austria and Hotel School (Hotelfachschule) Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. He is fluent in English, German and French and looks forward to welcoming you to LA in any language.

InterContinental Los Angeles Century City
Los Angeles, California, United States
Appointment

Nicola Gabriele has been appointed as General Manager of Suite & Tender at Sè San Diego Hotel

Nicola Gabriele, Suite & Tender’s General Manager, will oversee the daily management of the gourmet restaurant and will manage and train the staff. Gabriele has over 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including positions as General Manager at Donovan’s Steak & Chop House and Manager at the Palm Restaurant, both in San Diego, Ca. Sè San Diego Hotel is a 184-room premier luxury hotel located in downtown San Diego’s financial district.

Sè San Diego Hotel
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

Reg MacDonald has been appointed as Director of Nightlife and Entertainment at Sè San Diego Hotel

Reg MacDonald, Sè San Diego Hotel’s new Director of Nightlife and Entertainment, will oversee operations, promotions and management for Siren Pool Bar and UberLounge and the ground floor bar of the hotel. MacDonald has concepted, designed, owned and managed several Los Angeles nightlife venues, including Nacional, Tokio, an Asian fusion style restaurant and nightclub, and Tinto Tapas Espana.

Sè San Diego Hotel
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

Joe Velasquez has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at Sè San Diego Hotel

Velasquez, a 21-year veteran of the hotel and hospitality industry, will manage all sales and marketing initiatives for the property and will oversee group business reservations for the 20,000 square-feet of event space, including the Grand Ballroom and seven conference rooms. Most recently, Velasquez was Director of Sales and Marketing at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, where he oversaw marketing, sales and public relations efforts. Previously, he was the Director of Sales at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, and Director of Sales and Marketing at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort.

Sè San Diego Hotel
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

Ty W. Brassie has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at Riviera Resort & Spa

In his new position, Brassie will oversee sales and marketing activities – including advertising, collateral development, online outreach and sales strategies – for the 406-room resort, a refurbished Palm Springs landmark owned and operated by Noble House Hotels & Resorts. “We are very pleased to have Ty on our professional team,” said Karl Kruger, vice president, managing director for Riviera Resort & Spa. “His considerable expertise will be invaluable to our resort as we take it to even higher levels of excellence.” A seasoned hospitality industry veteran, Brassie was most recently complex director of sales and marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale and Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel. Here, he was charged with the repositioning and rebranding for the two landmark properties – encompassing 958 guestrooms and more than 50,000 square feet of function space during a multi-million-dollar renovation. During his tenure at Starwood, Brassie also served as director of sales and marketing for the Westin and Sheraton Our Lucaya Resort on Grand Bahama Island, Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ twin Grand Bahama Island resorts. He was also a director of sales and marketing for The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, overseeing marketing and group and leisure sales for high-end properties in Miami Beach and Naples, Florida. Brassie has also held executive positions at Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort & Casino in Incline Village, Nevada and the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui. He began his career as a sales manager for Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. A native of Niles, Michigan, he holds a bachelor of science degree in commercial recreation management from Michigan State University. He is actively involved in a number of professional organizations, among them the National Business Travel Association, the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, the Professional Convention Management Association, the Financial & Insurance Planners Association and Meeting Professionals International.

Riviera Resort & Spa
Palm Springs, California, United States
Appointment

Greg Mauldin has been appointed as General Manager at Larkspur Hotel Mill Valley

Mauldin brings over fifteen years of diverse experience within the hospitality industry to his position at Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants where he will oversee the performance and day to day operations of Larkspur Hotel Mill Valley, the second property under the company’s emerging Larkspur Hotels brand. Most recently, Mauldin served as the General Manager of several Joie de Vivre Hospitality locations, where he oversaw daily multi-faceted operations, managed millions of dollars in revenue, ensured continuous year-over-year growth, and fostered strong alliances with local partners. Prior to assuming the position of General Manager at Joie de Vivre, Mauldin served as Corporate Sales Manager for the Kimpton Hotel Group, where he collaborated with preferred corporate market and third-party partners as well as negotiated and managed all wholesale individual and group agreements.

Larkspur Hotel Mill Valley
Mill Valley, California, United States
Appointment

Terri Reid has been appointed as Executive Director of Sales & Marketing at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort

Terri is a welcomed asset in her new role here at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort. Over the years, Ms. Reid has led sales teams undergoing management changes and new ownership, developed sales teams for new hotels, run a worldwide incentive sales office, drives sales to exceed her competitive set, and prides herself in developing and growing her internal staff. Terri understands the needs of resort guests and meeting planners who are seeking a unique luxury resort experience, and is looking forward to putting this experience to work. Terri has been an active member in The Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) for 25 years, and served on the board in Australia. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort
Newport Beach, California, United States
Appointment

Christopher T. Bracken has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club

With extensive hospitality industry experience, Bracken was most recently vice president of sales and marketing for “Visit Jacksonville,” an organization contracted to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Northeast Florida. Prior to that, he was director of marketing for Don CeSar Beach Hotel, a 277-room historic property in St. Pete Beach, Florida operated by Loews Hotels. For 13 years, he was with Interstate Hotels and Resorts, working as director of marketing for Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra, Florida. In addition, he was with Marriott Corp. for 12 years and held positions that included director of marketing at the Biscayne Bay Marriott in Miami and at Marriott’s Hilton Head Resort. A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Wisconsin. In addition, he has received numerous accolades for his sales and marketing efforts during his tenure with Marriott and Interstate, including “Sales Team of the Year” and “President’s Award for Excellence” from Interstate and Marriott’s “Sales Leadership Award.”

The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club
Redondo Beach, California, United States
Appointment

Randy Hulce has been named Managing Director for Hotels at Trigild

Trigild, a distressed property management, receivership and loan recovery specialist headquartered in San Diego -- has named Randy Hulce as managing director for hotels. Before joining Trigild, Hulce was CEO/owner of Executive Guidance Inc., focusing on advising lenders and owners regarding hotel performance in operations efficiency, sales and marketing, revenue management, internet deployment and strategic options for exit or retention strategies. Prior to that, he was vice president/asset management for Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc., a lodging real estate investment trust -- supervising capital investment project management and directing third party management operations for luxury hotels such as Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites, Renaissance and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. He also served as president/CEO of Sunstone Hotel Management Inc., where he helped convert a start-up REIT of eight hotels to a professionally managed company of 70 properties with over 10,000 rooms. In addition, he was senior vice president of operations for La Quinta Inn and Suites, where he was responsible the financial performance of 125 La Quinta Inns & Suite hotels throughout Texas. He was also senior vice president of asset management for Lennar/Lehman Brothers, overseeing an REO portfolio of over 30 deed in lieu managed assets. For 14 years, he worked for Holiday Inn Worldwide in various executive level positions, spearheading the Holiday Inn Express launch.

Trigild
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

Malia Osterbauer has been named General Manager at The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club

With more than 15 years of experience in the hotel arena, Osterbauer was most recently director of resort operations/assistant general manager for the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, a 357- room, full-service property on 18 acres fronting San Diego’s Mission Bay. She worked her way up the ranks over seven years at this resort, serving as director of rooms, director of guest relations, assistant director of front office, and rooms executive. As assistant general manager, she helped oversee Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa’s extensive $26 million renovation and directed all operations for the property, including rooms; food and beverage; spa, salon, tennis and fitness facilities; recreation; security; business center and beachfront activities. Prior to her last position, Osterbauer worked as an asset/property manager, overseeing large-scale apartment communities for Arnel Management Company headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif. Additionally, she worked as director of revenue management for the Ontario Airport Hilton in Ontario and as reservations manager for Sheraton Suites Fairplex Hotel in Pomona.

The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club
Redondo Beach, California, United States