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Atif N.Yousseff has been appointed as General Manager at Millennium Broadway Hotel

Before his career with Millennium Hotels, Mr. Youssef served as the General Manager at the Empire Hotel and the Hotel Manager at the Hudson Hotel in New York City. He has also worked with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in Director of Operations, Hotel Manager, and General Manager Positions, at The Plaza Hotel in New York City where he served as Executive Director of Food & Beverage, as well as the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria. Mr. Youssef has accrued numerous awards and accolades throughout his years in the business, including recognitions from the Chaine Des Rotisseurs to the United States Secret Service. Mr. Youssef graduated from Cairo University in Egypt with a BA in Accounting.

Richard Gere has been named 2011 Ambassador at Relais & Châteaux

Richard Gere, the popular Hollywood actor, has been named 2011 ambassador of Relais & Chateaux group of luxury hotels and restaurants, which has also added Gere-owned Bedford Post, an eight-room luxury inn located north of New York City, to the Relais & Chateaux group. The fact that Richard Gere has been in hospitality business for long, his association with the Relais & Châteaux will be beneficial for both, feel industry experts.

Mark Pardue has been named General Manager at Grand Hyatt New York

Grand Hyatt New York announced today the appointment of Mark Pardue as the hotel’s new General Manager as the storied property ushers in a new era with the final phase of its $130 million renovation to transform the guest experience. Grand Hyatt New York is the tenth Hyatt property that Pardue has worked in since he began working with Hyatt more than 22 years ago.

Susan Black has been named Executive VP Global eCommerce at Travel Impressions

As co-founder of The Black & Wright Group, Black has advised leading online travel brands, traditional travel distributors, suppliers and publishers, and travel industry start-ups. She also has been a sought-after speaker and moderator at travel industry marketing and eCommerce conferences. Black's previous posts included serving as chief marketing officer of CheapCaribbean.com; executive vice president, marketing for Liberty Travel/GOGO Worldwide Vacations; founder, TravelCom Conference & Expo; general manager and publisher of Thomas Publishing's Travel Group; and associate publisher of Corporate Travel Magazine.

Lynda Plain has been appointed as General Manager at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Ithaca

Waterford Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Lynda Plain as General Manager of the Homewood Suites by Hilton Ithaca in the Village of Lansing. As General Manager, Plain will be responsible for all phases of the hotel's operations, sales and administration. Waterford Hotel Group, Inc., a national hotel management firm, professionally manages the 91-room hotel

appointment

Simon formerly was director of sales for the 206-room IBM Palisades Executive Conference Center, a Dolce Hotel, in Palisades, N.Y., where he directed a six-person sales team and was honored as a Target Achiever in 2008 and 2009. From 2006 to 2007, he was national accounts manager-group sales, for the 763-room Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in Georgia.

Terry Lewis has been appointed as General Manager at The Westin New York at Times Square

Lewis is an industry veteran of over 25 years, and boasts nearly 15 years of experience with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the management company of The Westin New York at Times Square. Prior to the past year at the W Times Square, Lewis has held posts at the Four Points in Pittsburgh, Sheraton Suites in Columbus, Ohio, and the Sheraton Gateway Suites in Chicago. She is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where she received a Bachelor of Science in marketing.

Misty Moore has been appointed as Director of Group and Catering Sales at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester

Since joining the hotel in March of 2008, Moore was Group Sales Manager, responsible for hotel room and event space sales to business and social groups. In her new position, Moore will also handle sales of all catering events, including special occasions and weddings. She was the Five Star Leader of the Quarter and the President’s Circle Award Winner at the hotel in 2008.

Mark Sayre @ the Four Seasons Hotel Austin has been named "Best New Sommelier" at Wine & Spirits Magazine

Wine & Spirits magazine has named Mark Sayre, sommelier at TRIO at Four Seasons Hotel Austin, to its list of the country’s "7 Best New Sommeliers of 2010." The award, which will be announced in the magazine's October issue, is the result of Wine & Spirits' 8th Annual Sommelier Poll, a survey of 3,200 members of the wine trade, including affiliates of the Court of Master Sommeliers and wine directors at some of the top restaurants in the United States.

Emily Snyder has been appointed as VP Sales & Marketing, The Americas at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Ms Snyder has been promoted to the role from her previous post as Director of Sales and Marketing at the Group’s North American flagship, Mandarin Oriental, New York, where her exceptional sales and marketing performance has helped to establish the property as one of the world’s best hotels. Ms Snyder, who has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, began her career at Mandarin Oriental in 1992, first joining the Group’s regional sales office in The Americas overseeing corporate transient sales. In 1995, she left Mandarin Oriental to further her experience amongst other luxury hotels in New York. She then rejoined Mandarin Oriental, New York in 2003 as Director of Sales, where she was an integral member of the opening team. She was promoted to the leadership role of Director of Sales and Marketing in 2007.

Barrymore Edwards has been appointed as Senior Sales Manager, Business Travel at the Warwick New York Hotel

As a seasoned hospitality professional, Edwards brings with him years of sales expertise to his new post. He has a proven track record of increasing business and client relationship management for luxury hotel brands both globally and in New York City. Edwards holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a focus on International Development and minor in Mandarin Chinese, from Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania. He also studied Mandarin for two years at National Taiwan University in Taipei.

Sam Kapadia has been appointed as General Manager at the Warwick New York Hotel

Sam Kapadia holds a Bachelor’s in Hotel Management from the Swiss Association Institute “Les Roches” and is a four-term Certified Hotel Administrator. He brings with him extensive international hospitality management experience with many deluxe and well established hotels and hotel companies. With his in depth expertise as a hotelier moving across continents from Bombay, India to Montreux, Switzerland and Paris, France to New York, USA, Kapadia’s knowledge will present a solid platform to continue to provide exceptional guest service for visitors to Manhattan and Warwick New York Hotel. His multi-faceted experience will also assist in overseeing the continued renovation of the Hotel’s Premier Rooms & Suites which currently boasts over 25% of the hotel’s total room availability.

Guenter H. Richter has been appointed as Managing Director at The Setai Fifth Avenue, A Capella Managed Hotel

Richter’s new role at The Setai Fifth Avenue signals his return to the New York hospitality scene after three years as general manager of The Regent Hotel Bal Harbour in Florida. For six years prior, he led two of Manhattan’s most legendary hotels, more recently as managing director of The St. Regis Hotel, New York, and before that, as general manager of the Swissôtel New York, The Drake. From 1986-1998, Richter served in a series of senior management roles, including regional vice president of operations with Grand Bay Hotels and Resorts and its owner, Carnival Hotels and Casinos. His long tenure there took him to properties spanning Toronto, New York and Philadelphia to Miami, Key Biscayne and Puerto Rico. Richter has also served as vice president of operations and general manager for a series of hotels in the Rosewood Hotels portfolio, including The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, The Remington on Post Oak Park in Houston, and The Bel-Air Hotel in Beverly Hills. Before that, he served three years as vice president and general manager of The St. Regis under Sheraton management. He launched his career at Hilton Hotels Corporation, taking on managerial roles at The Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, The Palmer House in Chicago, The Waldorf=Astoria in New York and other hotels. Born and educated in Germany, Richter is a member of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the distinguished Waldorf Astoria Alumni Association. He is also a Knight of Malta and a Knight of the Holy Order of Sepulcher. The Setai Fifth Avenue is slated to open November 1, 2010.

Wayne H. Schneider has been appointed as General Manager at Fashion 26 - A Wyndham Hotel

Mode Hospitality led by Paul Celnik, has announced the appointment of Wayne H. Schneider as General Manager of its newest property, Fashion 26 - A Wyndham Hotel, in New York City. With over two decades in the industry, Schneider is a talented hospitality expert with wide-ranging operations experience. Schneider got his start in New York City at the Macklowe Hotel in the Housekeeping Department where his talents, experience and resources quickly led to executive positions at such reputed hotels as the Sherry-Netherland, The Pierre and The Soho Grand. Schneider was instrumental in the transformation of The Iroquois Hotel into a four-star property, where he expanded his expertise in training and managing staffs, implementing policies and procedures that maximized productivity and profitability. Schneider has also held prominent corporate positions in Procurement and Quality Assurance at Prime Hospitality and Wyndham Hotel Group. A native of New York, Schneider earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Social Sciences from State University of New York at Buffalo. He currently resides in New Jersey.

Mark Lauer has been named General Manager at Hilton New York

He will succeed Conrad Wangeman, who was recently named Area Vice President, Operations – Northeast for Hilton Worldwide. Lauer has spent more than half of his distinguished 29-year career with Hilton Worldwide, most recently as Hotel Manager of the legendary Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. Lauer’s appointment comes on the heels of a nine-year tenure at the renowned Waldorf=Astoria, where he served as Hotel Manager for six years and Director of Marketing for three years. During that time, Lauer successfully increased the hotel’s service and occupancy levels.

Lisbeth Recio has been promoted to Director of Catering and Conventions Services at The New Yorker Hotel

Ms. Recio joined the hotel in November 2009 as the catering sales manager. Previously she held the position of senior sales and special events manager at both The 40/40 Club Sports Bar & Lounge in New York and in Atlantic City where she planned, organized and implemented all sales promotions, marketing programs and events for both clubs as well as maintained key client relationships with corporate clients, celebrities and sports figures. Ms. Recio served as global account coordinator in Starwood's Northeast Global Sales Office where she organized customer events, acted as a consultant to top corporate, sports and association markets in the northeast. Ms. Recio held various positions at Sheraton Hotels of New York including assistant banquet manager, sales and marketing coordinator and outlet supervisor. Ms. Recio is a graduate of Monroe College, Bronx, NY where she was a business management major with a minor in marketing.

Joseph P. Gorey has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing at The Tarrytown House Estate and Conference Center

Gorey is a 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry. He comes to the Tarrytown House Estate from the Hyatt Arlington at Washington’s Key Bridge in Arlington, Va., where he held the position of Director of Sales and Marketing. A native of Westchester County, Gorey was born in Dobbs Ferry and grew up in Yorktown Heights. He graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a degree in education and communication. He has 20 years experience in the hospitality industry and has worked for Hilton, Marriott, Omni and Hyatt Hotels, in Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey and Washington D.C. He currently lives in Yorktown.

Lisa DeSantis has been appointed as director of sales at Homewood Suites by Hilton

DeSantis joins the Ithaca team from her most recent role as a project assistant for Hotel eSolutions/HRM in Geneva, NY, where she provided e-commerce management solutions to independent hoteliers. Her prior experience includes serving as sales and catering manager for the Genesee Grande Hotel in Syracuse, director of sales for the Holiday Inn at the University in Binghamton, NY, and director of catering for the Owego Treadway Inn and Conference Center in Owego, NY. DeSantis graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Administration. She is an active business member of the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, and resides in Owego, NY.

Missy Stoner has been appointed as General Manager at the Homewood Suites by Hilton

Missy Stoner has been promoted to general manager of the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Ithaca, NY. Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel management firm, professionally operates the 91-room Homewood Suites. As general manager, Stoner will oversee all operational, sales and administrative aspects of the hotel. She most recently served as the hotel’s director of sales, and has more than 15 years of hospitality sales experience. “Missy has done a wonderful job for us at the Homewood Suites and is well-respected by the hotel team. She is most deserving of this promotion and we wish her great success in this new role,” commented Rob Winchester, president for Waterford Hotel Group. Stoner currently resides in Skaneateles, NY.

Stephane Lacroix has been appointed as General Manager at Gilt at The New York Palace Hotel

Lacroix joins GILT from the Forbes-Five Star, AAA Five-Diamond Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, where for ten years he served as Director of Wine and Sommelier for the hotel and for its one-star MICHELIN rated restaurant, The Dining Room. Under his leadership, The Dining Room achieved many global accolades and, together with the hotel, became the highest-rated U.S. hotel and restaurant property for Ritz-Carlton. Lacroix, built one of the region’s most esteemed small bottle wine collections in conjunction with the celebrated wine program. Lacroix began his wine career in 1985 at Le Puy-en-Velay Hotel School in France and then became assistant sommelier for Le Clave in Clermont, France. He continued his education at Chamalières Hotel School, where he was awarded “Best Young Sommelier of Central France.” In 1990, he attended the highly-regarded Tain L’Hermitage Sommelier School and was named “Best Young Sommelier of France – Bordeaux Wines” and “Best Young Sommelier of Monaco.” After graduating from Tain L’Hermitage, Lacroix worked with many top-ranked chefs including Roger Vergé at Le Moulin de Mougins in Mougin; Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo; Jean-Louis Palladin at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.; and Michael Mina at Aqua in San Francisco. He also opened Aqua at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.