Salamander Hotels & Resorts - the luxury management company founded by Sheila C. Johnson – has appointed Ty Brassie as Director of Sales & Marketing to Hammock Beach Resort, northeast Florida's premier oceanfront destination located in Palm Coast. In his new role, Brassie will oversee the property"s sales and marketing strategies – driving business, revenue and overall brand awareness to the resort.
Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa welcomes Justin Earle as General Manager. The seasoned hospitality professional brings more than a decade of experience to the area's only oceanfront resort, where he will be responsible for overseeing daily operations and employee management while ensuring overall guest satisfaction. Hailing from Saco, Maine, Earle began his hospitality career in 2005 as an operations manager of The Westin Key West Resort & Marina. Since then, he's held managerial positions at properties and hotel brands across the state of Florida, including the Delray Beach Marriott and Sunset Key Cottages in Key West. During his tenure at Sunset Key Cottages, the property earned the #1 ranking on Travel + Leisure's 2015 'World's Best' Awards list. Most recently, Earle was Assistant General Manager at Hollywood Beach Marriott, where he assisted in employee hiring and training, overseeing daily operations and overall property maintenance, results-driven planning and budgeting. Earle is a Hospitality Management graduate from the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics. In his spare time, Earle enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife and five-year-old daughter.
In his role as General Manager, Mendes will oversee all day-to-day hotel operations in addition to the training of all staff and management of overall hotel budget and revenue. Prior to this appointment, Mendes served as General Manager of the first Hyatt Centric hotel in South Florida: Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami. With more than 18 years of hospitality experience, Mendes has also served as hotel manager of Mondrian South Beach and director of food and beverage for Canyon Ranch Resort & Spa on Miami Beach.
In his role as Director of Sales & Marketing, Alvarez will lead the hotel"s sales and marketing teams, while working closely with the General Manager to develop and execute sales strategies for groups and events to maximize hotel revenues. He brings more than 17 years of hospitality experience to this position. Previously, Alvarez worked for nine years for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and several hospitality companies leading sales strategy, including H ilton Miami Downtown, Hyatt Regency Miami and White Lodging Services.
Playa Largo Resort & Spa, an Autograph Collection beachfront luxury property situated on the Florida Bay in Key Largo, Florida, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kerem Kendigelen as General Manager. In his new role, Kendigelen will be responsible for overseeing all resort operations, fostering staff development, budgeting and financial planning, increasing sales and revenue, and ensuring total guest satisfaction. With over 15 years of hospitality experience working within top hotel brands, Kendigelen brings a track record of effectively leading and managing all aspects of the luxury resort experience, as well as executing award-winning food and beverage programs. Kendigelen has a long and impressive history with the Ritz-Carlton brand having launched his career at The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul, where he started as a Rooms Division intern. Over the next nine years, he served multiple Ritz-Carlton properties including Buckhead, Half Moon Bay, Arlington, and ultimately San Juan, where he led the team as the Director of Food and Beverage. Two years with the St. Regis in Washington, D.C. gave Kerem another perspective into luxury hotel product and service. While in San Juan, Kerem also directed the Food & Beverage Council for The Ritz-Carlton brand in The Caribbean & Latin America (CALA). During his time in these positions, he was responsible for exceeding the highest standards of culinary, meetings, and catering excellence, while maximizing all business opportunities to drive sales.
The Gates Hotel South Beach – a DoubleTree by Hilton proudly announces the appointment of Nicolas Bour as Executive Chef of the newly reimagined hotel. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Bour will manage culinary operations and direction at the hotel"s newly launched Mexican-inspired restaurant Agaveros Cantina, as well as in-room dining, banquets, and special events for the 235-room boutique lifestyle hotel.
Anchored in the laid-back and lighthearted lifestyle of Islamorada, Amara Cay Resort proudly announces Miguel Waldo as general manager. With 22 years of industry experience, Waldo will captain the award-winning, 110-room resort with strategic direction and island hospitality.
The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale brings a new energy to its culinary team with the recent appointment of Master Chef Fabien Gnemmi as the food and beverage director.
TRYP by Wyndham®, Wyndham Hotel Group"s urban lifestyle brand, today boosted its growing presence in Florida with the opening of a newly constructed, 96-room hotel on Miami"s picturesque Bay Harbor Islands.
The Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort announces the appointment of Chris Pranis as director of sales of the 175-room all-suite hotel, scheduled to open later this summer. In this position, Pranis will oversee and manage group and business markets for the resort, which is currently being constructed oceanfront along Florida"s Atlantic shoreline. Developed by Miami-based Key International, and managed by Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), the Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort will offer 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,200-square-foot, oceanfront ballroom with outdoor terraces, and expansive waterfront lawns for events.
Horwath HTL Miami Managing Director Andrew Cohan recently announced the appointment of Agnes Pierre-Louis to his Miami strategic consulting team. Agnes is based in Miami Beach, Florida, and has industry experience in the UK, Europe and the Caribbean.
Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) announced today the appointment of Jason Kern as general manager of the all-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort, scheduled to open late summer (2018). Kern will oversee the hiring of new staff and day-to-day operations of the resort, which is currently being constructed oceanfront along the Atlantic shoreline in St. Augustine Beach, Florida. The new resort will feature onsite dining, an oceanfront Splash Park, waterfront meeting space and other surprising guest amenities. Key International – prominent Miami-based real estate investment and development company specializing in hospitality – is the owner and developer of the property.
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Jean Spaulding director of sales & marketing for the Forbes Four Star-rated Villas of Grand Cypress, a Gemstone Collection property located in Orlando, Florida. Mark Cox, BENCHMARK's general manager at the resort, made the announcement. Jean Spaulding brings stellar experience to her new role at Villas of Grand Cypress. She most recently served as director of sales & marketing for the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
Loews Hotels & Co, in partnership with Universal Orlando Resort, has named veteran hotelier Stephen Cummings to be managing director of Universal’s Aventura Hotel. The 600-room property is set to open in August 2018 and will become the destination’s sixth hotel, bringing the total number of hotel rooms at Universal Orlando to 6,200.
Mainsail Lodging & Development announced today the appointment of Jim Swaim as general manager of the 335-room Ramada Plaza Fort Walton Beach Resort/Destin. Swaim will oversee the hiring of new staff and day-to-day operations of the Ramada Plaza, located directly on the Emerald Coast in the Panhandle of Florida.
Following the completion of a property wide $35 million renovation, Hilton Miami Downtown by Resort World Miami invites groups and leisure guests to enjoy a Downtown Miami escape just steps from the city's best cultural, shopping, dining and entertainment experiences.
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, a Noble House Resort located on the idyllic Naples beachfront, is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Menshon as director of sales and marketing. Menshon joins LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort with more than 20 years of specialized experience in hospitality sales and marketing, with a proven track record of exceeding sales goals through effective leadership, personalized customer service, innovative marketing plans, and attention to detail. In her new role, Menshon will oversee revenue management, group, corporate, and transient sales, and all marketing initiatives at the resort.
Northwood Hospitality is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Burke as both Area Vice President of Florida, as well as the new General Manager of Naples Grande Beach Resort. In this new role, Burke will oversee ongoing performance of three of Northwood’s properties – Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Tranquility Bay Beach Resort, and Naples Grande Beach Resort, where he will also act as General Manger.
The Gates Hotel South Beach – a DoubleTree by Hilton announces the appointment of Brent McNally as General Manager. In this role, McNally will be responsible for driving overall operations and guest satisfaction of the lifestyle hotel’s 235-rooms, signature restaurant Agaveros Cantina, and 3,000-sq-ft of meeting space.
Westgate Resorts released details of its new Cocoa Beach resort and invites visitors to experience the finest resort in Cocoa Beach. Coming summer 2018, Wakulla Suites will be completely transformed into Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort after a $14 million comprehensive renovation that is already 50 percent complete. The fully renovated property will boast two-bedroom, two-bathroom and fully equipped high-end condominiums; a tropical-themed water park with a lazy river, splash pad and water play area and a variety of exclusive concierge level services unique to the Space Coast. Guests can now reserve their stay at the new Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort getaway at www.experiencecocoabeach.com.