ROCKVILLE, Md., May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, along with Pearl Properties and Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company announced today the "topping off" of the Cambria Hotel Philadelphia, marking installation of the final exterior beam during construction.
Philadelphia’s iconic Hyatt at The Bellevue, located along the world-famous Avenue of the Arts in the heart of downtown and known for its rich and storied history, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Paroulek as Executive Chef. Paroulek has been working for Hyatt Hotels Corporation for over 15 years and brings almost two decades of culinary experience to his new position, most recently overseeing the culinary operation at Grand Hyatt Incheon, the largest Hyatt property outside North America. In his new role, Paroulek will bring a uniquely influenced upscale American cuisine to the luxury hotel and to the city of Philadelphia. As Executive Chef, Paroulek will oversee the entire culinary operation at Hyatt at The Bellevue. Not only will he be involved in managing the property’s fine dining restaurant XIX (Nineteen), known for its sweeping views of Philadelphia from the 19th floor of the hotel, but he will also oversee in-room dining as well as banquet and events menus for the hotel.Tim Paroulek started his culinary career at Northwood’s in Annapolis where he learned basic Italian and French cooking techniques and skills. In 2002 Paroulek joined Hyatt, working at Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Resort, Spa and Marina as a line cook. Within two years he was promoted to a supervisory position at the property’s seafood restaurant, Blue Point Provisional Company. Two years later he helped open the prestigious Blue Duck Tavern at Park Hyatt Washington D.C. where he worked his way up to Senior Sous Chef. Paroulek left Blue Duck Tavern to open Shor Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Curacao Golf Resort Spa & Marina as Chef de Cuisine, as well as manage the property’s existing Mediterranean restaurant Medi. After leaving Curacao Chef Paroulek traveled to South Korea to take on the role of Chef de Cuisine of Restaurant 8 at the Hyatt Regency Incheon where he was eventually promoted to Executive Sous Chef during the opening of a second tower and re-branding of the property to the Grand Hyatt Incheon. Chef Paroulek eventually oversaw the hotel’s entire kitchen operations before taking on his new role at Hyatt at the Bellevue.
Waterford Hotel Group has announced the promotion of Claudine McGee-Bounds to General Manager of the 125-room Courtyard by Marriott in Coatesville, PA. As General Manager, Bounds is responsible for all of the hotel’s operations, sales and administration, as well as the associates employed at the property. Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm, professionally manages the 125-room hotel.
Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, the biggest indoor waterpark in the northeast is pleased to announce the appointment of Emilio Fabico as General Manager.
Today, Sonesta named Paul Jensen as the General Manager of the Sonesta ES Suites in Malvern, Pennsylvania. In this role, Jensen will be tasked with overseeing the daily operational activities of the property and its staff. Working across teams, Jensen will be instrumental in maintaining employee engagement, driving revenue and profitability and ensuring that Sonesta ES Suites Malvern provides guests with more than just a place to stay.
Meghan Earnshaw has joined Fairmont Pittsburgh as Director of Operations. Meghan will oversee all hotel operations at the 185-room Four Diamond property including rooms, food and beverage, and the Health Club & Spa at Fairmont Pittsburgh. She will also work with all departments to continually enhance guest satisfaction and maintain Fairmont Pittsburghs position as the #1 Hotel in Pittsburgh (U.S. News & World Report, 2016). Bringing over 12 years of hospitality experience, she joins Fairmont Pittsburgh from Fairmont Chicago and her most recent role of Director of Rooms.
Hyatt at The Bellevue, one of the most iconic hotels in Philadelphia, is pleased to announce the appointment of Pina Purpero as General Manager. In her new role, Purpero will manage all aspects of the hotel, its day-to-day operations and oversee a multi-million dollar renovation, set to be complete this spring. Ideally situated on the world famous Avenue of the Arts, one of the most vibrant tourist destinations in the United States, the historic Hyatt at The Bellevue is an appealing combination of luxe modern interiors and old-world architecture, tucked inside a Beaux-Arts building that has earned a spot on the National Registry of Historical Places.
With a proven track record of increasing yearly sales, Kimberly McCombie has been promoted to assistant director of food and beverage at Omni Bedford Springs Resort. McCombie’s responsibilities will expand to include assisting Chef Noto in managing all culinary operations and overseeing the operation of six restaurants and food outlets, as well as room service, banqueting and special events.
After originally joining the resort as executive chef in 2010 and proving to be both imaginative and skillful in his creative culinary mastery, Chef David Noto has been promoted to director of food and beverage. Bringing nearly two decades of high-end restaurant experience to the table, Chef Noto manages dining operations and procurement for six restaurants and food outlets at Omni Bedford Springs Resort, in addition to supervising room service, banqueting and special events. Prior to his time at the resort, Chef Noto spent seven years as executive chef of AAA Four Diamond-rated Hilton Dallas Lincoln Center.
A talented sales professional with experience in leading a multitude of resorts along the east coast, John Hess joins Omni Bedford Springs Resort as director of sales and marketing. In this role, he’s tasked with overseeing the resort sales team and developing innovative strategies to increase revenues and drive business, with a focus on group clientele. Hess arrived from nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort, where he was the director of sales for the past five years. In years prior, he held key sales management positions at properties in the mid-Atlantic, including director of sales at Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort in Snowshoe, W.Va.; general manager/director of sales at Mariners Landing Resort and Conference Center in Huddleston, Va.; and director of sales at Wintergreen Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Jon Luther, board chairman for Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. and retired CEO and board chairman of Dunkin' Brands, has been named 2015 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS).
Fairmont Pittsburgh Welcomes Simon Boden as director of sales & marketing. Boden brings 16 years of management experience to this position, joining the company in 1999 at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club as a sales manager, business travel. Boden later transferred to Fairmont Orchid as director of revenue management. Most recently, Boden held the position of director, sales & revenue, Fairmont Southampton.
Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), announced the appointment of Lisa Calicchio, SPHR, to the position of executive vice president, Global Human Resources. Based in the company’s Parsippany N.J. headquarters, Calicchio will lead strategic efforts to enhance the vacation exchange and rental company’s Human Resources (HR) function across the organization.
Donna L. Quadri-Felitti has been selected as the new director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State. Her appointment will be effective in July. Prior to joining Penn State, Quadri-Felitti served on the faculty of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism in New York University's School of Professional Studies where her most recent post was as academic chair of the Center.
An accomplished leader with 19 years of industry experience, Brett Schoenfield oversees all operations at Omni Bedford Springs Resort. Schoenfield arrived at the resort from the Vail Cascade Resort in Vail, Colo., where he served as general manager for five years and oversaw all operations of the mountain address, including the resort’s recent multi-million dollar renovation. Previously, he completed a year-long turn as general manager at the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palms Springs, Calif. Additionally, Schoenfield spent 12 years garnering valuable industry experience working at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., prior to Omni Hotels & Resorts’ acquisition in 2013. He began his tenure with The Homestead Resort holding the position of rooms division manager in 1995, and continued to achieve successive promotions to hotel manager, general manager and executive vice-president, until his appointment as president in 2004. A native of Michigan, Schoenfield earned a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He started his hospitality career in management positions at Hyatt Regency Maui; Hyatt Regency Atlanta; and Hyatt Regency Monterey.
As director of sales and marketing, Pamela Wolff works to maximize resort revenue among target markets by developing and implementing innovative marketing strategies, as well as managing the sales and conference services teams. Prior to joining Omni Bedford Springs Resort, Wolff spent three years as the regional director of sales and marketing for Prospera Hospitality, where she oversaw a portfolio of 11 hotels with revenues in excess of $35 million. She also garnered valuable industry experience working for Connections and Scott Enterprises, two hospitality sales and marketing consulting services in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Wolff served as senior regional director of sales and marketing for Vista Host Hotel Management in Houston, Texas, and began her career as regional director of operations for Mid-Atlantic Regional Cendant Corporation (Wyndham International) in 1999. Wolff earned a bachelor of arts degree in media and marketing communications from the University of Pittsburgh.
Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s top-ranked hotel developer/owner/operators, announced that Alisa Faulk of the company's Courtyard by Marriott, Settlers Ridge was named General Manager of the Year by the Greater Pittsburgh Hotel Association (GPHA) at the organization's annual meeting and gala. The General Manager of the Year award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated professionalism in operating a property and taken a leadership role in the industry by actively participating in association, community or industry programs. Faulk is the immediate past chair of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce and has a long resume of personal volunteer commitments, including the annual WDVE Rocks for Children’s Radiothon, Hard to Recycle and being a guest bartender at the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Mixer with Shakers event. Under Faulk's leadership, the hotel previously won GPHA's 2014 award for community service for Concord's annual Share Day event on behalf of Feed the Children, participation in the national Clean the World program and nearly a dozen other community activities.
Today, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions announces the addition of Steve Magnuson to its senior leadership team. In his role as Vice President and Managing Director, Pocono Mountains, Magnuson will lead all operations across the Nelson-family resort and convention business in the company’s newest location. Slated to open in June 2015, the $230 million dollar project will span over 150 acres upon completion. Magnuson brings more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry to his role, most recently serving as Vice President of Operations for the Marcus Hotels & Resorts senior leadership team. He first joined Marcus in 1994 as general manager of Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, ascending to the role of Vice President and Managing Director in June of 1998.
Plans to bring a new full-service hotel to Downtown Allentown are moving forward.
Plans to bring a new full-service hotel to Downtown Allentown are moving forward.