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Appointment

John F. Labsan has been appointed as Associate Director of Group Sales at InterContinental San Francisco

John F. Labsan is the newest member of the InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco’s sales team, taking on the role of Associate Director of Group Sales. Previously the Corporate Sales Manager for the Crowne Plaza San Jose – Silicon Valley, an InterContinental Hotels Group property, Labsan brings 12 years of hospitality experience to the InterContinental San Francisco properties, ranging from corporate destinations including Hilton to the family-owned Porto Vista Hotel in downtown San Diego. He has a strong background in hotel sales and general management as well as a proven track record in maintaining client relationships while building connections with new clients through business development and innovative entrepreneurial skills. In his new role as Associate Director of Group Sales, Labsan oversees, develops, and implements sales activities for both InterContinental San Francisco properties.

IHG
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Kini Sanborn has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing of The Vintage Estate at The Vintage Estate

Brookfield Hotel Properties is pleased to announce the appointment of Kini Sanborn to the position of Director of Sales and Marketing of The Vintage Estate, comprised of The Vintage Inn and Villagio Inn & Spa, located in Yountville, CA. In this role, Sanborn will oversee the repositioning of the luxury property as it undergoes a major transformation in Spring 2017, including the complete redesign of all public spaces, guestrooms at both hotels and the meeting spaces. Sanborn will also oversee all sales and marketing initiatives for both luxury properties, the V Market Place, and Spa Villagio. Her position will be responsible for working closely with several of the world’s top branding teams and designers on the development of creative and innovative strategic campaigns that welcome the most discerning and experiential-based travelers, as well as attracting high-profile meetings and event clientele. As a seasoned hospitality professional for more than 15 years, Sanborn joins The Vintage Estate following nearly four years as Director of Sales and Marketing at Bardessono Hotel & Spa, also in Yountville. Here she led an eight-person sales team, as well as the public relations agency, and was an integral player in the operational success of the ultra-luxury property. While in Yountville, she also held a seat on the Yountville Chamber’s Executive Board for two years, and was Chair of the Marketing Committee for the town. Prior to this role, Sanborn held the same positions at both Pan Pacific Hotel Group and MTM Luxury Lodging, both in Seattle, Washington, where she doubled catering revenues, exceeded group goals, and tactically captured RevShare along with the teams she managed.

Brookfield Asset Management
Napa Valley, California, United States
Appointment

Morri Roberts has been appointed as Director of Sales at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, Southern California's iconic landmark hotel, has announced the appointment of Morri Roberts as Director of Sales to its senior management team. Roberts brings a wealth of luxury hospitality experience to her new role at the Pasadena hotel where she previously held a Director of Group Sales position. Roberts joined the Langham team in 2011 and has since been instrumental in the sales organization with an exemplary performance that has impacted the property's growth year after year. Prior to The Langham, she was responsible for driving sales across a luxury portfolio that included The Ritz-Carlton and The Waldorf Astoria brands. In her new role, Roberts will work closely with senior management to further strengthen the Hotel's strategy across key market segments to achieve sales targets. She will continue to lead strategic campaigns across the property's 380 rooms, 2 restaurants and 2 lounges, Chuan Spa and the meetings, incentive, conference and event facilities.

Langham
Pasadena, California, United States
Appointment

Chris Sessions has been appointed as Associate Director of Sales at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa

Experienced hospitality sales professional, Christopher Sessions has been appointed Associate Director of Sales at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, Surf City’s premier AAA Four Diamond beachfront destination. The announcement was made today by Director of Sales and Marketing, Kay Cochran.A professional with more than 10 years of hospitality sales and strategy experience, Sessions will be responsible for overseeing the group sales efforts of the upscale 517-key property. Most recently, Sessions held the position of Associate Director of Sales at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Previous to the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Sessions served in North Carolina at the Omni Grove Park Inn as National Sales Director and Pinehurst Resort as Director, National Accounts. Sessions began his hospitality career with Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel and throughout his career has held sales management positions across the country. Sessions holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Marketing from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.

Hyatt
Huntington Beach, California, United States
Appointment

Allan Farwell has been appointed as General Manager at Hyatt Regency La Jolla

Farwell has more than 26 years working with Hyatt Hotels as general manager for various properties across the country and previously served as general manager at Hyatt Regency La Jolla from 1998–2004. Most recently, Farwell served as the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Maui which has been awarded AAA Four Diamond Rating for 21 consecutive years. Previously, Farwell served as general manager of Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Park Hyatt Washington D.C. and Park Hyatt Chicago.

Hyatt
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

David Croughan has been appointed as General Manager at The Hilton San Diego-Del Mar Campus

The Hilton San Diego-Del Mar Campus is proud to announce that David Croughan has joined its team as general manager. The Hilton San Diego-Del Mar campus, comprised of Hilton Garden Inn San Diego-Del Mar and Homewood Suites by Hilton San Diego-Del Mar is operated by San Diego-based hotel management company, RAR Hospitality. David oversees all aspects of the hotel including hiring and training of new staff, managing the property's 100+ employees and driving revenues. He has numerous professional certifications in hospitality, including SixSigma, Continuous Improvement, Zenger Miller Leadership and Cornell Food and Beverage. Croughan brings over 23 years of general manager experience from various hotels in the United States including Embassy Suites, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and numerous resorts. Prior to joining RAR Hospitality and the Hilton San Diego-Del Mar campus team, he was general manager of Embassy Suites Houston Galleria. He has spent 17 years of his career with the Hilton family and nearly a decade with Starwood Hotels.

R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc.
San Diego, California, United States
Appointment

Matina Lapanaitis has been appointed as Managing Director at Mosaic Hotel and Maison 140

BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Matina Lapanaitis managing director for Mosaic Hotel and Maison 140. Both properties, located in Beverly Hills, California, are part of Benchmark’s prestigious Gemstone Collection. Paul D’Andrea, regional vice president, made the announcement. Matina Lapanaitis brings to her new position nearly 30 years of hospitality management experience gained in Australia and more recently, in the California markets of San Diego, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. During her original tenure as general manager of Mosaic Hotel in Beverly Hills, she brought the property to new heights of excellence, securing a coveted place on Travel + Leisure magazine’s prestigious “Top 10 Small Hotels in the USA and Canada” list. Leaving to serve as general manager of the Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, she has returned to Mosaic Hotel and also Maison 140, serving as managing director of both luxury properties. Ms. Lapanaitis attended CDI Institute, St. Leonards, North South Wales, Australia. She resides in Beverly Hills.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
Beverly Hills, California, United States
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Appointment

Maxine Taylor has been appointed as Senior Vice President of Asset Management at CHMWarnick (CHMW)

CHMWarnick (CHMW), the leading hotel asset management and owner advisory services company, today appointed Maxine Taylor senior vice president of asset management. In her new role, Taylor will oversee asset management operations from the company’s new San Francisco office, which brings CHMW’s total to eight offices across the country. Additionally, she will grow the company’s asset management capabilities for a client portfolio of first-class, full-service convention, airport and luxury hotels, creating a stronger presence and expanding services to clients with a growing number of investments in Hawaii and the western region of the U.S. With the company’s recent West Coast expansion, CHMW’s hotel asset management portfolio now includes more than 60 hotels comprising approximately 25,000 rooms totaling $15 billion in assets.

CHMWarnick
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Jeffrey “JC” Converse has been appointed as Director of Food & Beverage at Miramonte Resort & Spa, A Destination Hotel

Converse joins Miramonte from the Aramark Sports and Entertainment beverage alcohol service and sales program at the Anaheim Convention Center where he served as Beverage Operations Manager. A top-performing food & beverage professional, Converse is credited with combining sales, marketing, and business development expertise to deliver substantial revenue growth in highly competitive markets. He possesses exceptional expertise in strategic concept and menu development while meeting the bottom line. In his new role at Miramonte, Converse will oversee the food and beverage operations at the resort and ensure the culinary offerings meet and exceed guests’ needs. Converse will focus on increasing revenue and maximizing the financial performance of the department while also maintaining employee and guest satisfaction.

Destination Hotels
Palm Springs, California, United States
Appointment

Michael Wong has been appointed as Executive Chef at The InterContinental Mark Hopkins

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins is proud to announce Michael Wong as the hotel’s new Executive Chef, overseeing the food programs for this historic hotel property including room service, its iconic Top of the Mark lounge, and Nob Hill Club – the hotel’s restaurant, Club Lounge and grab and go space. Wong has spent more than 20 years working with some of the most renowned hotel brands like Hyatt, Starwood, and Hilton in destinations across America from Hawaii to Virginia and throughout California. For Chef Michael Wong, his love of food began with his interest in art. Like many chefs, he grew up in a household where food and cooking traditions were part of family life but it wasn’t until college where he enrolled as an arts major that he began to see cooking as a form of artistic expression. “I accepted a job at Disneyland working in foodservice and enjoyed the interaction I had with the cooks and chefs,” says Wong. “It was art on a different canvas – I could still draw and paint, but on a plate instead.” From there, Wong decided to take some general classes at the local college while getting hands-on culinary experience in the field at the former Hyatt Regency Irvine in Southern California.

IHG
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Marck Banagan has been appointed as Executive Sous Chef at The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel

The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Francisco is proud to announce Marck Banagan as Executive Sous Chef. Marck comes to the Palace after holding the Executive Chef position at the local hot spot Tacolicious, located in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Marck began his professional culinary career in 2010 at Ella Dining Room and Bar in Sacramento, California. He started working as Chef de Partie and was later promoted to Sous Chef. In 2013, Marck accepted a position as Executive Chef at Selland’s Market-Café in El Dorado Hills where he worked for two years. Hungry for a new challenge, in a very culinary focused city, Chef Banagan moved to San Francisco in 2015. He began working as Sous Chef at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, located in The Westin St. Francis hotel on Union Square. In January 2016, Marck made the move to Tacolicious and in October 2016 he joined the Palace Hotel. In his Palace role, Marck will manage a staff of 60 and oversee culinary production for 3 award winning restaurants, Banquets and In Room Dining. He looks forward to incorporating his style into the Palace menus and inspiring cooks to experiment with ingredients to create memorable dishes. Marck attended The University of California at Davis where he earned an A.B. in Psychology in 2006. In 2007 he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone in St. Helena with a CA A.O.S in Culinary Arts. He completed his externship at the Ahwhanee Hotel in Yosemite, California.

Marriott
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Kimberly Atkinson has been appointed as Director of Human Resources at Hotel Durant, Berkeley

BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Kimberly Atkinson director of human resources for Hotel Durant. The property, located in Berkeley, California, is part of Benchmark’s prestigious Gemstone Collection. Dell Dellinger, regional managing director, made the announcement. Kimberly Atkinson was previously director of human resources for Hotel Zelos San Francisco. Prior to this, Ms. Atkinson served in the role of human resources manager for the Villa Florence Hotel in San Francisco. She is a graduate of City College of San Francisco, California. Ms. Atkinson is relocating to Los Angeles.

Pyramid Global Hospitality
Berkeley, California, United States
Appointment

Paul Hancock has been appointed as Executive Chef at Miramonte Resort & Spa, A Destination Hotel

Miramonte Resort & Spa, A Destination Hotel, located in Coachella Valley just outside of Palm Springs, is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its executive culinary team: Jeffrey “JC” Converse, C.S.W as Director of Food & Beverage and Paul Hancock as Executive Chef. Converse joins Miramonte from the Aramark Sports and Entertainment beverage alcohol service and sales program at the Anaheim Convention Center where he served as Beverage Operations Manager. A top-performing food & beverage professional, Converse is credited with combining sales, marketing, and business development expertise to deliver substantial revenue growth in highly competitive markets. He possesses exceptional expertise in strategic concept and menu development while meeting the bottom line. In his new role at Miramonte, Converse will oversee the food and beverage operations at the resort and ensure the culinary offerings meet and exceed guests’ needs. Converse will focus on increasing revenue and maximizing the financial performance of the department while also maintaining employee and guest satisfaction. Serving most recently as Assistant Director of Culinary Experiences at The Camby, A Destination Hotel, in Phoenix, AZ, Executive Chef Paul Hancock has been brought on board to oversee all culinary operations for the 11-acre property. Having spent more than a decade working in hotel kitchens around the country, Chef Hancock has held positions such as Executive Sous Chef at the Diplomat Country Club, Resort & Spa in Hollywood, FL, Executive Chef Consultant at Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula, CA, as well as a chef apprenticeship with L’auberge de l’Erdian in Veyier Du Lac, France. In his new role as executive chef at Miramonte, Chef Hancock will oversee all daily kitchen operations and menus ensuring the highest standard of culinary excellence and the use of seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Through the combination of strengths from Hancock’s repertoire and under the leadership of Converse, an exceptional food and beverage program is in store for guests. The duo will work together to strengthen the culinary experience, from the pool menus to fine dining and everything in between.

Destination Hotels
Indian Wells, California, United States
Appointment

Oscar Gonzalez has been appointed as Executive Chef at Fairmont San Francisco

Fairmont San Francisco has appointed Executive Chef Oscar Gonzalez to head the landmark hotel’s culinary operations, including its signature Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar and Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar as well as its banquets and catering departments. Prior to joining Fairmont San Francisco, Gonzalez served as Executive Sous Chef at Pelican Hill Resort, Newport Beach, California where was responsible for overseeing the culinary operation, including five restaurants and banquets.

FRHI
San Francisco, California, United States
Appointment

Denise Figuls has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at Country Inn & Suites by Carlson™

Leo Spriggs, President and CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), is delighted to announce the addition of Denise Figuls to the sales team at the newly constructed Country Inn & Suites by Carlson™ in Anaheim, CA, scheduled to open in December 2016. Figuls will be responsible for all revenue generation for the hotel, as well as oversee all sales and marketing efforts. She will focus on developing and increasing revenue opportunities, client satisfaction and managing local initiatives to increase customer and brand awareness. The company continues its ongoing business expansion efforts and is made up of full service, conference center, select service and limited service hotels. HMC is one of the country’s largest third-party privately held hotel management companies, ranked in the top 40 of all third party and owner operated hotel management companies.

HMC
Anaheim, California, United States
Appointment

Mark Jeffrey has been appointed as General Manager at Miramonte Resort & Spa, A Destination Hotel

Miramonte Resort & Spa, A Destination Hotel, in Coachella Valley just outside of Palm Springs, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Jeffrey as General Manager. In his new role, Jeffrey will oversee all hotel services and staff development including maintaining and enhancing guest satisfaction, profitability, and employee moral.

Destination Hotels
Indian Wells, California, United States