Bringing 16 years of hospitality experience to the table, Angel Trubee will serve as the area director of sales for Courtyard Cypress Anaheim/Orange County and Hampton Inn Los Angeles-Orange County-Cypress.
Nopper joins Andaz West Hollywood from Hyatt Hotels’ corporate office in Chicago, Illinois where he served as Corporate Director of Rooms for the Americas region. Nopper has been part of the Hyatt family since 1999 when he worked as a Banquet Manager at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle, Washington. He is a graduate of University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he majored in Hotel Administration. Prior to that he attended the International College of Hospitality Administration in Brig, Switzerland. Nopper was born in Germany and speaks fluent English and German.
MacDonald joins Andaz West Hollywood from Hyatt Market Street in Woodland Hills, Texas where she served as Director of Sales and Events. Prior to joining Hyatt Hotels in 2012, MacDonald was the National Sales Manager for Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a graduate of University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada where she majored in Political Studies and History.
Thomas Lee has been appointed general manager for Cape Rey Carlsbad, a Hilton Resort situated along San Diego's spectacular North County coastline. A seasoned hospitality professional and avid outdoor enthusiast- who even spent a few years playing on the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball circuit- Lee is perfectly suited to take the helm at the upscale coastal retreat steeped in local adventure and beach life. Lee most recently served as general manager of the Pacific Edge Hotel, a Joie de Vivre property in Laguna Beach, Calif. A native of Newport Beach and longtime veteran of the hospitality industry, Lee has held several senior-level positions within Davidson Hotels and Resorts working with properties within the Hyatt, Hilton, Starwood and Intercontinental portfolios. Prior to joining Davidson, Lee played a key role in high profile hospitality and entertainment projects in Los Angeles including the re-launch of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Governor's Ball for the Academy Awards. Lee began his hospitality career at the Sofitel in Beverly Hills and the Bel Age Hotel on the famed Sunset Strip. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Lee holds a Master's Degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration. He previously served on the board of Visit Laguna Beach. In his free time, you can find him running on the beach, hiking a nearby trail or spending time with his wife and two daughters.
A veteran of the hospitality industry with nearly 30 years of premier hotel management experience, Woodin is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the property.
Victor Palma has been appointed executive chef of golf resort, Rosewood CordeValle, located in San Martin, California. In his new role, Palma will lead the culinary team at the resort’s three distinctive dining venues: Il Vigneto, Lion’s Peak Grill and One Iron Bar.
Sal Abaunza was appointed general manager at Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs, California. Most recently, Abaunza was regional general manager for the Viceroy Hotel Group, overseeing California’s Viceroy Santa Monica, Viceroy Palm Springs, the Avalon in Beverly Hills and the L’Emitage.
The Courtyard San Francisco Downtown will be undergoing major renovations in the coming months and has named Amy Arbuckle to lead the project. The new general manager brings 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry to the role.In the midst of the remodel, the hotel named Arbuckle as the top Marriott official at the hotel, effective Aug. 1, 2016. Arbuckle started her hospitality career as a front-desk associate at a DoubleTree hotel in Albuquerque, NM before breaking into sales and marketing. Her most recent position was at San Francisco Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf, where she served as general manager for more than four years while significantly growing revenue and guest satisfaction scores. A Boston native, Arbuckle lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son. In her spare time, she enjoys competing in triathlons and rooting for the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox.
La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, announces the appointment of Andrew Cooper to the post of Executive Chef. Cooper will oversee all culinary operations for the timeless property including the iconic Morgan’s in the desert, Adobe Grill, and TWENTY6 .
The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, announced Lilian Tolliver as Assistant Chief Engineer of the 556 room historic property. Lilian began an Engineering Apprenticeship at the Palace in 2005. Four years after completing her apprenticeship, she became a Journeyman Engineer. At that time, she was the 4th female Engineer working in the Bay Area hospitality industry and 6th in the Engineering industry as a whole. The Palace is very proud of Lilian and thrilled to appoint her Assistant Chief Engineer as she continues to make history at the iconic hotel. In a property that is more than 100 years old, it is not easy to be the first - at anything. Lilian has been the first at three things. While there have been women Engineers on the Palace team, Lilian was the hotel’s first female Engineering Apprentice, the first female Journeyman Engineer and now the first female Assist Chief. Lilian takes great pride in these accomplishments and hopes to inspire more women to enter the field. Lilian started working at the Palace in 1996 on a temporary basis in Accounts Receivable. Her skill and dedication earned her a permanent position in January 1997. She took on a greater role, handling both accounts receivable and payable, until 2000. Having an interest in Engineering, Lillian accepted a job as the department’s Administrative Assistant. This gave her hands on experience, real time interaction with daily operations and the motivation to further her career in Engineering. Prior to joining the Palace Hotel, Lilian work for three years at Hilton Hotels in Concord, California. In 1994, she joined the Kimpton Group and two years later moved to the Palace. In her new role as Assistant Chief Engineer, Lilian manages a staff of 13. She assists with all aspects of Engineering and works with her department to support the operation of the hotel. She also helps manage departmental budgets and capital projects. Lilian looks forward to sharing and learning alongside her team while building a stronger department to better serve the hotel and its guests. She is eager to accept new challenges that encourage growth and support positive change.
Shutters on the Beach, an Edward Thomas Collection property, has appointed Laura McIver as the seaside property’s Hotel Manager. In her new role, McIver will be responsible for leading all aspects of operations for Santa Monica’s acclaimed luxury seaside resort, including elevating service levels and overseeing the resort’s food and beverage programming at destination restaurants 1 Pico and Coast Beach Café and Bar.
The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Francisco is pleased to announce Chadwick (Chad) Howard as the Director of Restaurants & Bars. Chad joined the Palace team in October 2014 as a Restaurant & Bar Manager. In his new role, Chad manages 82 associates, 3 managers and 1 manager in training. He will oversee the operation of 3 iconic dining venues at the Palace Hotel; the 135 seat landmark Garden Court, the 40 seat GC Lounge and the famous 120 seat Pied Piper. He will also supervise In Room Dining for the 556 room luxury property.
The quintessential, beachfront Hotel Casa del Mar appoints Gemma Gray as its new executive chef, overseeing menu development, the kitchens of its two on-site restaurants, Catch and Terrazza Lounge, and the banquet department. A native of Salamanca, Spain, Gray is a seasoned chef specializing in seasonal California cuisine, drawing upon influences from her Mediterranean background and utilizing both classic and modern cooking techniques.
Pendry San Diego is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to the hotel’s executive team in preparation for the opening of the hotel in late 2016. A new luxury brand from Montage Hotels & Resorts, Pendry is a collection of hotels for the modern day traveler and will be each destination’s most inspired guest house. The new executives will join Pendry San Diego’s General Manager Michael O’Donohue and Director of Sales and Marketing Bob Frear in overseeing the development and launch of the 317-room property in the heart of the famed Gaslamp Quarter.
Pendry San Diego is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to the hotel’s executive team in preparation for the opening of the hotel in late 2016. A new luxury brand from Montage Hotels & Resorts, Pendry is a collection of hotels for the modern day traveler and will be each destination’s most inspired guest house. The new executives will join Pendry San Diego’s General Manager Michael O’Donohue and Director of Sales and Marketing Bob Frear in overseeing the development and launch of the 317-room property in the heart of the famed Gaslamp Quarter.
Pendry San Diego is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to the hotel’s executive team in preparation for the opening of the hotel in late 2016. A new luxury brand from Montage Hotels & Resorts, Pendry is a collection of hotels for the modern day traveler and will be each destination’s most inspired guest house. The new executives will join Pendry San Diego’s General Manager Michael O’Donohue and Director of Sales and Marketing Bob Frear in overseeing the development and launch of the 317-room property in the heart of the famed Gaslamp Quarter.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions across the revenue, accounting, and IT teams at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins. Mae Mabuyo joins the InterContinental San Francisco team as Credit Manager. Born and raised in the Philippines, Mae’s university studies focused on commerce, business management, accounting, and finance. After graduating from Xavier University, she joined the Philippines Department of Education working in a variety of roles over the course of ten years from Accounting Clerk to Senior Bookkeeper and Budget Officer. She later joined the Marriott Hotels team, spending two years as an Accounting Clerk for the Silicon Valley-Fremont location in California before accepting a position at Coca-Cola in Union City as Distribution Center Administrator. She returned to the Marriott Silicon Valley team as Accounting Manager/Assistant Controller prior to joining the team at the InterContinental San Francisco.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions across the revenue, accounting, and IT teams at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins. A member of the InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco team since 2012, Nick Hamati has been promoted from Area Revenue Manager to Area Director of Revenue. With degrees from the University of San Francisco and Cornell University, Nick worked as an instructor for University of San Francisco’s McLaren School of Management while interning for the private wealth management team at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He joined the InterContinental Hotels Group team as Revenue Analyst for the two San Francisco properties and was later promoted to Area Revenue Manager, adding the group’s Crowne Plaza San Jose-Silicon Valley hotel and Holiday Inn properties in San Francisco and Milpitas to his responsibilities.
The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco are proud to announce the following new hires and promotions across the revenue, accounting, and IT teams at the InterContinental San Francisco and InterContinental Mark Hopkins. New Area Director of IT Dennis Wong brings hospitality experience from several San Francisco area hotels to his new position with the InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco. He spent the last two years working in hospitality as IT Manager at four Kimpton Hotels & Resorts properties and was most recently the Area IT Manager for Noble House Hotels and Resorts, including the Argonaut and Tuscan Hotels. Wong is responsible for day-to-day operations and troubleshooting of IT issues, infrastructure upgrades, desktop deployment, and more.
Hilton San Francisco Union Square has appointed Jason Tresh to the position of hotel manager. With more than 20 years of hospitality expertise, Tresh will take the helm of the the iconic 1,919-room hotel focusing on elevating guest satisfaction, managing day-to-day operations and ensuring the property continues to be an industry leader for business travelers, groups and leisure guests as well as push the boundaries of green hospitality.Most recently, Tresh served as the Director of Food & Beverage at New York Hilton Midtown, a position he held since 2009, where he helped to successfully reinvent the hotel’s food and beverage program. Prior to New York Hilton Midtown, Tresh held positions as Executive Assistant Manager and Director of Food and Beverage at Millenium Hilton; Assistant General Manager and Director of Catering at Madison Towers; and Corporate Sales Manager at Benchmark Hospitality, among others. Tresh earned a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and an Associate Degree in Hotel Restaurant Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence R.I.