Huntington Beach, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2015)—Kimpton’s Shorebreak Hotel introduced today the new leadership team at the famed Huntington Beach property. From the seasoned general manager to the professional skimboarder/Chef, below are the new faces of Surf City USA’s iconic 157-room hotel:
Brent McNally is the general manager at Kimpton’s Shorebreak Hotel, responsible for the hotel’s day to day operations, guest relations and financial performance. With more than 10 years of hospitality experience and a strong background in hotel openings and transitions, Brent is well-known for his ability to build teams that cultivate and embrace the spirit of a hotel’s location and surroundings. Brent comes to the Shorebreak Hotel from Cypress Hotel, Kimpton’s Silicon Valley property, where he spent nearly three years as an assistant general manager. Prior to relocating to California in 2012, Brent served in management roles at Kimpton’s Miami, Fla. and Scottsdale, Ariz. hotels.
In addition to overseeing Kimpton’s first Orange County hotel, Brent holds a seat on Visit Huntington Beach’s Executive Board. His prior non-profit organization experience includes serving on the Board of Directors for the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, where he continues to maintain association memberships related to his field. When he isn’t generally managing, he enjoys spending time with his fiancé Nilly, exploring Surf City USA and relaxing on the beach.
Gene Smallwood is the director of sales and marketing at Kimpton’s Shorebreak Hotel, responsible for revenue management, leading the sales organization and overall hotel financial success. A results-oriented and creative strategist, Gene comes to the Shorebreak from Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, where he spent five years in various sales leadership roles. Most recently, Gene served as the hotel’s associate director of sales. Gene started his hospitality career as an account executive at the Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
An avid surfer, you can usually catch Gene paddling out on the north side of the pier. Between surfs, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend Shaina, riding his motorcycle and traveling as much as possible.
Blake Brissette-Mathias is the general manager of Food and Beverage at Kimpton’s Shorebreak Hotel, responsible for managing all food and beverage operations, including banquets, catering, in-room dining and the Zimzala Restaurant & Bar. Blake is a skilled food and beverage leader, with more than eight years of experience driving strategy and food and beverage initiatives for several brands.
A food and whiskey-aficionado, Blake comes to Shorebreak from Fox Restaurant Concepts, where he spent three years in various leadership roles. Most recently, he served as the general manager at the Culinary Dropout – The Yard in Phoenix, Ariz. Blake started his hospitality career as in intern at China Grill Management, and was quickly promoted to restaurant and bar manager. When he isn’t working hard to deliver the best food and beverage experience, Blake enjoys hanging out with his three-year-old son and discovering new restaurants and bars.
Chef Damon Kelly leads Shorebreak’s Zimzala Restaurant & Bar, and is responsible for daily culinary direction and creating an exciting and approachable menu, filled with coastal and surf-inspired cuisine. A SoCal native, Chef Damon is into locally-sourced produce, putting it to tantalizing use in dishes that change each season. Prior to Zimzala Restaurant & Bar, Chef Damon served as the Chef De Cuisine at Commune Hotels and Resorts. Also a professional skimboarder, Chef Damon spent a number of years in Hawaii and traveled around the globe, where he mastered both the sport and surf-inspired cooking.
The new team joined the hotel earlier this year, following the February 2015 ownership change.
