March, 2018 (Newport, Rhode Island): Grace Hotels (www.gracehotels.com), the award-winning luxury hotel group, announces the appointments of hospitality veteran Alice Bouman as General Manager and culinary expert Anthony Theocaropoulos as Executive Chef at Grace Vanderbilt.
In her new role as General Manager, Bouman will oversee the day-to-day management of the property including all staff, guest services, and marketing initiatives. With nearly 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Bouman joins the Grace team following her role as Resort Manager at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Harwich, Massachusetts.
Overseeing all of the culinary operations and programming at Grace Vanderbilt, Theocaropoulos is reinventing the menu at the property’s restaurant, The Vanderbilt Grill, to feature the best of Newport’s local ingredients with his simple, yet elegant cooking style. In addition to his work in top kitchens and restaurants in New York City such as Eataly and Ai Fiori, Chef Theocaropoulous joins the Grace team with a specialty in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine.
“Having held a variety of positions across the hospitality field all around the world, I am thrilled to bring my experience and fresh, creative ideas to my new role as General Manager at one of Newport’s most notable boutique properties,” said Bouman. “I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Grace Hotels and am looking forward to building an even stronger identity for this unique, Gilded Age property through enhanced guest offerings and programming. Every guest and Rhode Island local is so important at Grace Vanderbilt and I want to ensure they feel that every time they set foot into the hotel.”
“I am looking forward to bringing my knowledge and understanding of culinary to Grace Vanderbilt,” added Chef Theocaropoulos. “I have a lot of new ideas that I am excited to implement into our culinary programming and menus. The Vanderbilt Grill delivers contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, simply prepared and beautiful. I’m excited to work with ingredients that are seasonal and regionally sourced to deliver a unique seafood forward menu.”
Bouman’s hospitality expertise spans multiple fields within the industry including operations, event planning, marketing, and public relations. Bouman began her career as a housekeeping and banqueting trainee at The Hilton Orly in Paris and then went onto work in various positions at top hotels in some of the most sought-after destinations including the Catic Plaza Hotel in Beijing, the Grand Hotel Kransnapolsky in Amsterdam, and several international and national Four Seasons Hotels.
Equally as established, Chef Theocaropoulos has deep roots in the industry having previously opened his own restaurant in Brooklyn, New York and been recognized for his talent by the likes of The New York Times, Eater NY, amNY, and several other regional publications. Awarded the ‘Best Octopus in New York’ by Ask Men, Chef Theocaropoulos will incorporate his signature award-winning dishes along with new creations to Grace Vanderbilt’s already robust and coveted culinary program.
Bouman is a graduate of Hoge Hotelschool Maastricht in the Netherlands, where she gained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Hotel and Catering Management. Additionally, Bouman is certified in conference management and is fluent in both Dutch and English.
Chef Theocaropoulos received his education at the Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, where he was trained in culinary arts and international cuisine. He was particularly influenced while working under Chef Michael White, who is one of his biggest mentors and has guided Chef Theocaropoulos to refine the cooking style he is so well-known for today.
