NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (June 28, 2018) – Napa Valley’s most anticipated opening set to debut this July, Vista Collina Resort, a Meritage Collection property, welcomes three new hospitality executives to its leadership team with General Manager Dave Elcon, Managing Director Shashi Poudyal and Spa Director Kathleen McNichols. With notable years of experience in the luxury hospitality and wellness industries, Elcon, Poudyal and McNichols bring enthusiasm and dedicated efforts to the overall quality of hotel operations and curated spa and wellness programming at Vista Collina Resort.
Bringing more than 15 years of luxury hospitality experience, General Manager Dave Elcon, will oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations and management of Vista Collina Resort. This includes sales and marketing, revenue management, and food and beverage operations as well as leading the hotel staff to continually delight guests with warm hospitality. Prior to joining Vista Collina Resort, Elcon served as director of operations at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he led several million dollars worth of capital projects as well as implemented several green initiatives, resulting in the Cool Planet Award from Southern California Edison. Other notable properties Elcon has had key leadership roles at include Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego and The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach. Elcon graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo, where he also served on the Hospitality Board for its Tourism Department, and has since been honored as Manager of the Quarter at Bacara Resort & Spa, Manager of the Year and Manager of the Quarter at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, and Manager of the Quarter at The Cliffs Resort.
An award-winning hotel operator with more than 25 years of experience at some of the world’s finest hotels, Shashi Poudyal manages the operations for Meritage Ventures, which includes Vista Collina Resort, The Meritage Resort and Spa and the future development of AC Hotel and Residence Inn Napa. Shashi is a solution-focused leader with a proven track record of increasing revenues while maintaining the highest levels of guest satisfaction. A native of Nepal, Poudyal joined Pacific Hospitality Group in 2012. His exemplary tenure with the company has included various management positions throughout Southern California, including general manager at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa in San Diego, and most recently, general manager at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara. After joining Bacara, Poudyal upheld the resort’s Forbes Four Star standards while establishing several measures to strengthen the resort’s partnerships within the local community.
With an extensive background in spa and wellness, specifically within the hospitality industry, Spa Director Kathleen McNichols brings creativity to producing a luxurious and reputable spa program at Vista Collina Resort through its sister property, Meritage Resort and Spa, where Vista Collina Resort guests have full access to. In her role, she will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of spa and wellness operations at Meritage Resort and Spa and Vista Collina Resort. Prior to joining Vista Collina Resort, McNichols served as a consultant for Spa Solutions as well as held previous leadership roles, including director of spa at Resort at Squaw Creek for over 10 years and an esthetician at Vail Resorts.
