International Visitors Spent Nearly $20.1 Billion Traveling Within the United States in March
National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) | May 23rd, 2024
CBRE Expects RevPAR Growth to Improve in H2 2024, Driven by Holiday and International Travel
CBRE Group, Inc. | May 16th, 2024
Simon Antoine Returns to Accor as General Manager of Sofitel New York
Sofitel New York | March 19, 2019
NEW YORK – March 19, 2019 – Simon Antoine has returned to his roots at Accor where he started his career in 1985, joining Sofitel New York as its new general manager. The seasoned hotelier brings over 30 years of leadership experience to the luxury Midtown Manhattan hotel, as well as a wealth of knowledge in the food and beverage arena. His new post follows a two-year tenure as opening general manager at the InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf. "We are delighted to welcome Simon back to Accor," said George Terpilowski, Accor's Regional V.P., North East U.S. Region. "I am confident that his leadership and exper...
Jana Yackel Appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Rosewood Hotel Georgia
Rosewood Hotel Georgia | March 19, 2019
Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver's preeminent luxury hotel, has appointed Jana Yackel as Director of Sales and Marketing. In this new role, Yackel will be responsible for developing and executing innovative sales and marketing strategies for the legendary property. Yackel joins Rosewood Hotel Georgia with more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry. Most recently, Yackel served as regional director of sales and marketing at Executive Hotels & Resorts in the Luxury Division, where she oversaw the opening of several new hotels, including the Exchange Hotel Vancouver and the Seaside Hotel, and mana...
Holston House Nashville Appoints Andrew Rodriguez as New Executive Chef
HRI Properties | March 18, 2019
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 18, 2019) – Holston House Nashville, an Unbound Collection by Hyatt, is excited to announce the appointment of Andrew Rodriguez as its new Executive Chef. In this role, Rodriguez will oversee the menus and kitchen staff responsible for the property's dining outlets including, TENN, TENN on Top, and Bar TENN. Located within Holston House Nashville, dining outlets TENN, TENN on Top, and Bar TENN offer a variety of dishes that pay homage to Nashville cuisine, while fusing them with contemporary New American flavors that produce an inventive menu that rotates seasonally. The property's signature restaurant, TEN...
Playa Hotels and Resorts Appoints Three New General Managers
Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. | March 15, 2019
Ft. Lauderdale, FL (March 15, 2019) – Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. (NASDAQ: PLYA, "Playa") has announced the regional appointments of Pedro Tomás and Henry Walther as general managers for Hilton La Romana and Sanctuary Cap Cana, respectively, and Manuel Antonio Perez-Alpuche as general manager for both Hilton Playa del Carmen and Panama Jack Resorts Playa del Carmen. With more than 70 years of combined hotel management experience, the trio bring unparalleled insight to four of Playa's all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. "Playa's footprint in Mexico and the Caribbean continues to grow and accelerate with th...
Craddock Terry Hotel at Bluffwalk Center Appoints Puppy Penny Loafer as Official Greeter and Concierge as Famed Buster Brown Retires
Craddock Terry Hotel at Bluffwalk Center | March 15, 2019
LYNCHBURG, VA – (March 15, 2019) – Craddock Terry Hotel at Bluffwalk Center, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, is pleased to announce the appointment of Penny Loafer, a Wire Fox Terrier puppy, to the role of Official Greeter and Concierge. Penny Loafer is taking over for 10-year-old Buster Brown, a Virginia Restaurant and Tourism Association lifetime achievement recipient. In addition to welcoming Penny Loafer to the hotel, Craddock Terry will be opening a biergarten as well as undergo a refurbishment to guest rooms, meeting/event spaces and public area. Penny Loafer oversees greeting guests of the 44-guestroom bou...
The Jaffa Hotel, Tel Aviv Appoints New General Manager- Torsten Richter
The Jaffa | March 14, 2019
March 2019: The Jaffa, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tel Aviv appoints Torsten Richter as General Manager of The Jaffa. After a successful opening in August 2018 under the helm of Galit Heller, Director of Sales and Marketing, Richter brings his expertise in luxury hospitality to the project. Richter boasts a long career in luxury hospitality, having just come from the SO/Sofitel Bangkok, Accor Hotels & Resorts, Thailand. He began his career at Schlosshotel, Bühlerhöhe in Germany and has since been with renowned hotels around the world such as the Langham Hilton Hotel, Hyde Park Hotel, The Mark Hotel, New York and Savoy Hotel...
BENCHMARK® Names Reginald Campbell Director of Food & Beverage for Villas of Grand Cypress
Villas of Grand Cypress | March 14, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, March 2019 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Reginald Campbell director of food & beverage for Villas of Grand Cypress, a Gemstone Collection property located in Orlando, Florida. Mark Cox, BENCHMARK's general manager at the resort, made the announcement. "I am very pleased to welcome Reginald to his new position here at Villas of Grand Cypress, and to our leadership team," said Mr. Cox. "He comes to his new role with a solid background in food and beverage operations gained over many years, as well as a keen understanding of the Orlando resort market. We look forwar...
Nantucket’s Hotel Pippa Appoints Leigh Anne McDonald as General Manager
March 14, 2019
Nantucket, MA, March 14, 2019 – As Nantucket prepares for high season, Leigh Anne McDonald has been appointed General Manager of Hotel Pippa, a stylish luxury boutique hotel located steps from downtown. A passion for the service industry led Leigh Anne to UNH where she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Tourism Planning & Development. During her undergrad, she studied abroad in Switzerland at Glion, one of the top hospitality management schools in the world. Following her graduation, her love of the beach, nature, and history brought her to Nantucket where she started her hospitality career in 2011. Since then, she has gai...
Teneo Hospitality Group Appoints Victoria Myrand Content & Design Specialist
Teneo Hospitality Group | March 14, 2019
Eden Prairie (Minneapolis), MN, March 14, 2019 … Teneo Hospitality Group, the premier group representation firm, has appointed graphic designer and tech expert Victoria Myrand as Content and Design Specialist. In this newly created position, Ms. Myrand will expand Teneo's digital marketing, social media, e-mail communications, digital advertising and branding services. Teneo is active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and Ms. Myrand will expand and enhance the company's social footprint. She will operate out of offices in Detroit, Michigan. "Victoria's passion for both design and technology are a winning combination fo...
Emaar Hospitality Group Appoints Riad Abi Haidar as General Manager of Two Address Hotels + Resorts
Address Hotels + Resorts | March 14, 2019
Dubai, UAE; March 14, 2019: Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties PJSC, has appointed seasoned hospitality expert, Riad Abi Haidar, as the General Manager of two premium luxury hotels under Address Hotels + Resorts. In his new role, he will responsible for the operations and day-to-day management of Address Dubai Mall and Address Boulevard in Downtown Dubai. He is also mandated with setting strategic plans that will drive the operational excellence of the two hotels and boost team productivity. Olivier Harnisch, CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: "Having served as General Manager for Addres...
Auberge Resorts Collection Names Chris Gabaldon Chief Operating Officer
Auberge Resorts Collection | March 14, 2019
MILL VALLEY, CALIF. (March 14, 2019) – Auberge Resorts Collection, a portfolio of award-winning hotels, resorts and residences, announced today that Chris Gabaldon will join the company as Chief Operating Officer in April. In his new role, Chris will lead the corporate operational and human resources strategies for the company and work closely with the on-property teams and hotel owners of Auberge Resorts Collection's growing international portfolio. "With extensive leadership experience at prominent international hospitality brands, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to our Auberge family," said Craig Reid, President ...
Omni Mokara Hotel and Spa Welcomes Zach Thomas as Spa Director
The Mokara Hotel & Spa | March 14, 2019
SAN ANTONIO, TX (March 14, 2019) – Mokara Hotel and Spa is pleased to announce the appointment of Zach Thomas as spa director. In his new role, Thomas will oversee the highly acclaimed Forbes Four-Star 17,000 square foot spa, including all day-to-day operations, marketing, programming and staff management. "Mokara Spa is the gold standard in luxury spas, and I'm thrilled to carry on that legacy and reinforce Omni's dedication to personal wellbeing by providing guests with personalized, memorable and relaxing experiences," said Thomas. Thomas brings over ten years' experience to the role, including his most recent position as spa d...
The DAYTONA Appoints Michael Melendez as General Manager and Nancy Guran as Director of Sales
DAYTONA | March 14, 2019
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – March 2019 – The DAYTONA's executive team has announced the appointment of Michael Melendez as General Manager and Nancy Guran as Director of Sales. The duo will oversee the operations of the new 144-room property, which will open its doors next month. Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, and inspired by a love of working with people, Melendez began his hospitality career in 2007 at Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Since then, he's held managerial positions at hotel brands and properties across South Florida and the Caribbean, including French Leave Resort in Eleuthera. Most recently, Melendez ...
Omni Shoreham Hotel Welcomes Eric Cousin as Executive Chef
Omni Hotels & Resorts | March 13, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 13, 2019) – Omni Shoreham Hotel is thrilled to announce the appointment of Eric Cousin to the position of executive chef. A dynamic hospitality veteran with years of experience and a proven track record of professional success in providing superior culinary service, chef Cousin will oversee the hotel's banquet and restaurant kitchens, which execute hundreds of events each year. Executive chef Eric Cousin was born into the restaurant life. As a boy in France he worked in his family restaurant, learning the joys and challenges of the business. His great grandmother was a Flemish chef from Belgium who establis...
Hotel Revival Welcomes Scott Hines as Executive Chef and Lindsay Chapon as Director of Food & Beverage
Hotel Revival | March 13, 2019
Baltimore, MD – Hotel Revival, a Joie de Vivre hotel located in the heart of Baltimore's historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, is pleased to welcome Scott Hines as the new executive chef and Lindsay Chapon as the director of food and beverage. The two will collaborate to bring new life to the hotel's food and beverage program, which includes Topside, Square Meal and B-Side Cocktails and Karaoke as well as private events and room service. "It's such an exciting time for both of these industry experts to join the Hotel Revival team," said Beth Brainard, general manager of Hotel Revival. "We look forward to seeing them apply their expe...
The Wayfarer DTLA Appoints Jessica Rincon as General Manager
March 13, 2019
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 13, 2019) - Today, The Wayfarer DTLA is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Rincon as General Manager. Representing an innovative outlook for the millennial traveler, Jessica Rincon brings 15 years of hospitality experience as General Manager to the soon-to-open hotel, The Wayfarer DTLA. Rincon will oversee all aspects of the community-focused boutique property, which showcases 156 rooms and suites, including a handful of shared rooms, as well as four distinct beverage, dining and entertainment experiences; The Kitchen, Lilly Rose, The Rooftop and The Gaslighter Social Club. Rincon most recently joi...
Hilton Appoints Talene Lanuza Staab as Global Head of Tru by Hilton
Tru by Hilton | March 13, 2019
MCLEAN, Va. – March 5, 2019 – Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the appointment of Talene Lanuza Staab as Global Head of Tru by Hilton, the fastest hotel brand to launch in industry history. Effective March 11, Staab will serve as the chief strategist and champion for Tru, overseeing the brand's product and service positioning, distribution strategies, and owner relations. "Since we welcomed our first Tru in 2017, we have opened more than 50 properties across the United States and currently have more than 300 hotels in the pipeline," said Bill Duncan, Global Head, All Suites, Focused Services and Owner Relations Category. "...
CBRE Research Forecasts Healthy RevPar Growth for U.S. Hotels in 2019 and 2020
CBRE Hotels | March 13, 2019
Greater Los Angeles area hotels are likely to experience another year of occupancy and room rate increases , driven by strong employment growth and travel demand Los Angeles – Mar. 13, 2019 – Continued favorable economic fundamentals are expected to lead to U.S. hotel rooms revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth of 2.5 percent in 2019 and 2.0 percent in 2020, according to the latest forecast from CBRE Hotels Americas Research. "Supply, demand and pricing in the U.S. lodging industry are very similar to what we have observed the past few years," said R. Mark Woodworth, senior managing director of CBRE Hotels Americas Rese...
BirchStreet Systems Announces Industry Veteran Dan Hiza Joins as Managing Director for EMEA
BirchStreet Systems, Inc. | March 13, 2019
March 13, 2019 (Newport Beach, California) — BirchStreet Systems today announced the addition of Dan Hiza to the executive team as the company's Managing Director for Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). With 30 years of hands-on Operations, Sales and Business Development experience at Newmarket International and Amadeus Hospitality, Hiza brings a deep background in delivering enterprise-level hospitality software and services around the world. In his new role at BirchStreet, Hiza will work directly with the company's CEO, Steve Markle, and alongside Paul Rantilla, BirchStreet's CCO, to optimize growth opportunities and satisf...
White Lodging Names Thomas Hoffmann Dual General Manager at The Otis Hotel and AC Hotel Austin
Autograph Collection Hotels | March 12, 2019
MERRILLVILLE, IN (March 13, 2019) – White Lodging has named Thomas Hoffmann the dual general manager at The Otis Hotel and AC Hotel in Austin, Texas. Hoffmann brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience, and his distinguished career has encompassed roles in six countries and three continents. Most recently, he served as opening general manager of the first Autograph Collection hotel in Alabama, the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook in Birmingham. "My goal in this role is will be to establish The Otis Hotel and AC Hotel as the most unique, exciting and highly successful properties in the Austin market," said Hoffmann. "I ...
Gabor L. Vida Appointed Managing Director of Rosewood Washington, D.C.
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts | March 12, 2019
Gabor L. Vida has been appointed managing director of Rosewood Washington, D.C., the luxurious urban retreat located in the heart of Georgetown. In this role, which he assumed in late 2018, Vida oversees and leads all aspects of Rosewood Washington, D.C. and its distinct dining and recreational venues. Ideally situated alongside the C&O Canal, the landmark property will reopen this Spring following a partial renovation and redesign that includes the addition of new public spaces and a new restaurant, CUT by Wolfgang Puck. The renovation will also introduce six neighboring townhouses to the property's room inventory later this year. ...
NewcrestImage Names Two Key Executives for AC Hotel in Downtown Houston
March 12, 2019
Two hospitality veterans have been named by NewcrestImage to serve as key managers at a unique hotel renovation project in downtown Houston that is converting a 105-year old historic building into an AC Hotel by Marriott with 195 rooms and 10 floors. Pinal Patel, who has 20 years of hotel management experience, becomes General Manager of the property, which is scheduled to open in late June, while Cathalin Leija, with 15 years of experience in hotel sales and marketing, becomes Director of Sales. Ms. Patel has served as Regional Director of Operations with White Lodging Services, as well as General Manager at multiple hotels in the Hous...
Vermont’s Basin Harbor Welcomes Jamie Fox as General Manager
Basin Harbor | March 12, 2019
VERGENNES, Vt. — Basin Harbor announces that longtime hotelier Jamie Fox, of San Antonio, Texas, has joined the family-owned establishment to oversee operations as general manager. Fox's background in luxury hotel operations, revenue management and international travel will assist in preserving Basin Harbor as Vermont's premier lakeside vacation destination. "We are delighted to welcome Jamie to the Basin Harbor team, and to celebrate his return to Vermont after 10 years," says Pennie Beach, fourth-generation host. "Jamie brings extensive experience in providing high-quality hospitality experiences for guests, and we are honored t...
W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills Appoints Stephen Power as General Manager
March 12, 2019
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 12, 2019) - W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Power as General Manager. Embodying a next-gen mindset, Power brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience to W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills. Power oversees all aspects of the 297-room hotel, including the lively Living Room Bar, the WET Deck pool, food and beverage operated by STK Los Angeles, as well as more than 5,000 square feet of meetings and event space. Power most recently joins the W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills team from SLS Beverly Hills where he successfully led the 297-...
