LONG BEACH, Calif. (June 3, 2024) – Ensemble Hospitality today announced the appointment of Markus Krebs as General Manager for La Bahia Hotel & Spa, Santa Cruz’s first luxury beachfront hotel and spa, effective immediately. Nestled along the Pacific Coast, La Bahia celebrates its dramatic setting, where the tip of Monterey Bay touches Santa Cruz’s coveted Main Beach.
Based in Long Beach, Calif., Ensemble also owns and manages the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz and is now excited to introduce La Bahia to the vibrant Santa Cruz community.
La Bahia is scheduled to open on the Santa Cruz waterfront in Spring of 2025 and Krebs will be establishing the pre-opening offices and working closely with the project managers on the construction of La Bahia. His years of luxury and international experience will bode well for the new resort property.
“It was crucial to choose a General Manager with extensive experience in the luxury resort market and the ability to position La Bahia as a premier luxury destination in Santa Cruz,” said Kristi Allen, Executive Vice President of Hotels at Ensemble. “Markus is the ideal candidate to introduce our new beachfront hotel and spa to visitors, the City of Santa Cruz, and the greater Central California area.”
Krebs will oversee the operation of the 155-room luxury beachfront hotel and spa that includes four restaurants with Pearl, a champagne bar off the lobby, Low Tide Bar & Grill, High Tide signature restaurant, and Plunge, a poolside bar and grill; the spa will offer a steam room, ocean-view sauna, co-ed relaxation area, Zen deck and indoor and outdoor treatment rooms all perched above the sand and sea; coastal gatherings that will feature energized meetings and rooftop launch parties to chic ballroom receptions that will be a beloved beacon of memorable seaside celebrations; a glamorous pool offering a soothing hot tub, cozy fire pits, poolside drink service, private cabanas and unique event space; all within steps of world-famous Main Beach with serviced chaise lounges, umbrellas, and dedicated beach butlers.
From 2021 to 2024, Krebs was General Manager at Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort in Hawai’i, a KSL Resort, overseeing the renovation, repositioning, and reopening of the 658-room hotel that included event space and three restaurants, a VIP lounge, Hawaiian cultural center, nine retail boutiques and an exclusive membership program. Under his leadership, elevation of service standards resulted in the highest guest satisfaction scores among all Outrigger Resorts in Hawai’i. He received numerous accolades including General Manager of the Year Award for Outrigger for 2021, Ho’okipa Award for “Excellence in Exemplifying Hawaiian Hospitality and Aloha” in 2022 and Property of the Year Award for Outrigger for 2023. Krebs also served as Vice Chair with Hawai’i Tourism and Lodging Association.
Prior to Outrigger he spent four years at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California, a KSL Resort, starting as Resort Manager and later promoted to General Manager where he managed the Forbes 4 Star, AAA Five Diamond hotel, leading them to #1 on TripAdvisor and delivered the best financial performing years for the property since opening of the resort in 2001.
With a work history spanning four continents, Krebs has held senior hotel management positions with leading luxury brands including Shutters on the Beach, InterContinental, Raffles, Fairmont, Anantara and Waldorf Astoria that will set him up for success in his new role as General Manager at La Bahia Hotel & Spa.
