NEW YORK, NEW YORK (November 8, 2023) – Park Hyatt New York today announced the appointment of Gerard Spezio as Executive Chef of the hotel. Chef Spezio joins the five-star award-winning hotel with previous experience at various Hyatt properties nationally.
As Executive Chef of Park Hyatt New York, Chef Spezio oversees the dining outlet’s culinary offerings, ensuring locals and guests of the hotel receive an elite culinary experience. The hotel’s main restaurant, The Living Room, emulates the residential feel of an upscale New York City apartment and provides guests with continental breakfast, lunch, dinner, tapas-style appetizers, and more. Beverage options at The Living Room include signature cocktails handcrafted by professional mixologists as well as an array of formidable champagne and wine, all properly stored in the restaurant’s million-dollar wine cellar.
Chef Spezio has plans in place to introduce new seasonal menus, in preparation for the upcoming holiday season in New York City, featuring as many seasonal ingredients from the Hudson Valley region of the state as possible. Utilizing seasonal ingredients from New York state will help provide guests with an elevated yet comforting culinary experience, while also supporting local farms and distributors. The first set of seasonal menus created by Chef Spezio can be viewed here.
“We’re delighted to welcome Chef Spezio to the team and look forward to witnessing his culinary vision come to life at The Living Room,” said Ebzant, who joined Park Hyatt New York as General Manager last year. “We trust his valuable experience will not only add to the five-star customer service we strive to provide to our guests but also invite more New Yorkers to come and enjoy a delectable meal, with ingredients pridefully sourced from our own state, whenever they please.”
Born and raised in New York, Executive Chef Spezio found his passion for cooking early on through his family at the famed Neapolitan eatery, La Palina of Brooklyn. After many years in the family restaurant business, he later graduated from the School of Culinary Arts and began his career in hospitality under the guidance of “Iron Chef” Kerry Simon at The Plaza Hotel. In 2004, Chef Spezio joined the Hyatt family as Chef de Cuisine for Hyatt Regency Greenwich and was quickly promoted to Executive Sous Chef. Chef Spezio continued his successful career with Hyatt with many task force-specific and hotel-opening roles. He most recently held the position of Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency Morristown and Thompson Central Park New York. As the Executive Chef for Park Hyatt New York, his deeply rooted New York culinary upbringing is featured in all of his dishes throughout the hotel’s five-star guest experience.
