HALF MOON BAY, CA – December 22, 2021 – The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, the Bay Area’s iconic luxury oceanfront resort, is pleased to welcome its two newest members – Chef Juan Pablo Dominguez, brand-new chef for its signature Conservatory restaurant and Darren Hills, Director of Engineering for the resort.
A Mexico native, Chef Juan Pablo Dominguez joins The Conservatory’s culinary team with an impressive background working at top hotel restaurants around the globe over the past several years. Inspired by the destinations he has worked in, he brings a diverse culinary approach encompassing Mexican, European, Middle Eastern and Latin American influences. Utilizing local produce from Half Moon Bay and greater Bay Area, Chef Dominguez will lend his creative hand and globally inspired flavors to The Conservatory’s homegrown cuisine.
Dominguez brings a vast portfolio of over ten years of fine dining and hospitality expertise, opening La Ville’s Graze Gastro Grill in Dubai, UAE to utter acclaim as well as working as a specialty chef for Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. Dominguez looks forward to embracing the rich, local flavors offered by Northern California and infusing his wealth of experience into The Conservatory’s cuisine.
Darren Hills joins the Guidance Team at The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay as Director of Engineering, bringing his expertise in engineering, as well as extensive experience and proven track record in various areas – including commissioning projects, completing luxury brand renovations, facilities management, trade services and property management.
His illustrious career in engineering and hospitality spans more than 20 years, holding the esteemed position of Director of Engineering at a number of luxury properties including Loews Hotels, Sofitel Washington D.C. and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Washington D.C., in addition to serving as Area Director of Engineering for Charlestowne Hotels’ portfolio of 43 hotels and resort properties.
In that time, he was recognized for excellence in management and leadership, named as a “Loews Hotels Legacy Award Recipient”. Hills is a graduate of ITT Technical Institute and an esteemed veteran of the US Navy. During his time serving in the US Navy, Hills received the Desert Storm Combat Action Ribbon and Kuwaiti Liberation Medal.
