Effective June 11, 2018, Vera Manoukian will serve as senior vice president and global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Manoukian will be responsible for managing the brand portfolio as well as promoting, evaluating, and growing the Hilton brand. Prior to Hilton, Manoukian served as president and COO of Denihan Hospitality.
Here are more of this week’s hospitality comings and goings:
RLH Corporation welcomes Gary Sims as executive vice president and chief operating officer, where he will oversee sales, human resources, hotel management, and franchise operations, effective June 25, 2018. Before RLH Corporations, Sims was the managing director of Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in California.
As general manger of The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester, Greg Mendoza will oversee operations for the spa, rooftop, fitness center, lounge, meeting space, and guestrooms. Mendoza moves to the property from The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park.
The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, will add Clif Clark to promote revenue growth and guest satisfaction as general manager. Clark most recently served in the same position for the Marriott San Francisco Airport Waterfront in Burlingame, California, where he oversaw the property’s renovation.
Stephen Cullen will serve as area general manager for two Gemstone Collection properties – the Copley Square Hotel and the Ames Boston Hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Both Benchmark hotels are located in historic Boston.
W San Francisco welcomes Frederic Hoffman as executive chef, where he will develop new menus for catering, banquets, and room service, as well as the bar and restaurant. Hoffman has 20 years of fine dining experience, and he most recently managed kitchen staff and menu development at The St. Regis Princeville, Hawaii.
McKibbon Hospitality has hired Roy Darling to lead culinary operations at the AC Hotel Charlotte City Center and Nuvole Rooftop TwentyTwo bar and restaurant.
Sarah Menard will lead sales and marketing teams and strategies post-renovation as director of sales, marketing, and events for Andaz Savannah hotel in downtown Savannah, Georgia. Menard’s career has been with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, where she worked in different positions for 20 years.
Brandon Walton has been promoted to director of sales and marketing for Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California, where he will assist in the hotel’s yearly growth and sales team efforts. Walton has worked at the resort for 10 years and is experienced in promoting the area and Loews brand.
With over 20 years of hospitality experience, Jay Heidenreich will serve as area director of sales and marketing for Calistoga Ranch and Solage, both Auberge Resorts Collection properties. Heidenreich will oversee sales, revenue, catering, and event management at both hotels.
Elizabeth Grillos will oversee sales and marketing initiatives for The Estate Yountville as area director of sales and marketing. In addition to the two properties on-site, Grillos will also be responsible for The Estate’s marketplace, villa, and spa outlets.
The Diplomat Beach Resort welcomes Rachel Levy as director of national accounts, where she will handle corporate accounts in the northeast. Levy most recently served as complex senior sales manager at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago & Conrad Chicago, and she has held various positions with many hospitality corporations.
As director of sales and marketing, Ann Sutherland Lynch will oversee departmental operations for The Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop in Denver, Colorado, opening this summer. Most recently, Sutherland Lynch served as corporate director of sales and marketing for Timber Resorts.
Farrah Truong will identify and maximize potential revenue opportunities for The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. Truong will direct revenue management strategies and increases in market share.
Vista Dana Point in Dana Point, California, welcomes Quentin Roberts as director of sales, where he will also develop promotional strategies. Prior to Vista Dana Point, Roberts served in the same position for The Queen Mary ocean-liner, where he promoted attractions, special events, and group bookings.
Lynval Miller has been appointed director of human resources for the Heldrich, a hotel part of Benchmark Resorts & Hotels in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Miller’s professional experience includes serving in the same position for various properties in New Jersey, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia.
ARRIS company Ruckus Network, a wireless access and connectivity company, welcomes Larry Birnbaum as vice president of global hospitality and multi-dwelling unit business development and solutions. Birnbaum will oversee and grow the hospitality sector of the business.
Catherine Warren will manage the portfolio of accounts for WTS International, a spa, fitness, and lifestyle consultancy management firm, as corporate director of the spa division.
Chesapeake Hospitality welcomes Gary Sams as director of construction and project management, bringing 25 years of commercial and management experience to the company. Additionally, Stacy Duncan will serve as director of IT, and prior to Chesapeake, Duncan served as IT director for A&A Global Industries.
JW Marriott Nashville opening this summer has announced its culinary team: Simon Bowker will oversee all food and beverage outlets, including banquets and catering, as executive chef; John Ford will assist in ensuring operations run smoothly as executive sous chef; and Romain Fournel will develop and create the pasty division as executive pastry chef.
Luxury resort developer and manager Enchantment Group welcomes Lindsay Curry as vice president of sales, where she will oversee operations for the group’s properties. In addition, Ashley Sheen will manage internal and external communications for the resort collection as corporate director of communications.
Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate services firm, has announced that Mark Capasso will lead the company’s Valuation & Advisory Hospitality & Gaming Group team in the Americas. Additionally, Leah Dauer Murphy will serve as executive director for the group’s United States efforts.
Stonebridge Companies, a Denver, Colorado, hotel owner, operator, and developer, has made six promotions: Chris Cheney acquires data to grow the company as vice president of hotel performance and analytics; Thomas Lloyd is the general manager of the Boulder Marriott; Michael Marchese is the general manager of Hampton Inn by Hilton–Loveland; Bryce Walker is the general manager of Courtyard by Marriott–Denver/Cherry Creek; Tim Gerhold is the general manager of Hilton Garden Inn–Long Island City Queensboro Bridge hotel; and Brittney Johnsen is the general manager of Home2 Suites by Hilton–Anchorage/Midtown hotel.
