HREC Investment Advisors has retained lodging real estate veteran Shane Skubis as senior vice president, expanding its brokerage platform. He spent 25 years delivering hospitality deals to clients and, in total, has sold, developed, franchised, and/or financed or found the land for approximately 260 hotels across the country. Skubis was previously senior director of the national hospitality group at Marcus and Millichap and a principal and development partner with First Principle Hotel Group.
Here’s a look at other notable comings and goings that took place this week.
Kimpton Hotels promoted Tom Waithe to regional vice president for the Pacific Northwest and mountain region and general manager of Kimpton Seattle’s 121-room Alexis Hotel. He spent the last eight years as director of operations for the Pacific Northwest region and general manager of Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Seattle. Waithe will oversee day-to-day operations and personnel management of both regions, which total 10 properties.
Ryan Kunzer will become the general manager of Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland where he began his career 14 years ago as a front desk agent. Kunzer was most recently the general manager at Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel on Portland’s waterfront, and prior to that, rooms director at Kimpton Allegro Hotel in Chicago. Whitney Brown will take over Kunzer’s previous position as the general manager at Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel. Brown’s most recent position was as the hotel manager at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle. She has spent more than a decade with Kimpton, working in operations and conference services.
Kimpton Seattle promoted a new director of operations, Jenne Oxford. Oxford has been with the Kimpton for more than 15 years and started her career at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle where she now serves as general manager. In her new role, she will oversee two additional Kimpton Seattle properties—Hotel Vintage Seattle and Palladian.
Jim Harvey is the new general manager of The Holiday Inn Boston-Bunker Hill, which announced the appointment along with Distinctive Hospitality Group. Harvey is an industry veteran with more than two decades of experience. He has previously served as general manager of Hotel Indigo Boston-Newton Riverside and Sage Hotel in Cambridge.
BENCHMARK has named Sandy Lam as the director of sales and marketing for The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando. Lam is a veteran hotelier with extensive experience—from New York to Florida. She most recently directed sales and marketing for the Radisson Resort Orlando Celebration, where Interstate Hotels—operator of the property—honored her with the Director of Sales & Marketing of the Year Award.
BENCHMARK also appointed Larry Johnson to a new position as director of finance for Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, a Curio by Hilton Collection property. Johnson brings years of experience in hotel finance to his new position. He previously directed finance for the Hilton Durham in his native state of North Carolina during which he was twice honored with the Director of Finance of the Year Award by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, which manages that property.
Paul Kessinger is the new director of operations at Hotel Yountville in Napa Valley. He brings a decade of experience to the brand’s efforts to enhance its identity and service. A California native, Kessinger most recently served in management positions with two historical hotels in San Francisco—Omni San Francisco Hotel and Stanford Court San Francisco Hotel.
Mainsail Lodging & Development promoted Nan Feng to vice president of finance and Fred Nalls to corporate director of facilities while rehiring Vanessa Paul as corporate director of human resources. For the past four years, Feng has served as director of finance for Epicurean Hotel and expanded his corporate responsibilities to include regional director of finance. In his new role, he will oversee finance, project accounting, and hotel operational accounting. Nalls joined Mainsail in 1999 to oversee the company’s first property, The Suites at Mainsail Village, and the original PricewaterhouseCoopers building. In his new corporate role, he is responsible for all building assets as well as buildings maintained via contract. In her new role, Paul will be responsible for developing and managing all human resource and training aspects for new hotels in Mainsail’s portfolio. She has more than 18 years of experience working in human resources.
Teneo Hospitality Group has appointed Bob Korin as the group’s director of sales and Meghan Kelleher as director of sales for the Northeast. For the past nine years, Korin directed national accounts for Hilton Hawaii. He also spent much of his 30-year career with Marriott International, where he held leadership positions in conference center management and national sales, pioneering the company’s strategic account management organization. Kelleher has spent a decade selling and promoting luxury hotels in the Northeast, including several of Cape Cod’s resorts. One of the original members of the Scout Hotels & Resorts team, Kelleher helped launch a collection of small luxury resorts on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
Worldhotels appointed Alicia Dill as its new senior vice president for the Americas. In her new role, Dill will be responsible for the sales, marketing, and revenue optimization for the company’s portfolio of member hotels in North and South America. She previously led sales and marketing at the Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverley Hills and served on the executive committee there.
W South Beach added Dean Peters as director of sales and marketing and Christine Judson as director of group sales for the 408-room luxury lifestyle hotel. Peters brings more than 28 years of hospitality experience to W South Beach, where he will oversee all sales and marketing efforts. Most recently, Peters served as area sales leader for 15 Marriott-managed properties in Miami and Marco Island. With over 10 years of experience, Judson will oversee all group sales efforts for W South Beach. Most recently, Judson served as senior sales manager for The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami.
