Effective May 3, 2021, Stephen Alden has been named chief executive officer of Raffles & Orient Express for Accor. Alden is also becoming a member of the Group Executive Committee. Most recently, Alden created and launched the Dedica Anthology brand in 2017, which has a portfolio of hotels across Europe.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has welcomed Joanna Flint to the position of chief commercial officer. In this newly created role, Flint is leading the development and execution of the firm’s strategy and customer experience. In September 2021, Flint will be taking over the chief marketing officer responsibilities as Jill Kludge retires.
Andrew Rubinacci has been named executive vice president of the revenue strategy division for Aimbridge Hospitality. Rubinacci will be responsible for growing related initiatives and acquiring talent for Aimbridge’s revenue division. Before Aimbridge, Rubinacci was executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Omni Hotels & Resorts.
Ellen LeMaire has been named general manager of The Eliza Jane, a boutique hotel in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt in New Orleans, La. Prior to joining The Eliza Jane, LeMaire was general manager for the NOPSI Hotel, also in New Orleans, and for The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Colorado prior to NOPSI.
Hotel Amarano in Burbank, Calif., has named Peter Kolla general manager, and he will oversee operations for the property. Kolla was most recently general manager for The Mayfair Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif., by Crescent Hotels and Resorts. And during his career, he has worked in multiple hotel leadership capacities across the United States.
Karen Chastain has been appointed to general manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, in Dana Point, Calif. Chastain is leading the property following its recent guestroom and suite renovation. Before The Ritz-Carlton brand, Chastain was complex general manager for the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino.
Pendry Park City by Pendry Hotels & Resorts is welcoming Richard Wales to lead operations as general manager. Before joining Pendry Park City, Wales was general manager of The St. Regis Deer Valley in Utah, and before that, he held leadership roles for 1 Hotel South Beach Miami and Claremont Club & Spa, a Fairmont Hotel.
Mark Spadoni has been named managing director for The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va. During his career, Spadoni has worked for the Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa and Club at Savannah Harbor, and he also is recognized for creating the Savannah Harbor Foundation.
Tribute Portfolio Hotel Bellyard has named Christina Wai executive chef for its dining and drinking outlet Drawbar. In this position, Wai is leading the culinary program, menu execution and creation, restaurant operations, and relationships with the restaurant’s team and partner purveyors.
Chantelle Nikkel is director of sales and marketing for the ADERO Scottsdale, an Autograph Collection hotel, managed by Aqua-Aston Hospitality. Nikkel will be creating relative strategies and initiatives for the property’s meeting and event spaces. She was previously director of sales and marketing for The Camby in Phoenix.
Joseph Oesterwind has been appointed to chef de cuisine for Angle, a modern American restaurant at the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Oesterwind has been with the hotel for the past decade, and in this position, he will be working with regionally grown produce and local purveyors to create a Floridian menu.
Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wy., has added Chuck Greenwald as director of hospitality, Tori Arzt as executive chef, and Sandy Beall to its leadership team. Together, Greenwald, Arzt, and Beall will assist in ushering the property into its next phase of growth and development.
Kristie Prantil has been named director of marketing for Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y. Prantil is leading marketing strategies and directing revenue objectives for the resort. Prantil worked in marketing roles for Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Marriott, and Greenbrier Resort during her career.
Hotel Du Pont has added multiple senior executives to its sales and marketing department: Anthony Stagliano Jr. is director of sales, Merella Merulla is director of group sales, and Elaine Leies is business development manager. Together, they will help the hotel as it prepares for an economic recovery.
Stephen Carter OBE has been named chairman for Effective Hospitality Management, a relatively new company set up in 2020 to help the hotel industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, he worked for multiple hotels in senior roles in Scotland, and he will be integral in growing the company’s strategy.
Hirsch Bedner Associations San Francisco has promoted Jacob Royster from senior project designer to associate. As an associate, Royster is leading FF&E and architectural operations for the company’s hotel portfolio. As a senior project designer, Royster helped the company earn accolades from his work on multiple projects.
TJ Lynch has been appointed to national sales director of foodservice and special markets for HOSPECO. Lynch will assist in growing HOSPECO’s verticals and adjacencies in this role. Before his new position, Lynch was vice president for C-stores for KeyImpact Sales and Systems, a foodservice sales and marketing agency.
