Effective August 19, 2021, Raul Leal has been named CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary company that oversees brands like 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels, and Baccarat. Leal has previously served as the president and CEO of Virgin Hotels—a position he held for 10 years—where he oversaw pipeline development and new hotels.
Meyer Jabara Hotels has named two new hires to its growing team: Mark Kronick is chief financial officer and Daniela Burga is senior vice president of human resources. Kronick is currently working on technology initiatives and developing a new services division. And Burga will focus on further developing the company’s culture.
Silvia Zamora has been announced vice president of meeting design and experience for Associated Luxury Hotels International. Zamora is leading and creating a vision for meetings and events relationships with the firm’s hotels and partners, and she is also working to expand the company’s U.S. market strategy.
Hamilton Hotel and The Schuyler in downtown Washington, D.C., are welcoming or promoting two hotel executives. Mark Driscoll has been promoted to regional managing director for the District of Columbia and Delaware, based at the Hamilton Hotel. And Kim Saliek has been named director of venue sales at The Schuyler.
Craig Barnett has been named general manager of the Residence Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel. Leading the property’s opening, overseeing daily operations, and managing hiring processes and new team members are some of Barnett’s responsibilities. He was most recently resort general manager for The Studio Homes at Ellis Square in Savannah, Georgia.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has named Bill Liedholm general manager of the property. Liedholm is supervising the resort’s leadership team and operational activities. He is also serving as a mentor to the resort team to help enhance the property’s quality of service, and he is leading professionalism on-property.
Steve Peterson has been named executive chef for the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport as it makes its debut on September 9, 2021. As executive chef, Peterson is leading five of the property’s seven dining venues and the property’s culinary landscape. He will also be a partner to the culinary outlets he oversees.
Wyndham Destinations has promoted several team members in the resort operations division: Erick Acuna has been promoted to general manager of WorldMark Marble Falls; Zack Hubbard has been promoted to general manager at Club Wyndham Sedona; and Eve Movius has been promoted to general manager for WorldMark Anaheim. In addition, Stephanie Galloway has been named general manager of WorldMark West Yellowstone; Niladri Sarkar has been named general manager of WorldMark Granby—Rocky Mountain Preserve; and James Tennery has been named general manager for WorldMark Arrow Point.
Judy Velez has been appointed to director of food and beverage for Hotel Zachary. Velez has over 15 years of hospitality experience and has previously worked for hotels including The Ritz-Carlton Chicago and Ace Hotel. Velez’s priorities include leading team members, maintaining service standards, and curating special menus.
The Westin Anaheim Resort has announced its new food and beverage team: Nicholas Kabetso is director of food and beverage, Mark Timms is executive chef, Mario Selar is director of beverage, and Andy De La Cruz is lead pastry chef. The team will helm the property’s five signature restaurant concepts.
AC Hotel Charlotte City Center has added two team members to grow food and beverage outlets. Brian Mastay has been named food and beverage director for the AC Hotel Charlotte City Center and general manager of its Nuvole Rooftop TwentyTwo lounge, and Harley Blaisdel has been named executive chef for both the hotel and its lounge.
Susan Dickson has been appointed to the newly created position of director of travel industry sales at the JW Marriott San Antonio Country Resort & Spa. Dickson joined the property in May 2019 as an associate director of sales, and in her new position, she is responsible for driving transient leisure sales.
Denise Stillman has been added to the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association’s (WHLA) Wisconsin Council on Tourism. Currently, Stillman is the co-owner of Parkwood Lodge and Foremost Management Services Inc. in Door County, Wisconsin. During her career, she was the board chair of the WHLA in 1999.
