Omni Hotels & Resorts has named Peter Strebel as president. Strebel, who has provided senior leadership to the brand for 20 years, will work to keep all operational areas aligned with long-term brand objectives.
Strebel most recently was chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales at Omni where he was charged with driving business development strategies to increase revenue and capture market share for the brand. As part of the company’s multichannel marketing operations, Strebel oversaw several departments including revenue management, global sales, e-commerce, customer loyalty, the reservations call center, branding and more. Strebel serves on the board of directors for the Global Hotel Alliance. He graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor of business administration.
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Wailea, Hawaii, named Tina Canderle as director of sales and marketing, membership, Kenji Ota as director of sales and Brandon Smith as director of revenue management. Canderle has been with the property since 2014 and was promoted from her former position. Ota was director of national accounts at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Kapalua, Hawaii, while Smith hails from Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Phoenix where he served as director of revenue management for the past 11 years.
The Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach, Florida appointed Carlos Cepero director of food and beverage, responsible for overseeing the property’s six restaurants and lounges, as well as banquets and culinary programs. Cepero most recently was assistant director, food and beverage at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.
Loews Hotel 1000 in Seattle named Benjamin Closson executive chef, overseeing all culinary operations for the hotel including its signature restaurant, All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar. Closson departed The Heathman Hotel in Kirkland, Washington where he was executive chef.
Supercity Aparthotels in London, England appointed Liz Devaney to the newly created role of group head of national sales. Devaney was previously sales director at The Apartment Network. She also spent 14 years with InterContinental Hotels Group.
Hyatt Regency Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii appointed Rhett Ferguson director of group sales. Ferguson has been with the property since 2007, most recently serving as associate director of sales.
Benchmark appointed Tifani Fox director of finance for Snow King Resort in Jackson, Wyoming. Fox previously served as senior assistant director of finance and accounting for the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa in Savannah, Georgia.
Crowne Plaza London – Albert Embankment, set to open in London, England in May, named Fabio Gallo general manager. Gallo previously worked as general manager at the Crowne Plaza London – The City. The group also named Ivan Drinkwater director of finance, David Gale HR director, Kirsten Cameron director of revenue and reservations, Ben Wilmot-Smith director of sales, Marco Orru’ assistant director of sales, Fabrizio Russo director of food and beverage, Hannah Stettler front of house manager, Maike Landsberg executive housekeeper, and Dillion Lingard chief engineer.
Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida appointed Richard Goldberg executive chef. Goldberg spent 23 years at Westview Country Club in Miami, including time as executive chef, and also worked at La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach, Florida as executive chef.
Mark Goodwin was promoted to director of sales, catering and conference services at The Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Goodwin joined the resort in 2011 and most recently held the position of director of group sales.
Kempinski Hotels appointed Pamela Irwin director of leisure and entertainment sales in North America (West Coast), a newly created position. Irwin recently was vice president sales and marketing for the American Travel Bureau. She also served as chapter president with the American Society of Travel Agents and was elected to the group’s national board as director.
Phoenix American Hospitality welcomed Audrey Kamin as senior vice president of distribution and national accounts manager. Kamin formerly was national accounts manager at the Parking REIT Advisors.
Park South Hotel, Joie de Vivre’s second boutique property in New York City, appointed Justin Kellerman general manager. Prior to joining the Park South Hotel, Kellerman was general manager of the Smyth hotel in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood.
Choice Hotels International promoted Angelique Kelly-Lara to vice president, global talent acquisition. Kelly-Lara has been a member of the company’s human resources team since 2014, most recently in the role of senior director of human resources.
Daniela F. Krienbühl was appointed the director of operations for the Walhotel Health & Medical Excellence, a hotel dedicated to wellness and wellbeing at the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. Krienbühl previously was director of the medical health center and clinic at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
Gabriele Maessen will be general manager of the Steigenberger Hotel am Kanzleramt in Berlin, Germany starting in April. She’ll also act as area general manager for Steigenberger Hotel’s eastern region. Maessen has held various positions as general manager and senior roles in business development, and sales and marketing. The group also named Richard Engelmayer general manager of the Steigenberger Hotel Berlin on Los Angeles Platz. Engelmayer, who has worked for the company for 25 years, formerly served as general manager of the Steigenberger Airport Hotel in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Stefen Frank is Engelmayer’s successor in Frankfurt am Main. He had been pre-opening general manager and area general manager for InterContinental Hotels in Eastern Europe.
Meyer Jabara Hotels brought on Rick Moceri as development manager. Moceri is the founder of Moceri Capital, a private hospitality investment and asset management platform, and co-founder of B&H Hospitality Advisors, a due-diligence consulting platform for the lending and equity communities.
Mahekal Beach Resort in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico named Claire Morley group and wedding sales manager. Morley had been wedding manager for AMResorts, a collection of luxury resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Curacao, Costa Rica, Panama and Puerto Rico.
Benchmark named David Nadolny director of finance for High Hampton Resort in Cashiers, North Carolina. Nadolny departed the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas where he was director of finance.
Siddharth Narang joined SBE as chief development officer, tasked with driving the firm’s development pipeline, real estate investments and global growth. Narang has nearly 20 years as a senior business executive in hospitality real estate and brand developing and has held roles at Crescent Capital Ventures, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.
The newly opened W Panama in Panama City, Panama named Akis Neocleous general manager. Neocleous most recently was general manager of the Grace Hotel, also in Panama City.
Hotel Bennett, opening later this summer in Charleston, South Carolina, named Heidi Nowak director of sales and marketing. Nowak joined the hotel after working in leadership roles for 20 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, most recently as the director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Cathy Gregory was appointed director of national accounts for Hotel Bennett following her move from Leading Hotels of the World. John Harrison joined the Hotel Bennett team in an expanded role as director of regional sales for the northeast market for Salamander Hotels & Resorts, the company that manages the hotel.
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa in Huntington Beach, California named Amit Patel director of rooms. Patel had been director of food, beverage and events at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California.
Sandals Resorts International announced Gebhard Rainer as its chief executive officer. Rainer was Hyatt Hotels Corporations’ chief financial officer from 2012 until leaving in 2014 to join fashion brand Coach as its president and chief operating officer. Rainer succeeds Adam Stewart, son of chairman and founder Gordon Stewart, who stepped down after 12 years as CEO. He will remain deputy chairman and president of the company’s nonprofit organization, the Sandals Foundation.
John Paul, part of AccorHotels Group, appointed Michael Roque as general manager, Toronto, responsible for overseeing the company’s business throughout Canada. He previously served as director of sales for Continental Airlines and as sales manager, Canada, for American Airlines.
JW Marriott Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee, a 533-room hotel slated to open this summer, appointed seven leadership positions. The hotel appointed Silvia San Martin director of sales and marketing, Michael Klein director of food and beverage, Susie McDaniel director of people and culture, Lindsay Staniszewski director of marketing, Ross Bruce director of revenue management, Michael Edwards director of finance and Steve Vaughn director of engineering.
Choice Hotels promoted Ralph Thiergart to vice president and general manager of extended stay brands. Thiergart has been with the company’s franchise services team since 2005, most recently as vice president of franchise services.
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Naples, Florida named David Tyler director of sales and marketing. Tyler comes to the resort from Rumbling Bald Resort at Lake Lure in Asheville, North Carolina, where he served as director of sales and business development.
Vincent Wallez was named executive chef of the Grand Velas Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Wallez most recently was executive chef of Nizuc Resort and Spa in Cancun, Mexico.
Two Roads Hospitality appointed Craig A. Waterman vice president of openings and transitions. Waterman joined the company in 2014 as general manager of Hotel Kabuki, a Joie de Vivre property in San Francisco, and regional director of operations, overseeing the Northern California, Arizona and Hawaii regions.
Chesapeake Hospitality promoted Mark Williams to regional vice president of operations. Williams joined Chesapeake Hospitality in 2011 and formerly was general manager at the company’s Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta.