Kanika Soni joined TripAdvisor as president of the hotels business unit, effective April 15. Reporting to Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor’s president and CEO, Soni will be responsible for product, engineering, sales and marketing for hotels.
Previously, Soni was senior vice president, global e-commerce of the consumer products division at the Walt Disney Company. In 2016, Soni took over Disney’s e-commerce unit and turned the business around to deliver sustained growth in revenue and gross profits. Before her time at Disney, Soni led the online and global digital marketing teams at Tesla Motors where she helped launch the Model 3. She’s also held leadership roles at Gilt Groupe and McKinsey & Company.
Read on for the highlights of this week’s people and their advancements through the industry.
Sabrina Antoine is now spa director at Primland in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. Antoine had been spa director for B Resort & Spa, a Disney property in Orlando, Florida.
Benchmark promoted Chris Audia to area director of marketing, overseeing the company’s properties in Racine, Wisconsin, Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and in Roanoke, West Virginia. He had been area marketing manager for the company.
Lydia Bates is now director of sales and marketing at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, opening this June in San Luis Obispo, California. Most recently, she was director of sales for Inns of Monterey from Portfolio Hotels and Resorts in Monterey, California.
Rotana appointed Jarrett Beaulieu corporate vice president, food and beverage operations. Beaulieu joined from Hilton Worldwide where he was director of food and beverage development and openings EMEA.
Sébastien Cassagnol was named executive chef of the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa in Lausanne, Switzerland. He departed La Mamounia in Marrakesh, Morocco, where he was executive chef.
BEI San Francisco named Marc Choplick general manager and Mimi Carter director of sales and marketing of the independent lifestyle hotel in San Francisco. Before joining BEI San Francisco in 2018, Choplick was general manager of the Westin in Long Beach, California. Carter previously served as sales manager at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Endeavor Hospitality group appointed Robert Cole general manager of the Marriott Courtyard New York Midtown West, opening mid-year in New York City. Prior to joining the property, Cole was general manager of IHG’s Kimpton Goodland Hotel in Santa Barbara, California.
Robert DeSalvio is now president of Encore Boston Harbor. DeSalvio, who will oversee the $2.6 billion project opening this summer, joined Wynn Resorts Development in 2014 with 40 years of hotel experience.
Kevin Dubel was named chef de cuisine of Becca at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was promoted from sous chef.
JJ Fives is now real estate analyst for Stonebridge Companies in Denver. Fives most recently was a senior associate with HREC on the brokerage side.
Jamie Fox was appointed general manager of Basin Harbor in Vergennes, Vermont. Fox comes to the property from The Hotel Emma in San Antonio, where he oversaw all rooms, guest service and maintenance operations.
Mr. C Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California, named Joe Garciaros director of people and culture. Throughout his career, Garciaros has mentored managers who have moved on to work at luxury hotels throughout Los Angeles.
Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, appointed Guenter Gebhard general manager. Gebhard departed Mandarin Oriental, where he worked from Riyadh for development in the Middle East region.
Le Méridien Singapore, Sentosa in Singapore appointed Rachael Harman general manager. Previously, Harman was general manager at Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, named John Hess director of sales and marketing. Hess had been director of sales and marketing at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the property promoted Severin Nunn to director of food and beverage, and named John Ferguson executive chef and Chrisgelyn Widelski pastry sous chef.
Benchmark named Bethany Hopp controller for The Nautical Beachfront Resort in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Previously, she was chief financial officer for Havasu Landing Resort and Casino in Havasu Lake, California.
Azza Khalil is now marketing manager of the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne in Lucerne, Switzerland. Prior to joining the resort, Khalil spent more than 16 years with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in senior marketing positions.
Choice Hotels International promoted Sireesha Kunduri to vice president of engineering for distribution and revenue management. Kunduri has been with the Choice Hotels International’s engineering team since 2016, most recently as senior director of engineering.
Cambria Downtown Dallas appointed Zach Lybbert director of sales and marketing for the hotel, located in the historic Tower Petroleum building in Dallas. Lybbert departed The Curtis Hotel in Denver where he was the director of sales and marketing.
NewcrestImage named Marissa Maguire general manager of the dual brand AC Hotel and Residence Inn, both by Marriott, at Frisco Station in Dallas. Kendahl Rasnick is director of sales at the property. Maguire has held management and operations positions at multiple hotels, including the Hilton Garden Inn and the Courtyard by Marriott in College Station in Bryan, Texas. Rasnick was with Hilton Worldwide where her responsibilities included director of sales for worldwide accounts and director of sales automation for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, appointed Robert McGrattan executive chef. McGrattan’s previous experience includes roles at The Peabody Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, and The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas named Karen Morris regional director of sales and marketing for Australia and New Zealand. Morris has been with the company for several years, managing sales and marketing for Six Senses Fiji as well as handling the Australia and New Zealand market for all properties globally.
Gérald Passédat was appointed chef at Brasserie Lutetia at Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, France. Passédat also is chef and owner of Le Petit Nice, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Marseille, France.
Benchmark named Shayd Pecor director of facilities for The Essex – Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa, a Gemstone Collection property in Essex, Vermont. Pecor had been facilities and manufacturing supervisor for Hearthstone Stoves of Morrisville, Vermont.
Jens Reichert was named the first chief development officer at BHMA Hotels and Resorts. Reichert spent the last decade focused on hotel development, holding senior management positions across Asia Pacific, United Arab Emirates, Africa and Europe.
Yedla Management Company named Randy Shoe general manager of its AC Hotel Huntsville Downtown in Huntsville, Alabama. The company also announced Benjamin Day as assistant general manager, Michael Owenby as director of sales and Bryce Marshall as beverage and food manager. Shoe had been with Yedla Management Company as the general manager of the SpringHill Suites Marriott Huntsville Downtown in Huntsville, Alabama. Day had been assistant general manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott in Fort Myers, Florida, while Owenby’s hotel sales experience includes Residence Inn by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott. Marshall’s background includes restaurant and banquet service in Huntsville and Salt Lake City.
Matteo Temperini became executive chef for Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco in Castiglion del Bosco, Italy. Temperini departed Le Sirenuse in Positano, Italy, where he was executive chef and led the hotel’s La Sponda restaurant to earn its first Michelin star.
M&R Hotel Management promoted Paul Viapiano to regional operations director, responsible for four hotels in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, including Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Manhattan/Central Park, TownePlace Suites New York Manhattan/Times Square, the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West and the Comfort Inn Midtown West. He joined the company in 2018 as a general manager.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts promoted Annette Williston from assistant general manager to general manager of the Hampton Inn and Suites Halifax-Dartmouth in Dartmouth, Canada.
GP Yeow is now general manager of W Hong Kong in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. He had been general manager at JW Marriott Beijing in Beijing, China, for more than five years.
Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea, Hawaii, announced sculptor Dale Zarella as its artist in residence. Zarella’s sculptures are displayed in the resort’s lobby and public areas, and guests can watch him work on current pieces along the resort’s front path. Zarella’s notable works include four sculptures commissioned for Popes Benedict and Francis at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.