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People on the move: Travelodge, Prism, Hilton

Travelodge named Craig Bonnar its chief executive officer. Bonnar — who has been interim CEO since the departure of Peter Gowers at the end of last year — has served as Travelodge’s chief operating officer since January 2017.

“In the short time I’ve been with Travelodge I have been extremely impressed by [Bonnar’s] energy, strategic insight and exceptional leadership qualities,” said Martin Robinson, Travelodge’s newly appointed chairman. “He has led us through a critical period of recovery and with his in-depth knowledge as COO and passion for the brand, [Bonnar] was the natural choice to lead the business on the next leg of its journey.”

Before joining Travelodge, Bonnar spent more than two decades with Asda, moving up the ranks to hold senior roles including vice president of store proposition and format development, vice president of small formats, and operations director, Scotland and Northern Ireland. He is also a trustee of Yorkshire Cancer Research, a nonprofit based in Harrogate, England.

From left, clockwise: Craig Bonnar (Travelodge), Jennifer Sack (Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club), Hector Rodriguez Ladevèze (The Santa Maria) and Chris Bryant (Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Riverview-Brandon)
From left, clockwise: Craig Bonnar (Travelodge), Jennifer Sack (Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club), Hector Rodriguez Ladevèze (The Santa Maria) and Chris Bryant (Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Riverview-Brandon)

Prism Hotels & Resorts made six additions to its corporate team: Harvey Acevedo is project manager; Letitia Warner was promoted to corporate director of legal administration; Sharee Jenkins is corporate administrative assistant; Erin Cook is regional director of sales; and Danielle Halliburton and Roisha Hemphill are senior property accountants. Throughout his career, Acevedo has been involved in the design, construction and development of several select- and full-service hospitality brands in the U.S., Mexico and Central America. Warner previously served as Prism’s manager of legal administration while Jenkins has a decade of experience using her skills to provide training and customer service. Cook has 13 years of hospitality sales and leadership experience in diverse markets and projects, including resorts, city center and convention hotels. Before joining Prism, Halliburton worked for Aimbridge Hospitality as a staff accountant for three years and Hemphill spent two years as an accounting manager at the Westin and Sheraton Stonebriar in Frisco, Texas.

Mauna Kea Resort in Waimea, Hawaii, named Micah Akau marketing and public relations manager. Akau began his career as marketing and media coordinator at Mauna Kea Resort in 2016, followed by positions with Anthology Marketing Group and DeSilva Meeting Consultants. Most recently, Akau was a senior account executive at Milici Valenti Ng Pack where he oversaw marketing, public relations and website efforts for several Hawaii-based hospitality clients.

McKibbon Hospitality named Chris Bryant general manager of Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Riverview-Brandon in Riverview, Florida. Previously, Bryant was general manager of the McKibbon-managed Courtyard Sarasota Bradenton in Sarasota, Florida. Bryant brings deep knowledge of the Hilton brand and Hilton Garden Inn to his new role, having served as director of operations for Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport/Westshore and general manager of Hilton Garden Inn Lakeland-Beechwood. In 2014, Bryant received Hilton’s CEO Light & Warmth Award.

Chris Cummer is executive chef of Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Bastrop, Texas. He joined the property from Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in Cambridge, Maryland. Earlier in his career, Cummer worked as a banquet chef at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines and was promoted to the resort’s chef tournant overseeing the banquet kitchen. Among other roles, Cummer has been chef de cuisine at Hyatt Regency Dallas; executive sous chef at Hyatt Regency Jersey City, New Jersey; and executive chef at Andaz Wall Street in New York City.

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley in Avon, Colorado, named Pollyanna Forster director of food and beverage. Foster, who is a longtime Vail Valley resident, most recently was owner and curator at Pollyanna Productions USA, a culinary consulting group. She is a certified sommelier and spent more than 15 years as the owner of several Colorado restaurants.

Rebel Hospitality chose Craig Franco as vice president of revenue and distribution, overseeing the sales, technology, e-commerce and revenue management of topline revenue streams. Before joining Rebel Hospitality, Franco was a topline and revenue distribution divisional leader for Evolution Hospitality and a founding executive of Intrigue by Interstate Hotels and Resorts. He worked as a regional director at Interstate for more than eight years. Franco’s career also includes time as a regional director for Amsterdam Hospitality Group and Warwick International Hotels.

The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort in Panama City, Panama, named Hector Rodriguez Ladevèze general manager. Rodriguez Ladevèze has more than two decades of hospitality management experience and has led and opened hotels and resorts in Dubai, New York City, Paris, Spain, Greece and Costa Rica.

Sébastien Roelly joined Lake Placid, New York’s Whiteface Lodge as executive chef. Roelly most recently was executive chef of the Quebec City Marriott Downtown in Quebec, Canada. He also worked at the Hilton Quebec. Between 2010 and 2016, Roelly helmed several Quebec City restaurants. For five years prior, he worked in British Columbia, Canada, including as executive chef of The Hermitage restaurant and La Regalade, both in Vancouver, and Bistrot Bistro in Kitsilano.

Hilton Worldwide Sales appointed Sergi Ruiz Pique assistant managing director of sales, leisure all-inclusive. Ruiz Pique has opened numerous all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean for RIU Hotels & Resorts, and formerly led the global leisure sales team for Meliá Hotels International.

AC Hotel Dallas by the Galleria named David Putnicki general manager, Kasey Rhoton director of sales and Daniel Levy corporate regional sales manager. Putnicki’s former experience includes serving as director of operations and director of food and beverage at many properties, including Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa in La Jolla, California, and Westin & Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Rhoton has more than 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry within North Dallas. Levy brings his perspective and understanding of the business traveler to the property.

Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida, named Jennifer Sack director of sales and marketing, Brooke Kull marketing manager and Noelle Perra senior sales executive, leisure travel. Sack, who has more than 25 years of hospitality experience, most recently oversaw Marriott International’s task force coverage for sales in the Florida region and previously managed a portfolio of 21 corporate accounts in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. Kull joined the team from The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Florida, where she developed multi-platform marketing materials, managed the property’s website and facilitated its media and public relations initiatives. Prior to her new appointment, Perra managed a US$21 million portfolio as a senior account executive for Marriott Hotels International.

Kate Siegel joined Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, Canada, as executive pastry chef. Siegel started her culinary career in restaurants, then joined Four Seasons Hotel Toronto’s pastry team in 2004. From there, she moved to Four Seasons Whistler, Canada, then took the role of executive pastry chef at Vancouver’s Metropolitan Hotel. She gained experience at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, Soma Chocolatemaker and North Arm Farm in Pemberton, Canada, before joining the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

Hotel Equities named Martin Stitt senior vice president of operations, Canada. Stitt brings 30-plus years of experience to his role with Hotel Equities, most recently serving as Marriott International’s area vice president, Canada from 2015 to 2020, where he led the integration of Delta Hotels and Starwood Hotels for Western Canada, growing the portfolio from five to 26 managed properties.

Margaritaville Hotel Nashville, Tennessee, appointed Michelle Stuermer director of sales and marketing. Stuermer has held leadership positions with multiple brands, including Marriott and Starwood Hotels, Westin Hotels, Luxury Collection and St. Regis. She joined Margaritaville from Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown and before moving to Nashville, was director of sales and marketing for the Little Rock Marriott in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Robert Sulatycky is executive chef at Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California. In this role, Sulatycky will oversee all food and beverage outlets at Rosewood Sand Hill, including Madera, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Sulatycky led the kitchens of Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, a Relais & Chateaux property in Vancouver, Canada; Four Seasons Hotels in Toronto and Chicago; and simultaneously led the culinary teams at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.

Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida, named David Wahba director of sales and marketing, responsible for group and leisure business development for the Caribe Royale Orlando and Buena Vista Suites. Wahba recently spent five years as director of sales for the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek/Waldorf Astoria Orlando. In the Orlando area, he has worked for The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and Grande Lakes Orlando – The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels. His international experience includes leading sales and marketing efforts for resorts and conference hotels in Canada and Aruba.

Ballyfin Demesne in County Laois, Ireland, chose Peter White as general manager. White’s career began in Australia where he held management positions at boutique hotels across the country before relocating to Banff, Canada, as guest services manager at Rimrock Resort. He then managed the front office for London’s Pelham Hotel, took a position at Lucknam Park Hotel in Chippenham, United Kingdom, and moved to New Zealand where he was general manager of Treetops Lodge & Estate before helping to develop, open and run The Marlborough Lodge in Blenheim. Most recently, he was resort manager of Kamalaya in Koh Samui, Thailand.

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