Dant Hirsch joined Ocean House Collection as president and managing director. Hirsch comes to the brand from Six Senses Resorts and Spas where he was general manager of its New York City property, leading the development of luxury guest rooms, condos, a membership club and food and beverage concepts. Hirsch, who has extensive luxury experience, also served as general manager at The Dominick in New York City and Faena Miami Beach, Florida. He was regional general manager of the Americas for Como Hotels and Resorts, where he led the extensive renovation and repositioning of Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos.
“[Hirsch] has the leadership track record, the creativity and the vision to successfully lead this extraordinary collection of properties and our associates,” said Charles and Deborah Royce, founders of Ocean House Collection. “His understanding of the luxury hotel industry enables him to provide a strategic direction for our capable team members, create exceptional and innovative experiences for our guests, serve our local community and help position the organization for the future.”
Kimpton Pittman Hotel in Dallas appointed Andrea Ambroze director of sales and marketing. Ambroze has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience, most recently as director of luxury sales and partnerships for The Denihan Hospitality Group.
The Opus, Westchester, an Autograph Collection Hotel in White Plains, New York, appointed Elizabeth Andrews general manager. Andrews — a former modern dancer — has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Andrews served as general manager for several boutique luxury properties in New York City before accepting the role of vice president at The Jade Hotel (now the Walker Hotel Greenwich Village).
L+R Hotels appointed Elisa Barral director of asset management, Mediterranean. Barral has 24 years of experience in luxury hospitality, including key roles in finance and operations within international hospitality brands. Barral joined L+R Hotels from Le Méridien Barcelona, Spain, where she was general manager. Before that, Barral spent more than a decade with Starwood Hotels, including as general manager at The Westin Marbella, Spain, regional director of finance responsible for 19 hotels across Spain and Portugal, and as transformation and special projects director.
Mint House named Jess Berkin head of brand, Paul Sacco chief development officer and Jim Mrha chief financial officer. Berkin most recently was chief marketing officer for travel e-commerce startup Porter & Sail. She’s also held numerous global marketing and public relations roles for hospitality brands and agencies, including Baltz & Company, Lou Hammond Group, Makeready and Marriott International. Sacco previously served as chief investment officer at Driftwood Capital, president of global development at RLH Corporation, president and chief development officer of TPG Hotels & Resorts and head of development North America for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Mrha, who has more than three decades of experience in finance, business development and operations within the hospitality sector, recently served as interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer at Domio.
The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education named Fran Brasseux executive director, effective June 16. Brasseux spent the first part of her career working in conference planning and hotel sales before moving serving as executive vice president and then president of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
Hotel Lulu in Anaheim, California, appointed John Chan hotel manager. Prior to joining Hotel Lulu, Chan was manager of project management for ICO Group Companies, a real estate development and management company in Los Angeles. Earlier in his career, he held revenue and operations management roles at Los Angeles-area hotels, including Embassy Suites by Hilton Los Angeles, Glendale, and The Westin South Coast Plaza.
PebbleBrook Hotel Trust appointed Laurayne Croke complex director of sales and marketing for the Southernmost Beach Resort and The Marker Key West Harbor Resort, both in Key West, Florida. Before this role, Croke was complex director of sales and marketing for Sbe Group in Miami where she oversaw all director sales, marketing and catering efforts for three of the brand’s units, including the SLS Hotel & Residences, SLS Lux Hotel & Residences and Hyde Resort & Residences.
Edgar Escalante is executive chef at Dirty Habit DC at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C. Born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, Escalante recently worked for Katsuya South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Prior to that, he launched a catering business in Mexico City.
Kimpton Boutique Hotels & Restaurants’ Washington, D.C. properties named Bill Hanley area director of sales and marketing at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and James Eason area director of revenue management. Hanley has more than 25 years of experience directing and leading local, national and global sales and marketing initiatives for luxury brands and most recently served as director of sales and marketing at Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles. He also worked as the property’s director of catering from 2012 to 2016, and again from 2018 to 2020. Before his recent appointment, Eason spent six years as regional director of revenue management North America for Langham Hospitality Group in Bowie, Maryland, and earlier, worked as regional director for revenue management with Hersha Hospitality Management in Philadelphia.
Laurent Hollaender is executive chef of Le Sel and Lady Bird at The Banneker, a Kimpton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Hollaender brings nearly two decades of culinary experience to The Banneker’s culinary program. Prior to joining the team, he was executive chef at properties including the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando, Florida; Embassy Suites by Hilton D.C.; Hotel Lombardy D.C.; and the National Democratic Club.
Ting Yueh Hu is director of food and beverage at Meliá Koh Samui, Thailand. Before joining the property, Hu was executive assistant manager of Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel & Residence in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and food and beverage director at both Conrad Koh Samui and Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort. Earlier, she worked at Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai and Shangri-La Hotel Fuzhou, China and at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah Al Mina, Honyaki and Zhen He restaurants.
Mexico’s Velas Resorts promoted Cynthia Kunz to lead its MICE group sales as senior global sales director, meetings and incentives, based in the company’s Los Angeles sales office. Prior to joining Velas Resorts, Kunz was sales vice-president and partner of Incentive Travel Solutions.
Garden of the Gods Resort and Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, named Melisa Lesperance vice president of human resources. Lesperance has 20 years of hospitality industry experience, including as benefits manager and then assistant director of human resources at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she led the human resources department, reporting to the regional human resources director who oversaw multiple properties.
Everwood Hospitality Partners (EHP) named Sean Liu manager of investments and underwriting. Prior to joining EHP, Liu was senior financial analyst with Urban Commons where he oversaw the development and implementation of the budgets for the asset management company’s 18-hotel portfolio. He’s also held various finance, asset management and revenue management roles within the hospitality industry for ownership, third-party management and brands including Kimpton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels and Hersha Hospitality Management.
Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, California, named David Lockard general manager. Lockard joined the property from Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine in San Diego. Throughout his career, he’s served as general manager at multiple properties, including Hyatt Centric Park City, Utah, and Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, and has held a variety of other positions ranging from food and beverage manager to director of operations.
Edward Thomas Company (ETC) Hotels, owners of Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, California, announced the retirement of Vice President and Managing Director Klaus Mennekes at the end of this month. Mennekes will step into an advisory role with the company after working with ETC Hotels for 28 years, during which he opened both Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar as general manager.
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, named Marya Moore director of food and beverage. Moore spent 23 years with Marriott International, most recently as executive chef and director of restaurants at Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel following her tenure at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square and the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, named Josh Nowak general manager. Nowak has served as director of sales and marketing at the hotel and convention center since 2007 and helped shepherd the property through a largescale expansive and the addition of two restaurants in 2019.
Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria, Canada, named Amy Pecorelli event manager, supporting the property in its efforts to offer a carbon-neutral package for planners and events featuring community partners. Pecorelli spent 10 years at the Victoria Conference Centre organizing meetings and conventions as well as large-scale galas and social events before starting Culinarie, an annual festival celebrating culinary arts in Victoria. She went on to create the Brewery & The Beast festival in British Columbia.
Urgo Hotels Canada named Serge Primeau managing partner and president to support the company’s growth in the hotel management sector across Canada. Primeau has more than 25 years of experience with the group.
The Curtis, a Doubletree by Hilton property in Denver, promoted Lizzie Raudenbush to general manager and Megan Pierce to director of sales and marketing. Raudenbush most recently was the property’s director of sales and marketing. Prior to joining The Curtis, she was director of sales and marketing for The Kimpton Shorebreak Resort in Huntington Beach, California. Pierce’s former role at The Curtis was director of group sales. Before joining the team, she was associate director of sales for Embassy Suites in Denver.
Remington Hotels appointed Jason Reader senior vice president of operations. Reader brings more than two decades of hospitality experience to the role, previously serving as chief operating officer at Magna Hospitality. Prior to that, he spent 15 years with Pyramid Hotel Group.
Hugo Reyes Duran and Mary Beth Lewis are general manager and director of sales and marketing, respectively, of 106 Jefferson, a Curio Collection hotel by Hilton in Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to this post, Reyes Duran held leadership positions at brands including Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Starwood and Gran Melia. Lewis has worked in a variety of hotels from boutique to large resort properties, including independent, Marriott and Hilton Brands.
Jordan Swiler is executive chef for Salmon Falls Resort in Ketchikan, Alaska, and Hamodi Siam is executive chef at its sister property, Edgewater Inn Restaurant & Marina. Prior to joining Salmon Falls Resort, Swiler was executive chef at Café and Bar Lurcat in Minneapolis while Siam most recently was dining room manager at Fellowship Square in Tucson, Arizona.
CitizenM appointed Jaap Tonckens, former group chief financial officer of Unibail-Rrodamco-Westfield (URW), as an advisor to the board. Tonckens has extensive experience in commercial real estate financial leadership, capital markets, transactions, financing and corporate financing. He worked at URW in France and the United States for more than 11 years. Prior to URW, he spent more than 14 years at Morgan Stanley & Co.
Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California, named Thiphakhoun Vyrasith director of food & beverage, Patrick Cheah director of experience planning and reservations, Josh Jennings ENO Market & Pizzeria and Sundaes general manager, and Brad McPherson director of human resources. Vyrasith, who has opened more than 30 food, beverage and event spaces in the course of her career, most recently was with The Ritz-Carlton JW Marriott at LA Live in Los Angeles. Cheah has 30 years of experience (including 23 with Hilton) and has served as director of Asia Pacific operations at Hilton Reservations and Customer Care, and director of reservations at Grand Wailea in Wailea, Hawaii, and at Hilton Chicago. Jennings most recently led all culinary outlets at Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront in Portland, Oregon, while McPherson has more than 25 years of leadership experience within human resources management, including at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Nevada, MGM Resorts International, Hilton Hotels Corporation and more.