Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, Germany, has selected Karina Ansos as managing director. Ansos is the first woman ever to head the historic hotel at the Brandenburg Gate in the German capital as of mid-October. After three successful years, the previous director, Michael Sorgenfrey, is handing over the reins to his successor to take a sabbatical year. A return to one of the hotels of the worldwide Kempinski Hotels at a later date is not excluded.
“As an experienced hotelier, Karina Ansos instills professional, comprehensive know-how and offers an excellent track record in delivering luxury to our guests. She has impressively demonstrated this over the past seven years as general manager at Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt Gravenbruch,” said Timur Sentuerk, chief operating officer Europe, Middle East and Africa and member of the Management Board Kempinski Hotels S.A. “With little interruption, Karina has been successfully working in our company for a total of 23 years and lives the Kempinski DNA through and through.”
French-born Ansos started her hotel career as director convention sales at the then Kempinski Hotel Atlantic Hamburg and at Kempinski Hotel Elephant Weimar, then worked as director of sales and marketing at Tigerpalast Variété Frankfurt and as director food and beverage at the catering and convention company Fachwerk 319, and finally returned to Kempinski Hotels, where she worked her way up to executive assistant manager at Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt.
In 2009, she moved to China, first as executive assistant manager at the 486-room Kempinski Hotel Suzhou, before being later appointed general manager at The One Executive Suites managed by Kempinski in Shanghai, where she was responsible for the pre-opening phase and opening, and subsequently managed the all-suite hotel with 244 suites and three restaurants for three years.
Corporate Management
Sébastien de Courtivron has joined Covivio Hotels, Metz, France, as deputy CEO. Since 2019, de Courtivron was regional director Western Europe at Radisson Hotel Group, responsible for France, Belgium and Spain.
Twenty Four Seven Hotels, Newport Beach, California, has hired Dennis Eichen as vice president of finance and accounting. Eichen most recently acted as corporate controller for The Ruth Group, California.
Ensemble Hospitality, Long Beach, California, has hired Samuel Grant as corporate hotel finance director. Most recently, Grant was the vice president of finance and accounting for a hotel management company based out of Newport Beach, California. Silvia Villegas has been appointed as employee experience manager. Most recently, Villegas was human resources manager at Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles, California.
Hotel Equities, Atlanta, Georgia, has named David Scharfstein as chief financial officer. Scharfstein joined from EmployBridge, Atlanta, where he spent the past 4 years as vice president of financial planning and analysis and later vice president of merger and acquisition integration and enterprise Initiatives.
General Managers, Managing Directors
Benjamin Chemoul has been appointed general manager of the Beau-Rivage Palace, the Hôtel d’Angleterre & Résidence and the Château d’Ouchy, Switzerland. Previously, Chemoul served as director of room division for the company.
Vivek Chowdhry has taken up the role of general manager at Premier Inn Doha Education City, Qatar. Most recently, Chowdhry served as finance and administration manager for Premier Inn Middle East. Across at Premier Inn Doha Airport Hotel, Abid Shaikh has been appointed general manager. Shaikh joins from Premier Inn Doha Education City, where he served as operations manager.
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa, Carlsbad, California, has welcomed Scott Mason as general manager. Throughout his career with Hyatt, Mason has held a variety of leadership roles at some of the brand’s resorts throughout the United States and Mexico.
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, has appointed Nusrat Mirza as general manager of the Palm Desert hotel, JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, California. Mirza joined from The JW Marriott Anaheim Resort, California, where he served as general manager.
The Plaza, New York, has named Luigi Romaniello as managing director. Most recently, Romaniello served as managing director at Rosewood Baha Mar, Bahamas.
JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Arizona, has named Brandy Staab hotel manager. Previously, Staab held multi-faceted positions at Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel and Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains, Arizona, as the director of hotel operations and later the general manager.
Operations
Konjit Ayele has been appointed operations manager at Premier Inn Doha Education City, Qatar. Previously, Ayele served as general manager at U Suites by Utopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Muhammad Haris has been promoted to operations manager at Premier Inn Doha Airport Hotel, where he was assistant operations manager.
The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina, has selected George Beattie as director of rooms. Most recently, Beattie served as assistant general manager and director of operations at Hilton Charlotte University Place.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Singapore, has welcomed Anne Golden as vice president of operations for UK and North America. Previously, Golden served as regional vice president for London at Morgans Hotel Group, New York.
Ensemble Hospitality, Long Beach, California, has named Pam Ryan corporate director hotel operations. Previously, Ryan was with Marriott for over 30 years in a variety of roles, including general manager at properties from select service to full-service luxury.
Food & Beverage
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, California, has appointed a new executive pastry chef, Francois Behuet. Behuet joined from Pendry West Hollywood, California.
106 Jefferson, Huntsville, Alabama, has chosen Jarrod Himes as executive chef. Previously, Himes has provided culinary expertise in locations such as Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, Virginia Beach, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.
Josh Hopkins has been appointed executive chef of Hyatt Centric Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia. With nearly 30 years of experience in hospitality, Hopkins joined from Thompson Hotels, also in Atlanta.
Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity, India, has named Sandeep Kalra director of culinary. Kalra has held various managerial positions in top-tier hotels like The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, India; The Oberoi New Delhi; and The Imperial, also in New Delhi.
Dream Hotel Group, New York City, has selected Marc Marrone as corporate chef. Marrone also owns and operates Nice Hospitality with his business partner Reed Slobusky.
Hay Creek Hotels, Exeter, New Hampshire, announced Carly May as director of catering of Hotel Hartness in Greenville, South Carolina. Most recently, May worked at The Cliffs at Glassy, Landrum, South Carolina, where she served as events manager.
Craig Olack has been appointed chef de cuisine at The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina. Most recently, Olack served as executive chef at the Dread River Distilling Company Restaurant, Birmingham, Alabama.
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, Pennsylvania, has announced new appointments in its culinary team: Fabio Pineda will be executive chef, Damien Graef will be Jean-Georges Sommelier, while Ryan Schmitt was promoted to executive sous chef and Danielle Seipp to executive pastry chef. Pineda joins from Edition, Miami Beach, Florida, where he served as executive chef. Graef has worked over 13 years in fine dining restaurants throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, owns Bibber & Bell, a neighborhood wine store in Williamsburg, New York, and he also currently runs the wine list for Barboncino, a pizzeria restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Schmitt carries more than 10 years within the brand, including Four Seasons Beverly Hills, California. Seipp has been with the property since its opening.
Sales & Marketing
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman has named Cynthia Boyett director of sales and marketing. For the past six years, Boyett has been market director of sales and marketing for The Ritz-Carlton Hotels in South Beach and Bal Harbour, Miami Beach, Florida.
Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Los Cabos, Mexico, has welcomed Sebastien Cormier as director of sales and marketing. Most recently, Cormier served as director of sales and marketing for The St. Regis Mexico City, Mexico.
Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum, Washington, has appointed Adam Dyes as national sales manager and Layne Young as wedding and event sales manager. Most recently, Dyes served as group sales manager at Rennaissance Seattle Hotel, Washington, while Young spent the past three years working in the event industry.
The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa, Destin, Florida, has named Andrew Lott as director of sales and marketing. Lott joined from the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, also in Florida, where he served as executive director of resort sales.
Acqualina Resort & Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Florida, has welcomed Mauro Pinho as vice president of sales and marketing. Recently, Pinho was vice president of sales and marketing for Orbite Space, Miami.
Dorchester Collection has appointed Marion Ryan as area director of sales and marketing for its three UK hotels, The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London, and Coworth Park in Ascot. Ryan’s most recent role was director of sales and marketing at Four Seasons Hotels UK Collection.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, has welcomed Huy Vo as director of marketing communications. Vo held public relations and marketing leadership positions at The Kahala Hotel & Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, Communications Pacific and Bright Light Marketing, Hawaii.