PACIFICA HOTELS NAMES PRESIDENT
Pacifica Hotels has welcomed Scott Roby as president to oversee all portfolio assets and operations.
Roby was most recently the founder and principal at Storyteller Hospitality. Prior to that, he was a co-founder and SVP of operations for Evolution Hospitality.
“We are thrilled to bring Scott on board to further strengthen our executive leadership and bring Pacifica Hotels to the forefront of innovative, design-forward hospitality in California and Hawaii,” said Matt Marquis, CEO at Pacifica Hotels. “He is a strong cultural leader with a proven track record of success, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds with him at the helm.”
CHRIS CYLKE’S NEW ROLE AT REVPAR INTERNATIONAL
REVPAR International, Inc. has promoted Christopher Cylke, ISHC, to president. He has been a key driver of REVPAR International’s success, working for the firm for over 20 years and serving as COO for the past nine years, overseeing the firm’s South Florida office.
With more than 30 years of industry experience in property-level hotel sales and operations and advisory/asset management, his expertise spans hotel operations, new development, acquisitions and strategic advisory for a range of properties, including hotels, resorts, mixed-use and more. Specializing in projects throughout the U.S. and Caribbean, Cylke has directed and managed over 750 hospitality-related initiatives, worth over $5 billion in investment activity.
“Chris has been a colleague, friend and internal advisor to me for over a decade, providing strategic and practical counsel on any number of issues, as well as leading the charge on an array of projects, from the simple to the very complex. His promotion reflects not only my confidence in his abilities, but also his evolution as a leader within the firm and the industry,” said Richard Pastorino, ISHC, HAMA, founder and CEO of REVPAR International.
SAGE HOSPITALITY NAMES NEW CIO
Sage Hospitality Group has promoted Dean Stambules to chief investment officer. Stambules will oversee all new business initiatives for the company, including the identification of investment opportunities for both acquisitions and development as well as the growth of Sage’s third-party management portfolio – for both hotels and restaurants.
Stambules joined Sage in 2014 as an analyst and has been involves in nearly all of Sage’s new business related to acquisitions and third-party management contracts since that time. More recently, he led Sage’s first acquisition in Florida, a joint venture in One Ocean Resort & Spa.
The Kessler Collection has appointed Phil Wade as chief investment officer. In his new role, he will draw upon his experience working in both private equity and public REITs to help guide strategic leadership decisions, deal sourcing, closing transactions, asset management, contract negotiation, forecasting and investor relations.
With 25 years of experience evaluating and investing in hospitality and related assets throughout North America, Wade has completed over $15 billion dollars in real estate transactions to date.
KEMPINSKI ANNOUNCES NEW EXEC LEADERSHIP TEAM
Kempinski Hotels has announced a new executive leadership team to help develop and reposition the European luxury hotel group.
Gordon Drake has been appointed as chief financial officer. He will oversee the company’s financial operations, analysis and risk assessment. Drake will also play a vital role in the company’s strategic initiatives moving forward and ensure the effective utilisation of financial resources to enhance profitability and drive growth.
Most recently, Drake held the position of chief executive officer for The Doyle Collection.
Rasha Lababidi has been appointed as chief product officer. In this newly created role, she will lead product innovation, design and guest experience across the brand’s luxury global portfolio.
Lababidi previously held the position of senior director of marketing at Emaar and head of marketing at Al Maabar International Investments (currently Eagle Hills).
MORE MOVES
Six Senses Crans-Montana has appointed Renate Hermes as wellness director. She will manage the 21,500-square-foot spa and wellness center at the Alpine resort in her new position.
Hermes has over 20 years of experience as a hands-on coach, meditation teacher and wellness director utilizing her background to elevate the guest experience at Six Senses Crans-Montana.
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront has promoted Josh Hoce to director of group sales. He will focus on securing large group bookings, while mentoring his team and driving business strategies.
Hoce brings in nearly two decades of experience working in sales and hospitality.
Reeco has appointed James Hansen as vice president of business development. With more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and hotel management, Hansen will help scale Reeco’s growth in the hotel sector, leveraging his industry knowledge to forge strategic partnerships and drive revenue growth.
Hansen will oversee initiatives to identify and secure new business opportunities, develop new market channels, and build relationships with potential clients. Prior to his new role, he served as chief development officer for OTH Hotels & Resorts.
Matthew Slippoy has joined The Asbury Collection as managing director. He will oversee the three properties in Asbury Park, N.J. — The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Lanes and Asbury Ocean Club.
Slippoy brings more than 23 years of leadership experience in luxury, lifestyle and boutique hotels. His career includes leadership roles at properties such as Tempo by Hilton in Times Square and Thompson Hotel Central Park.
Bernardus Lodge & Spa has named Pilar Florez as director of sales and marketing. Florez is responsible for comprehensive sales and marketing strategies that maximize hotel revenue and awareness and drive room, outlet and group business bookings.
Florez has held leadership roles including director of tourism with Visit Houston; director of luxury travel at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston; and director of sales and marketing with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in San Diego and Santa Barbara, Calif. and The Loren at Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Most recently, she served as the director of sales at San Diego Mission Bay Resort.
Olympia Hospitality has introduced two strategic hires to its executive team. Michael Briggs resumes the role of managing director, overseeing strategy related to operational performance, sales and revenue management for the company’s independent properties.
Kristie Rasheed joins Olympia as vice president of operations. She will oversee all facets of hotel operations for all 38 properties a part of the company’s portfolio. Prior to her new role, Rasheed served as the managing director of The Dewberry in Charleston, S.C.
Concord Hospitality has promoted Patti Cameron to senior director of talent acquisition. In her new role, Cameron will lead and manage the recruitment and hiring processes for diverse teams across multiple hotel properties, ensuring the selection of talent to drive performance and exceed sales targets.
Cameron will play a critical role in fostering collaboration among departments, including operations, finance and human resources, to ensure seamless alignment with organizational goals.
NEW GMs
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley has appointed Veronica Moretti as general manager. She joined The Westin Riverfront in 2016 as the director of front office, a position that she successfully held for nearly five years.
Moretti most recently served as the general manager of the Solaris Residences and the director of operations – Vail division for East West Hospitality.
Ned’s Club Washington, DC has named Chris Jaycock as general manager. With more than 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality, he will oversee the launch and operations of the club.
Most recently, Jaycock served as general manager at the Palm House in Palm Beach, Fla. His career spans properties such as W Aspen, The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, DC, The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia and Four Seasons, Washington DC.
Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel has appointed Jurgen Ammerstorfer as general manager. He will oversee the completion of the property’s extensive renovations. He joins from The Ritz Carlton, Vienna, where he served as general manager from 2020 to 2024.
With over three decades of experience in the travel and hospitality industry, Ammerstorfer has experience in destination marketing and hotel management across various disciplines, including food and beverage, rooms, sales and marketing and revenue management. He has worked for international luxury hospitality companies in Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, Africa and Asia, in both resort settings and urban environments.
Anna Contreras has joined Kimpton Anglers as general manager. She will help elevate the guest experience while driving service, operational efficiency and financial performance to new levels. She will also launch the hotel’s new street front meeting space, slated for completion this spring.
After beginning her career in hospitality in 2008, Contreras joined Kimpton Hotels in 2013. Kimpton selected her to assist the opening and staff training of the Kimpton Las Mercedes in Dominican Republic and Kimpton Seafire Cayman Island, as well as serve as interim general manager at Kimpton Hotel Palomar South Beach.
