Ashford Inc. announced the appointment of Hector Sanchez as president and Eric Batis as chief operating officer, effective immediately. Monty J. Bennett will continue as chairman and chief executive officer. In this new role, Sanchez will report directly to Bennett and will focus on driving coordination, alignment, performance, and efficiency across the organization. Batis will report to Bennett and Sanchez and will oversee day-to-day operational execution across the organization.
Casetta announced the appointment of Jennifer Armbruster as president. In this role, Armbruster will oversee brand vision, strategy, and execution across all facets of the company. Armbruster has spent five years with Casetta, and she has over a decade of experience. She has held a range of leadership roles with hospitality brands, including Four Seasons, Fairmont, Omni Hotels & Resorts, and Relais & Châteaux–affiliated properties, including Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego, California.
The Resort at Pelican Hill announced the appointment of General Manager Shannon Gilbert. Gilbert brings over three decades of experience to the role. She has worked at properties within The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott portfolio, contributing to openings including Half Moon Bay and Denver, as well as the repositioning of Laguna Niguel. Additional hospitality experiences include serving as hotel manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, and the JW Marriott Los Angeles.
Marriott Marquis Houston announced the appointment of Paul Peddle as director of food & beverage. In this role, Peddle will oversee the hotel’s five signature dining outlets. He will also lead the hotel’s extensive meetings and events culinary program. Peddle brings over 20 years of hospitality leadership experience. Most recently, he served as director of food & beverage at Four Seasons Hotel Houston.
The Marquesa Hotel announced the appointment of Travis Lee as the new executive chef of Café Marquesa, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant. Lee brings over two decades of experience to the role. Lee joins Café Marquesa following his tenure as executive sous chef at Mujō in Atlanta. He previously served as executive chef at Rooftop L.O.A. and corporate executive chef of R&D for Mainline Foods and Goldbergs Group.
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, announced the appointment of Rosette Cox as pastry chef. Cox will oversee all pastry operations for The Ritz-Carlton. She will design and curate desserts for the hotel’s on-site food and beverage outlets. Cox joins The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, most recently from the Lakon Paris Patisserie in Boston, where she served as executive pastry chef, managing the pastry and bakery department and production of French pastries and desserts across four locations.
Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, announced three appointments to its commercial leadership team. Alejandra Esquivel has been appointed as director of sales and marketing after previously serving as director of sales for Zadún. Jimena Fernández has been appointed as director of marketing and communications; she most recently served as director of marketing at Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya. Mariana Frade de la Torre has been named as director of revenue management. Frade de la Torre brings more than 14 years of experience, including roles with Grupo Aeroméxico, Grupo Posadas, and, most recently, Marriott CALA Shared Services.
Rancho La Puerta announced the appointment of Segundo Romero as executive chef and Vivian Mercado as head chef at La Cocina Que Canta, Rancho La Puerta’s cooking school on the property. After joining Rancho La Puerta as part of the Tierra Alegre Juice Bar team, Mercado rose through the ranks to sous chef and now leads La Cocina Que Canta.
