Human Resources

📌 Stéphanie Segaux has been appointed as vice president of development for Starwood Hotels in the EMEA region, based in Amsterdam. Reporting to Chief Development Officer Abhay Bakaya, she will focus on new opportunities following openings in London and Copenhagen. Segaux, previously with Rosewood Hotel Group, will target projects in Paris, Crete, Rome, Florence, Dubai, and Riyadh. Starwood Hotels operates nearly 20 hotels globally and has over 20 projects in development.

📈 Davidson Hospitality Group has appointed Steve Contos as Executive Vice President, Managing Director – Luxury & International to enhance its luxury and international markets. Previously, Contos oversaw 78 hotels and resorts at Marriott International. He served as executive vice president of operations for Davidson Hotels and Resorts and had roles in Florida and Louisiana. Contos brings experience from managing the Orlando Grande Lakes Resort complex, which includes a 1,000-room JW Marriott and 564-room Ritz Carlton.

📍 CityHub appoints Remco Gerritsen as CEO to lead European expansion. Founded in 2015 by Sem Schuurkes and Pieter van Tilburg, the Netherlands-based brand operates in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, and Reykjavik. Schuurkes and van Tilburg will join the board to focus on strategy. CityHub aims to double its network across Europe, emphasizing compact, sustainable accommodations. Gerritsen, with 25+ years of experience, previously worked at International Hotel Capital Partners.

📈 Hays Travel appoints Sue Bradley, a former Tui director, as head of customer experience. Bradley, with Tui for over 14 years, will join Hays Travel's senior leadership team to embed a customer-first culture. The role focuses on enhancing customer experience, aligning with the Institute of Customer Service, and supporting Hays Travel's growth strategy. Hays Travel, a 45-year-old company, aims to maintain its reputation for exceptional customer care and align with strategic initiatives for future growth.

🏨 Oct. 4, 2025, Shanell Marinuzzi, now at Actabl, reflects on her past experience as a hotel general manager. She emphasizes the importance of "speaking owner" to align team goals and communicate effectively with investors. By understanding numbers and translating results into investor-friendly terms, she achieved significant buy-in and success. This approach underscores the value of connecting performance with investor interests in the hospitality industry.

🚀 Joined Blent.io as Chief Revenue Officer, I’m thrilled to join forces with Blent.io, a leader in hospitality tech. Known as "Hospitality's Superbrain," Blent.io revolutionizes industry data use with intuitive business intelligence solutions. Thank you to Christopher Meignier and the team for the warm welcome. We're poised to transform hotel performance management globally. Stay tuned for exciting updates! #Hospitality #Technology #Innovation #DataDriven #Blent

🏝️ Michael Jastrzebski has been appointed director of Spa Vea at Vea Newport Beach, a 14,000-square-foot wellness facility in Southern California. The resort, renovated in 2022, features 14 treatment rooms, a private saltwater pool, and offers various spa services. Seasonal treatments like "Fall into Bliss" and "Winter Wrapsody" are available. Vea Newport Beach is co-owned by Lyon Living and Eagle Four Partners, and offers day passes for access to its spa facilities.

🏨 First Hospitality now manages the dual-branded Hyatt House and Hyatt Place Chicago – Medical/University District, expanding their Chicagoland portfolio to 16 properties. This is their fifth multi-brand hotel and ninth historic property. The hotels, located in a landmark building in the Illinois Medical District, offer 210 rooms and amenities like complimentary breakfast and fitness centers. This collaboration continues their partnership with Murphy Real Estate Services, which also includes voco Chicago Downtown and Holiday Inn Chicago Downtown.

🏨 Amrita Makkar, with nearly 20 years of experience, has been appointed as director of commercial strategy at L+R Hotels. Alongside her, Philip D’Antoni, bringing over two decades of luxury hospitality experience, is named director of sales for North America. Makkar will oversee commercial strategies globally, while D’Antoni will focus on New York. These appointments are part of L+R Hotels’ broader expansion in revenue, sales, and operations.

🏢 DIGITRIPS Group, a France-based travel solutions provider, has announced its European expansion plan, following five million bookings in a decade. New VP of International Growth, Vicki Wickens, joins from Gimmonix, Sabre, and Expedia Group. DIGITRIPS aims to penetrate key European markets with its modular tech solutions and a competitive portfolio of 1.2 million hotels, flights from 500+ airlines, and value-added services. Recent successes include launches in Benelux and Italy.