Human Resources

🏨 Chris Cooper, a 15-year luxury hospitality veteran, becomes general manager of Gilpin Hotel and Lake House after Thomas Ferrante's departure. Previously at The Grand, York, Cooper was 'Leader of the Year 2025' and led the hotel to win VisitEngland’s 'Large Hotel of the Year 2024'. He will manage operations, including the Michelin-starred Source and Gilpin Spice. The owners emphasize Cooper's alignment with their family-run values and thank Ferrante for his impactful leadership.

💻 Diego Di Paolo, appointed as Head of Sales at Adalte during Fitur Madrid, aims to accelerate international growth through strategic relationships. His extensive experience spans Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Adalte is evolving its Community.Travel platform into a multi-level marketplace to enhance collaboration with tour operators. The platform supports precise matching of supply and demand and includes modules for product upload and third-party service consolidation. The company aims to boost global partnerships in travel tech.

🏠 Kevin Pickard becomes general manager of L’Auberge de Sedona, Arizona, in 2023, after serving as dual general manager at The Lindy Renaissance Charleston and Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta. With over 25 years in hospitality, he aims to enhance the guest experience following the resort's $30 million expansion, which added 70 rooms and new amenities. Previously, Pickard held senior roles at Marriott International. The resort is owned by DiamondRock Hospitality and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality.

🏠 Red Roof has appointed Tim Lipka as senior VP of operations. Lipka, with over 10 years in brand leadership, was VP at G6 Hospitality and has 25+ years in operations roles. He'll be based in Columbus, Ohio. Shanna Wright, promoted to senior VP of commercial strategy, will lead marketing and distribution. Both appointments highlight Red Roof’s leadership strength, aiming for business growth.

💻 Robert Matsuoka was appointed CTO of Duetto in San Francisco, California. With over 25 years of experience, including roles at Citymaps and Tripadvisor, Matsuoka will lead Duetto’s technology transformation. He aims to enhance hotel revenue optimization, demand forecasting, and yield management through AI and machine learning. Matsuoka plans to accelerate client onboarding, expand integrations, and develop new pricing models, while implementing AI-assisted development to boost product delivery speed.

🏨 Airbnb appoints Jesse Stein as head of hotels to expand its boutique hospitality offerings. Stein, with Airbnb since 2020, will integrate independent hotels into the platform and optimize the hotel experience, identified as a growth lever for 2026. With previous roles at KHP Capital Partners, Kimpton Hotels, Wyndham, and Starwood, Stein aims to forge partnerships and improve hotel listings. His focus is on bringing boutique and independent hospitality globally.

🏨 Javier Águila's appointment as Global President of Hyatt's all-inclusive portfolio in March 2025 marks a significant milestone. The Inclusive Collection now features over 150 resorts and 55,000 rooms across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Maria Zarraluqui joins to spearhead asset-light growth. Hyatt's strategic acquisitions, such as Playa Hotels & Resorts, bolster its portfolio. Recent openings include Secrets Playa Esmeralda and Secrets St. Lucia, with plans for Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana by 2026.

📈 PHILADELPHIA, January 2026: HHM Hotels appoints Luke Callinan as Senior VP of Investments and Alexandra Lalos Church as Senior VP of Business Development. The company has expanded its investments with over 30 joint ventures and added over 12 third-party management deals recently. Callinan, former principal at Kasa Living, and Lalos Church, previously managing director at Hodges Ward Elliott, join to enhance investment strategies and growth opportunities.

📈 Inn-Flow, Cary, N.C., announced strategic leadership changes for 2026 with Lee Bridges as Chief Product Officer and Daniel Scagnelli as Senior VP of Customer Experience, to enhance hotel industry growth. Bridges, with 15 years in SaaS, excels in AI and fintech, previously aiding XOi's $230M capital raise. Scagnelli, with over 15 years in SaaS, improved customer retention at Spreedly. These appointments coincide with Inn-Flow's 2026 HotelTechAwards recognition, bolstering their back-office platform for hotels.