Read the latest roundup of U.S.-based hires and promotions in the hotel industry.
Executives
Dan Applegate
Vice president of finance
Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group
Feb. 25, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Prior to this role, he served as director of finance and has held several key positions within the company, driving growth and financial performance.
George Terpilowski
Senior vice president of operations
Salamander Collection
Feb. 24, 2025
New hire
Experience: Prior to joining Salamander, Terpilowski was the general manager of Intercontinental Buckhead, Atlanta. He also served as regional vice president northeast with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which included oversight of Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, Boston Raffles and The Plaza Hotel in New York.
Ashish Verma
Executive vice president
White Elephant Resorts
Feb. 24, 2025
New hire
Experience: Most recently, Verma served as the senior vice president, luxury division, overseeing The Chatwal brand in Manhattan and the Catskills, which was ranked among the top three hotels in New York City by Conde Nast Traveler for seven consecutive years.
Brian McCormick
Vice president of people and culture
The Kessler Collection
Feb. 19, 2025
New hire
Experience: Prior to joining The Kessler Collection, McCormick was vice president of human resources at The Broadmoor, leading HR initiatives for more than 2,200 employees and collaborating across divisions to improve the employee experience and retention.
General managers
Ryan Fender
General manager
Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk
San Antonio, Texas
Feb. 25, 2025
New hire
Experience: Fender progressed his career holding general manager positions at Alila Ventana Big Sur in California as well as Hotel 50 Bowery and Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City before accepting this new position at Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk.
Marlena Karwowski
General manager
Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Medical District UIC
Chicago
Feb. 24, 2025
New hire
Experience: Karwowski served in key roles including assistant reservations manager at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, reservations communications manager at Hyatt Regency Chicago, director of sales at Hyatt House Evanston, director of sales at Hilton Garden Inn Evanston and more.
Adam Gurgiolo
General manager
Chicago Athletic Association
Chicago
Feb. 20, 2025
New hire
Experience: In 2022, when Lotte Hotels and Resorts acquired the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago to launch their first North American L7 branded lifestyle hotel, Adam and his team played a pivotal role in the two-year transformation, from overseeing renovations to tailoring the L7 brand for an American audience.
Jeffery Modaff
General manager
Hotel 1000, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Seattle
Feb. 20, 2025
New hire
Experience: Modaff joins Hotel 1000 from Conrad Los Angeles, where he served as opening hotel manager and helped the brand’s West Coast flagship earn multiple distinctions and accolades, including Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star and AAA Four Diamond ratings.
Chintan Dadhich
Complex general manager
Tempo by Hilton Times Square and Conrad New York Downtown
New York City
Feb. 19, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Dadhich has been general manager of the Conrad New York Downtown since 2022 and will now lead the Tempo by Hilton Times Square as well.
Shane McWeeny
General manager
Hotel Commonwealth
Boston
Feb. 18, 2025
Returning hire
Experience: Most recently, McWeeny served as general manager at Boston Park Plaza, where he successfully led a team of over 500 employees and earned the hotel 4-Diamond status for six consecutive years. He was previously the director of operations at the Hotel Commonwealth.
Sales and marketing
Spencer Hux
Chief sales officer
The Hermitage Hotel and Keswick Hall
Nashville, Tennessee; and Keswick, Virginia
Feb. 20, 2025
Returning hire
Experience: Hux's leadership extended to roles such as chief operating officer at The Beyond Collection and, most recently, a consulting position at Keswick Hall.
Heather McKenna
Director of marketing
Silverado Resort
Napa, California
Feb. 19, 2025
Promotion
Experience: McKenna joined Silverado Resort in August 2021 as digital marketing manager. Her promotion to senior e-commerce marketing manager in April 2023 marked a significant milestone in her career, as she led the successful launch of the resort’s new website in July 2023 and enhanced the resort’s digital presence.
Food and beverage
Brian Archibald
Executive chef
Hotel del Coronado
San Diego
Feb. 20, 2025
New hire
Experience: Throughout his career, Archibald has led the culinary teams at hotels including The Graduate Hotel, The Boulders Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Desert Ridge, The Phoenician Resort and more and, most recently, held the position of director of culinary and beverage at Playa Largo Resort & Spa
Jordan Barnett
Director of food and beverage
The St. Regis Atlanta
Atlanta
Feb. 20, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Barnett's resume highlights include serving as restaurant chef for Periwinkle and Seven Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, executive sous chef for The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, and most recently, a five-year stint as the executive chef for The St. Regis Atlanta.
Eric Duchene
Director of food and beverage
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Scottsdale, Arizona
Feb. 20, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Since 2022, Duchene has held the position of executive chef at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. Duchene previously served as the executive sous chef and executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey for five years.
Alexander Gut
Executive chef
The St. Regis Atlanta
Atlanta
Feb. 20, 2025
New hire
Experience: He joins the team following his time as sous chef at The Ritz-Carlton Toronto. Prior to that, he served as the restaurant and banquet chef for The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, executive sous chef for The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta and held executive chef and sous chef positions with Delta Hotels Thunder Bay and The Tampa Edition.
Brett Suess
Chef de cuisine
The Horse Shoe Farm
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Feb. 19, 2025
New hire
Experience: Before joining The Horse Shoe Farm, Suess honed his skills at acclaimed Asheville restaurants like Sovereign Remedies and Chattooga Club. Notably, he served as chef de cuisine at The Market Place, leading the team to recognition as a James Beard 2024 Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist.
Miscellaneous
Nick Vitolano
Director of business development
Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group
Feb. 25, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Vitolano brings a wealth of experience in resort, branded and luxury/lifestyle properties. He has successfully contributed to various business development initiatives, specializing in brand conversions, underwriting and market analysis.
Annette Fromm
Community librarian
The Betsy Hotel
Miami Beach, Florida
Feb. 21, 2025
New hire
Experience: Fromm earned her doctorate from the University of Indiana with a focus on Jewish anthropology, art history and culture and most recently served as The Betsy’s Community Liaison for the Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Symposium, which just completed a 15-year residency at The Betsy Hotel.
To be included in an upcoming Hotel News Now U.S. Hires and Promotions List, email Associate Editor Trevor Simpson here.