Hotels across the U.S. have appointed new food and beverage leaders over the past two weeks.
Caribe Royale Orlando
Caribe Royale Orlando appoints Jessica Bingham as its new executive pastry chef. In her role, Bingham will directly oversee the resort’s pastry team of 10, which creates elaborate offerings for banquets, corporate events and the resort’s eight on-site restaurants.
Bingham has been part of Caribe Royale Orlando’s culinary team since 2021, where she began as assistant pastry chef. Prior to that, she was the assistant pastry chef at The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, where she led a team of 20 baking and pastry professionals and was responsible for the resort’s chocolate production.
Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
Ahead of its opening, Fairmont Breakers Long Beach adds Jared Reeves as its executive chef, Max Pfeiffer as chef de cuisine of Sky Room and Giuseppe Musso as chef de cuisine of Nettuno.
Executive chef Reeves joins Fairmont Breakers Long Beach with over 15 years of international culinary expertise, spanning prestigious kitchens across the globe. Jared’s lifelong passion for cuisine dates back to childhood afternoons cooking with his grandmother. Originally from Kansas City, Reeves honed his skills at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, as well as in Australia’s most iconic restaurants, including Lucio’s and The Wood’s Restaurant at Four Seasons Sydney. Returning to the U.S. in 2016, Reeves played a pivotal role in the opening of Four Seasons New York Downtown and later joined Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa as Executive Sous Chef, where he earned accolades such as 2020 Leader of the Year. Reeves will oversee the culinary program at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach.
Musso will helm Nettuno, serving a seasonal menu inspired by authentic Italian home-cooked meals. Musso brings nearly a decade of expertise and artistry to Nettuno. Musso’s journey began in Forlì, Italy and has continued through some of Europe’s finest kitchens as well as leading renowned restaurants in Los Angeles. From mastering French cuisine at Negresco Hotel in Nice to embracing Spanish flavors in Lloret de Mar, Giuseppe has fused European flavors to create a one-of-a-kind culinary style.
A Long Beach native, Pfeiffer brings a deep connection to the destination and a passion for fine dining to his new role as chef de cuisine at Sky Room. A graduate of Cal State Long Beach, Pfeiffer’s gastronomic career has since taken him across the country from the acclaimed Sotto in Cincinnati to restaurants in Southern California, including Roe and Michelin-starred Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa.
Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown
Peter Ewenson has been appointed director of food and beverage for Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown. In his new role, Ewenson will lead the strategic development of the food and beverage division including banquets, Juniper Restaurant, Lobby Lounge, the Courtyard, in-room dining and stewarding.
Prior to his new position, he was the assistant director of local catering for Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City from 2022 after being promoted from director of Bistro SAM. He was assistant food and beverage manager for Hotel Quebec from 2019 to 2021. Previously, Ewenson worked in Calgary in the food and beverage industry as restaurant manager, event planner and maître d’hôtel.
Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa appoints Mikey Termini as executive chef. In this role, Termini will utilize his experience, innovation, and enthusiasm to oversee all culinary operations across the property’s seven food and beverage outlets—including 3030 Ocean, Sea Level Restaurant and Ocean Bar, and Riva—along with in-room dining, high-volume event catering, and the associate cafeteria.
Termini joins Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having previously worked at hotels across the country. Most recently, he held the position of executive sous chef at JW Marriott Marco Island Resort, having been promoted from senior sous chef. Prior to that, he held restaurant chef and sous chef positions at three Four Seasons resorts nationwide—Orlando at Disney; Jackson Hole Wyoming; and Wailea in Maui.
Hilton West Palm Beach (Fla.)
Hilton West Palm Beach adds Joel Rodriguez as chef de cuisine. Rodriguez, originally from Puerto Rico, debuted his culinary skills in the U.S. in 2017 at Galley, as the restaurant was undergoing a significant redesign. He was instrumental in creating some of the most popular dishes on Galley’s menu, receiving rave reviews and a #1 rating for the restaurant on TripAdvisor.
In his role, Rodriguez will introduce new dishes and work with executive chef Rodrigo Mezadri to oversee the restaurant’s popular Wine Dinner Series, which has a five-course pairing event with cooking demonstrations, outdoor dining and live music.
Hotel Emma
Hotel Emma at Pearl adds chef Geronimo Lopez as its new executive chef. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Lopez is the former owner and chef behind Botika in San Antonio, where he garnered numerous awards and accolades. Lopez worked in culinary and management positions at luxury hotels and resorts in Ljubljana-Slovenia, Dubrovnik-Croatia, Puerto Vallarta-Mexico, Kailua Kona-Hawaii, and several Michelin-Star establishments in France.
Hutton Hotel
Evelyn’s, Hutton Hotel’s classic Americana-inspired restaurant located in Nashville’s West End, appoints Mickey Woods as chef de cuisine. With over 15 years of experience specializing in Southern cuisine, Woods brings a wealth of knowledge to the role and is eager to share his expertise while continuing to elevate the restaurant’s culinary offerings.
A Tennessee native, Woods launched his career at the Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville, later advancing to positions at the Commodore Hotel and Inn in Linden, Tennessee and The Front Porch in Dickson, Tenn. His impressive career background includes serving as Chef at Lugo’s in Dickson, sous chef at The Grove in College Grove, and executive chef at Graymere Country Club in Columbia, Tenn. Most recently, Woods held a position at Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, Tenn., where he oversaw the launch of two new restaurants and developed seasonal menus featuring fresh, farm-grown ingredients.
Origin Hotel Kansas City
Origin Hotel Kansas City, a Wyndham Hotel, names its executive leadership team: Director of Food and Beverage Brandon Buschart and Executive Chef Michael Olson.
Joining the Origin Hotel Kansas City team with over 25 years of experience, Buschart is responsible for the overarching guest experience, ensuring that Chef’s vision is brought to life and aiding in the mentoring of hospitality workers at all on-site food and beverage concepts. He has obtained several beverage certifications becoming a certified Sommelier, Ciceron, and Master of Whiskey, and is currently working toward his Sake Samura certification.
Stepping into the role of executive chef at Origin Hotel Kansas City, Olson brings decades of family-style tradition and experience into this position. Olson will lead back-of-house operations while crafting innovative menu items, guided by his "omakase-style" philosophy, which lets the local ingredients take center stage. His goal is to deliver bold flavors that capture the essence of Kansas City’s culinary heritage. Olson will oversee menu planning, cost analysis, purchasing, and inventory management for the hotel’s restaurant, Show Pony.
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, adds Rebecca Tillman as executive chef. Tillman will manage the resort's dining venues, including Angel Oak, San Setto, 'O' Bar + Kitchen, Bacara Wine Tasting Room, Haskell's Grill, and Haskell’s Food Truck at the beach. In addition, she will oversee culinary-related operations, such as banquet services, stewarding and purchasing.
Tillman has served at premier resorts that include LON’s at the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, Ariz.; The Phoenician Scottsdale in Ariz.; The Arizona Biltmore; Pointe Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix; The Biltmore House and The Biltmore Inn, both on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.; and Destination Kohler – The American Club in Kohler, Wis.
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay (Calif.)
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, appoints executive chef Javier Arrebola to its culinary team. With a decade of international culinary experience and a profound understanding of The Ritz-Carlton brand, Arrebola's career spans multiple Ritz-Carlton properties worldwide, including The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, The Ritz-Carlton, Al Wadi Desert, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Dorado Beach Reserve, Hotel Arts Barcelona, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, and The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.
In his new role, Arrebola will collaborate with an exceptional team of culinary professionals, including Navio chef de cuisine Francisco Simón, executive pastry chef Joanna Kaskiw, and newly appointed director of food and beverage Maurice Tax.
Sonesta Redondo (Calif.) Beach & Marina
Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina appoints James McIver as executive chef. A native of San Bernardino, Calif., McIver brings over 25 years of culinary expertise, including the W San Francisco and The Westin Los Angeles Airport.
As he steps into his new role, McIver envisions transforming the restaurant into a culinary destination that reflects the vibrant diversity of southern California.
W Aspen (Colo.)
W Aspen appoints Willis Xu as the new director of food and beverage for the hotel and the Sky Residences at W Aspen. With over a decade of experience in the global luxury hospitality industry, Xu brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep-rooted passion for exceptional service to his new role.
Hailing from Shenyang, China, Xu’s career began at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore, where his dedication to creating unique experiences and his pursuance of excellence quickly led to promotions from room service attendant to room service captain and then stewarding supervisor. His passion for food and beverage management flourished during his tenure at W Beijing as venue manager and later with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in Shenyang. He then returned to W Hotels in Shanghai where he advanced to assistant director of food and beverage before moving to St. Regis Changsha as director of food and beverage. Eventually, Xu decided to take the leap and jump continents to lead the food and beverage team at W Aspen.