INNSIDE New York announced the appointment of Alex Kalaja as the property’s director of food & beverage. In his new role, Kalaja will lead all food-and-beverage operations on property including banquets, in-room dining and the hotel’s restaurant, Impero Caffè by Scott Conant.
Kalaja most recently worked as the director of food & beverage for China Grill Management at Yotel New York, where he oversaw the food-and-beverage program, including relaunching the property’s terrace meeting space, and oversaw a team of 70 employees and six managers. He previously held director of food & beverage positions at hotels around the New York area, including the Crowne Plaza JFK, Paramount Hotel, The Strand Hotel and Hudson New York.
Kalaja first began his career in the food-and-beverage industry in 1998 as restaurant manager at the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa, where he managed all daily operations. Kalaja spent five years at the Sheraton Hotels of New York as food-and-beverage manager. Kalaja has demonstrated a successful management style, keen attention to detail and an ability to provide strategic guidance to his employees in order to ensure exceptional guest satisfaction.
Kalaja holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. He also completed courses in hotel management training and food-and-beverage operations at Harvard and Cornell universities, and holds a Food Protection Certificate from the city of New York.