Several major hotel companies have appointed new leaders in the past few days. Here are some names to know.
Marriott International
Marriott International has promoted Martin Castaño to regional vice president of sales & distribution, Caribbean and Latin America.
In his new role, Castaño will develop and execute sales strategies for Marriott's portfolio of nearly 500 hotels across 37 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America region. He will oversee Marriott's regional sales teams to optimize performance and expand growth across all market segments, including the company’s luxury, all-Inclusive and midscale brands. Castaño’s responsibilities also include anticipating opportunities to shape distribution strategy for the region.
With over 35 years of experience, Castaño has held critical roles in operations, sales, marketing and revenue management. Most recently, he was area director of sales & distribution for Central & South America at Marriott International, where he led strategies to drive revenue growth and support successful hotel openings.
Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni Hotels & Resorts has appointed Jeff Doane as the company’s new chief commercial officer. During his 20 years in the industry, Doane has held senior executive roles with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and most recently was chief commercial officer at Accor North America.
Doane will report directly to Omni President Kurt Alexander and oversee the development and execution of the company’s integrated commercial strategy across its current portfolio of hotels and resorts in the United States and Canada. He will oversee all disciplines within marketing including brand and tactical marketing, public relations, partnerships, social media and digital platforms. He also will be responsible for oversight of Omni’s global and hotel sales organizations, revenue management, the Select Guest Loyalty program as well as distribution and customer service.
The appointment of Doane comes on the heels of Omni’s $2 billion, five-year investment into its portfolio. The company has committed $1.5 billion in portfolio enhancements over the next five years.
HHM Hotels
Hospitality management company HHM Hotels promoted Dani Elhachem to chief operating officer, the second person to hold the role in the company’s history.
Elhachem has spent 10 years in senior and executive roles at HHM Hotels, focusing on distribution in both the branded and independent verticals.
Elhachem started his hospitality career working in various leadership positions within Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Marriott Hotels of Canada for a public REIT and private equality firm hotel owners. He then held senior regional and corporate roles within Denihan Hospitality Group. In 2013, Elhachem joined HHM Hotels as SVP of operations to lead its New York City portfolio. He expanded across the larger portfolio in 2017 where he was responsible for building the operating and distribution platform in urban markets. He subsequently built out disciplines in restaurants and bars, direct distribution and HHM Hotels’ in-house creative and marketing studios. He oversaw the launch of Echelon by HHM Hotels, the company’s luxury and lifestyle division, which leverages the Independent Collection Hotels & Resorts, a B2C distribution platform as well as the company’s commercial services team and marketing studio.
At the same time, Mike Murray, a company founder and partner for 15 years, will assume the newly created position of chief business officer, focusing on enhancing collaboration with current owners and clients, driving growth opportunities through acquisitions and asset management.
Coury Hospitality
Full-service lifestyle hospitality management company Coury Hospitality appointed Andrew Casperson as chief operating officer. Promoted from executive vice president of operations, Casperson will focus on innovation to drive culinary, entertainment and overall operational excellence.
Casperson joined Coury in the spring of 2023 and leads operations strategies for Coury’s portfolio of lifestyle hotels, bars and restaurant concepts. Casperson has worked at Omni Hotels and Resorts, W Hotels and Highgate.
Commonwealth Hotels
Commonwealth Hotels has appointed Jennifer Porter the company's new president. Porter will oversee the company's strategic, operational, financial and cultural expectations.
Porter most recently was the company's chief operating officer. Before joining Commonwealth, she spent 25 years in the hospitality industry in key leadership roles with Winegardner and Hammons/Pyramid Hotel Group and SunStream Hotels and Resorts. Porter's experience spans lifestyle, all-suite, conference-style hotels in urban, suburban, airport, and resort locations across the country.
Commonwealth currently manages 48 properties with nearly 5,500 rooms.
Mission Hill Hospitality
Mission Hill Hospitality, a select service and extended stay hotel investor, promotes Mike Wilbert to senior managing director and head of acquisitions. Wilbert joined Mission Hill Hospitality as managing director when the firm was launched in March 2021. Mission Hill's portfolio includes 33 premium select service and extended stay hotels across 16 states, particularly in markets driven by year-round education, medical, corporate and leisure demand. Recent additions to the Mission Hill portfolio include the Residence Inn in Breckenridge, Colo., and the AC by Marriott and Courtyard in Clearwater Beach, Fla..
For the past 16 years, Wilbert has focused solely on acquisitions, corporate finance, and portfolio management in the hotel industry. Before joining Mission Hill, he served as senior vice president with Tishman Hotels, based in New York and Orlando. Prior to Tishman, Wilbert served as vice president, acquisitions and dispositions for Apple Hospitality REIT. Wilbert started his career in corporate finance at HEI Hotels & Resorts.