The Hay-Adams hotel in Washington, D.C., appointed Toby Lent as its new director of catering. Hans Bruland, VP & GM of the Hay-Adams, made the announcement.
Lent brings 24 years of experience to the position, having worked at hotels on both coasts including Connecticut, California and Hawaii. Most recently, Lent served as the director of catering and private events at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, before accepting the appointment in the nation’s capital. Before joining the Peninsula, he served in a director-level role at the St. Regis Princeville in Hawaii, responsible for annual catering and banquets operations.
A native of Coudersport, Pa., Lent graduated in 1993 from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., with degrees in hotel/restaurant management and hospitality sales and meeting management. Shortly after graduation, he began his career at the Sheraton Stanton Hotel in Stamford, Conn.
In 1997, Lent moved west and joined Sheraton Universal Hotel, Universal City, California before another career move in May 2000 to a luxury boutique hotel, The Portofino Hotel and Marina, Redondo Beach, Calif. After eight years with this property and numerous recognitions for his managerial work, he joined ETC Hotels as director of catering and conference services for both Hotel Casa Del Mar and Shutters on the Beach in March 2008.
Lent’s next promotion took him to Hawaii in April 2013 as the St. Regis Princeville Resort named him director of catering and event management. Here he garnered awards including the Starwood Global Incentive Trip Winner 2013, with nominations for Starwood 2013 Catering and Event Management Leader of the Year. Lent was next tapped by the Peninsula Beverly Hills in California to be the director of catering and private events in September 2014 for this 195-room property with 7,500 square-feet of event space before accepting his new position at The Hay-Adams.