Hotels in Florida, Rhode Island, New York, Virginia, California, Texas and Hawaii have appointed new leaders over the past month.
The 240-room Sonesta Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Beach appointed Michael Medeiros GM. Since starting his first job with Sonesta more than 29 years ago, Medeiros has taken on progressively larger roles, including GM of the Royal Sonesta Boston, where he led a major renovation, and corporate food and beverage lead on all new hotel acquisitions and openings.
The 57-room Brenton Hotel, slated to open in Newport, R.I., in June, named Jonathan Andrew Ross managing director. In his new position, Ross will provide leadership and strategic direction for the hotel through all preopening stages, including development, hiring, training and sales and marketing. Once the hotel opens, he will lead daily property management from guest services and operations to asset management. Ross, with 20 years of luxury hospitality experience, most recently served as regional director of sales and marketing, New England for Auberge Resorts Collection.
In Cooperstown, N.Y., The Otesaga Resort Hotel and its sister property The Cooper Inn welcomed John Shideler as GM. Shideler most recently served as field operations manager for Cornerstone Hospitality, where he provided an operator’s viewpoint to the owners and developers of the Virginian Hotel, a Hilton Curio Hotel in Lynchburg, Va.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Crystal City (Va.) National Airport named 30-year hospitality veteran Joseph Cardone GM. Before joining the 269-suite property, Cardone served as GM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Washington DC – Crystal City. Over his career, he has held a variety of other positions, including hotel manager, director of catering services, director of event operations, director of room operations and resident manager.
Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, Calf., tapped Greg Gooding to oversee hotel operations for the luxury resort and its six on-site restaurants, golf course and spa as GM. Gooding, who most recently served as VP/area managing director for The Wigwam in Litchfield, Ariz., brings 15 years of senior executive hospitality experience to his new position.
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells (Calif.) Resort & Spa, currently in the middle of a $21 million renovation, named Mike Waddell GM. Since beginning his career with Hyatt Hotels Corp. at this same hotel more than 20 years ago, Waddell has served in a variety of corporate sales position and, most recently, held the role of GM at the Andaz Scottsdale (Ariz.) Resort & Bungalows.
Stockyards Heritage Development Co. appointed Kristin Assad VP/GM of the upcoming Hotel Drover, Autograph Collection. Set to open in fall 2020, the Fort Worth, Texas, property will include 200 guestrooms, 15,000 square feet of meeting space and a restaurant. Assad, with more than 23 years of hospitality experience, has held roles in hotel operations for brands such as Omni Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Most recently, she served as GM of The Joule hotel in downtown Dallas.
The 540-room Fairmont Orchid in Waimea, Hawaii, named Charles Head GM. Head, who has worked with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts since 1996, most recently held the role of GM at the Claremont Club & Spa, a Fairmont Hotel in Berkeley, Calif.