A number of hotels got new general managers in recent weeks. Here are a few names to remember.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle North Lynnwood
Spire Hospitality named Sanjay Mahajan as the new general manager of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle North Lynnwood in Lynnwood, Wash.
Mahajan will lead all facets of operations, including marketing, hotel oversight and guest services. He brings more than 30 years of hospitality experience to his new role and has worked in North America, Europe and Asia for Sonesta Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Hilton and Hyatt International.
Mahajan holds an MBA in finance from DePaul University, Chicago, a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Roosevelt University, Chicago, and a diploma in Hotel Management from Institute Hotelier Cesar Ritz, Le Bouveret, Switzerland.
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero
The 155-room Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero appointed Jason de Vries as general manager.
Most recently, de Vries was resort manager of Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina in Hawaii. Originally from Milwaukee, de Vries’ Four Seasons career began in 2006 as front services assistant manager at Four Seasons Hotel Boston. From there, he held several positions before ascending to Director of Guest Services in 2012. In 2013, de Vries made the move to the West Coast, promoted to Assistant Director of Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. De Vries later returned east as director of rooms at Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C., where he would later be promoted to hotel manager in 2019.
De Vries holds a bachelor’s degree in International Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Hilton Shreveport
Valerie Cooper has been appointed general manager of the recently renovated Hilton Shreveport, La., adjacent to the Shreveport Convention Center.
With more than 20 years of experience, Cooper joins Hilton Shreveport from the Embassy Suites Santa Ana, Calif., where she was general manager and responsible for managing daily hotel operations. Before that, she held a leadership role at Renaissance Dallas Plano at Legacy West, as the director of operations and held an assistant general manager position at Renaissance Dallas Richardson.
Hilton Waikoloa Village
The Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii brought David Givens back to the role of general manager, which he held from 2016-2021.
Most recently, Givens was the managing director and vice president of hotel operations at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton. Givens managed the transition of the 1,502-guestroom, 39-acre resort from owner-managed to Hilton-managed, resulting in a unique hybrid meshing of the property as a Hilton Curio and Virgin flag. His work there resulted in the property winning Hilton Hotels’ Conversion of the Year award in 2021.
From 2016 to 2021, Givens served in his first tenure as Hilton Waikoloa Village’s general manager, where he was actively involved in growing sales in both the U.S. and Asia markets and fostering growth internally with his management development focus. Givens’ previous positions have also included vice president of operations with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw multiple branded properties and ownership groups; as well as general manager of the 850-room DoubleTree by Hilton Shanghai – Pudong, in addition to vice president of operations for Interstate’s China Division.
The Jasper Hotel
The Jasper Hotel in Fargo, N.D., appointed Andrea Ziemer as general manager. Responsible for managing all aspects of the property, Ziemer got her start in hospitality trade school in Germany. Following her education, she worked throughout Europe until moving to Minot, N.D. in May 2010. She has worked as a general manager and regional director of operations for hotels under Wyndham and Choice flags as well as other independent full-service properties.
In March 2022, Ziemer earned her certification in Advanced Hospitality Revenue Management through Cornell University. Most recently, Ziemer was the area sales and revenue leader for KWB Hotels in Kansas City, Kan.
Nobu Hotel Atlanta
The Nobu Hotel Atlanta in the city’s Buckhead neighborhood has appointed Terry Buchholz as its new general manager.
Buchholz has more than 25 years of experience, including a decade of managing independent and branded properties, overseeing multi-property operations, leading new developments and creating strategic alliances with key stakeholders. As the general manager at Nobu Hotel Atlanta, he oversees the property's daily operations, sales and marketing, finance management and third-party partnerships and facilities.
Buchholz recently was the regional VP of Coury Hospitality, overseeing a portfolio of Autograph Collection properties across the U.S., where he oversaw budgets, strategic planning and development goals. Before that, he spent nearly three years as the managing director and asset manager at Amrit Ocean Resorts & Residences in Singer Island, Fla. In this role, he negotiated management agreements, established partnerships and supported the startup of wellness hospitality management, food and beverage concepts, wellness clubs and wellness technology.
Pacifica Hotels
Pacifica Hotels, the owner and operator of more than 40 branded and boutique hotels on the Pacific Coast, has announced several new GMs.
Golda Escalante has been hired as general manager at The Wayfarer San Luis Obisbo (Calif.), Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Before her new role, Escalante was general manager at Avila Lighthouse Suites (Calif.), general manager at Embassy Suites by Hilton Lompoc Central Coast (Calif.), general manager at Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton in Las Vegas-Henderson and resort manager at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
June Kuglin has been hired as general manager at The Riviera Beach House. Kuglin has more than 30 years of experience working in the hospitality industry, including at LaBellasera Hotel and Hampton Inn Paso Robles, Calif.; the former Hilton Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach; WorldMark by Wyndham; and Polo Towers – Diamond Resorts in Las Vegas. Kuglin most recently was the dual property general manager for LaBellasera Hotel/Hampton Inn Paso Robles.
Harrison Hardin has been promoted to general manager at Quality Inn & Suites Hermosa Beach, Calif. Most recently, Hardin was a guest services manager at Pacifica Hotels (since October 2015). Hardin was also a financial administrative specialist at L.A International in Paris, France.
Pendry West Hollywood
Pendry Hotels & Resorts has appointed Anne Marie Doyle general manager of the Pendry West Hollywood. Doyle has more than three decades of luxury hotel industry experience, especially overseeing sales and marketing and operational management for Montage International.
Doyle joins Pendry West Hollywood from Montage Hotels & Resorts’ flagship property, Montage Laguna Beach, where she originally joined as the director of sales and marketing in 2018, and most recently was the hotel manager. Before her role at Montage, Doyle was director of sales and marketing for various luxury hotel and resort properties including: The Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt in County Wicklow, Ireland; multiple Fitzpatrick Lifestyle Hotels in Dublin; The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel; and Marriott Druids Glen Resort in Newton Mount Kennedy, Ireland. She also helped transition the former Bacara Resort into the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, Calif. Doyle also spent significant time in operations early in her career, most notably as general manager of The Glenview Hotel in Glen of the Downs, Ireland, and deputy general manager of The George Hotel, Northern England.
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Doyle earned a diploma in hotel management from Dublin Institute of Technology.
The Rally Hotel
Sage Hospitality Group appointed Marie DeLibero GM of The Rally Hotel in Denver’s McGregor Square.
DeLibero has held positions at Denver hotels under Sage Hospitality Group, including at The Oxford Hotel, The Crawford Hotel and Denver’s Union Station before helping to open The Rally Hotel in 2021.
Previously hotel manager of The Rally, DeLibero will oversee all aspects of operations at the hotel, from day-to-day staff and guest management to serving as an ambassador for the hotel and destination.
San Diego Mission Bay Resort
San Diego Mission Bay Resort, the 357-room Noble House Hotels & Resorts property on California’s Mission Bay, appointed Summer Shoemaker the property’s new GM.
After holding various front desk operations roles over two decades, Shoemaker relocated to San Diego as the assistant front office manager at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego Bay Downtown. Subsequent titles included senior conference service manager and later director of event services at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa and director of operations at L’Auberge Del Mar. She most recently was the general manager of La Valencia Hotel, where she was responsible for property management and strategic leadership. At San Diego Mission Bay Resort, Shoemaker spearheads operations and resort management.