Chicago hotels, others appoint sales, marketing leaders in July

It's the middle of July, so just as the summer travel season hits its peak, here are some notable new sales and marketing appointments at hotels across the country and beyond. 

Beach Enclave Turks & Caicos

Beach Enclave Turks & Caicos appointed Chris Halbauer director of leisure sales for the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic regions and Canada to their team. 

In his new role, Halbauer will help improve the visibility of the brand among luxury leisure agencies in the U.S. and Canada. He will also focus on nurturing and expanding account loyalty and industry relationships with prominent luxury consortia partners, including Virtuoso, American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and Internova.

Halbauer most recently was director of leisure sales for the Equinox Hotel in New York, where he managed all Consortia program partnerships. Before this, he was account services manager, overseeing in-house sports, entertainment and corporate groups. Halbauer started his hotel career with Omni Hotels & Resorts, with roles at Omni Nashville and later, handling group and business transient sales at Omni Berkshire Place in New York.

Common Bond Hotel Collection

The Common Bond Hotel Collection, a Kentucky-based hospitality management group partnered with Weyland Ventures, added three new sales and marketing team members for its local hotels. Meg Kirkpatrick joins as the director of marketing, Sarah A. Harris as the director of sales and Sarah Baker as area sales manager. Together, they will oversee current properties including Bardstown Motor Lodge, Toogie's Table, The Myriad Hotel, Paseo and the upcoming Delegate and Ashbrook hotels. 

She has held positions at MGM Resorts International, Doe Anderson, Scoppechio, and most recently, Alani Nutrition. 

Harris is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. She studied advanced sales with Marriott International, Intercontinental Hotels and BridgeStreet Worldwide. Her career includes roles such as director of sales at Marriott Louisville East and Residence Inn Old Henry. Harris also has extensive experience in area and corporate director of sales roles, overseeing multiple properties and implementing strategic initiatives.

Baker started at Marriott Louisville East as sales manager in 2016. Before Marriott, she was an assistant account manager at Altour Travel and worked with the Louisville Convention & Visitor Bureau. 

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco appointed Sion Edwards as the new director of marketing.

Previously, Edwards held leadership roles among various hotels across the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Most recently, he was the director of sales and marketing at Fairmont San Francisco, where he was responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and execution of all sales and marketing activities including revenue management, leisure and group sales and digital marketing. He also played a key role in the reopening of the hotel after the worst of the pandemic and was recognized as the top-performing director of sales and marketing in 2022. 

Before his tenure at Fairmont San Francisco, Edwards also held the position of director of sales and marketing at Fairmont Sonoma (Calif.) Mission Inn & Spa, where he repositioned the hotel as a lifestyle golf resort in the midst of wine country. 

Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor

Jennifer Blymier is the new director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor. 

She previously was director of sales and marketing at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. Other roles include area director of sales and marketing for Hilton properties in San Francisco, along with other positions with some of Marriott International and Kimpton Hotels’ Baltimore properties.

Hilton Madison Monona Terrace

Alyssa Schertz is the new director of sales at Hilton Madison (Wis.) Monona Terrace. Most recently, she was the director of sales and business development at the DoubleTree by Hilton Neenah. Before that role, she was the director of sales and marketing at DoubleTree by Hilton Appleton and general manager of AmericInn Lodge & Suites. Schertz began her career in hospitality as manager and group sales director at Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Montage Deer Valley

In Park City, Utah, Montage Deer Valley appointed Gretchen Walker as director of sales & marketing. With more than three decades of experience in luxury hotels and resorts, Walker will be responsible for Montage Deer Valley’s overall revenue and yield strategies, while overseeing implementation and results.

She joins Montage Deer Valley from The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, Calif. and previously was director of sales and marketing at Hotel Talisa in Vail, Colo. 

Pendry Chicago

The Pendry Chicago appointed Simon Firmin director of sales and marketing. 

Firmin brings 16 years of experience to his role, most recently working as director of sales and marketing for the Beemok Hospitality Collection, where he was brought on to oversee strategy, structure and business approach for The Charleston Place Hotel. He also held leadership positions as regional director of marketing for the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago and later went on to become the area director of hotel marketing for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Americas, where he oversaw a 24-hotel portfolio spanning the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Latin America regions. 

St. Regis Chicago

The St. Regis Chicago appointed Erik Grazetti as director of sales & marketing. Grazetti began his career in the hospitality industry in 1988 following his high school graduation. He held positions at Loews Chicago Hotel, Loews Hotels & Co., The Peninsula Chicago, and Viceroy Chicago before coming to The St. Regis Chicago. 

Grazetti brings roughly 30 years of hospitality industry experience, including more than 15 years of selling and marketing full-service hotel properties and 20 years of team leading, into his new role. He was a member of five opening hotel teams.

Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon in Colorado’s Vail Valley promoted Jing Butler to director of sales.

Butler has been a member of The Westin Riverfront sales team for more than a decade, rising from an executive meetings manager to associate director of sales over the past three years. Butler is a graduate of Switzerland’s IHTTI School of Hotel Management. She previously held sales positions at the Aloft Charleston Airport and Convention Center, The Arrabelle at Vail Square and the Vail Cascade Resort by Destination Hotels & Resorts.