Read the latest roundup of U.S.-based hires and promotions in the hotel industry.
Executives
Rob Robinson
President
Springboard Hospitality
July 2, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Previously executive vice president of Springboard Hospitality, Robinson originally joined OLS Hotels & Resorts in 2018 as part of its new ownership group and played a key role in the company’s transformation into Springboard.
Albert Smith
Chief operating officer
Hotel Equities
July 2, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Smith most recently served as president of hotel operations at Hotel Equities, where he oversaw the strategic management and growth of the company's hotel portfolio. Prior to joining Hotel Equities, he was senior vice president of lifestyle hotels at Highgate, leading a portfolio of independent, full-service luxury hotels across the East Coast.
General managers
Colin Mills
General manager
JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
Clearwater Beach, Florida
July 22, 2025
New hire
Experience: Mills joins the beachfront resort following a series of impactful leadership roles across the Marriott portfolio. Most recently, he served as general manager of the Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort.
Zaw Oo
General manager
Hotel Fera Anaheim, a DoubleTree by Hilton
Orange, California
July 15, 2025
New hire
Experience: Oo most recently served as the general manager of M Social Hotel New York Times Square, a 480-room lifestyle property in Manhattan. He has held leadership roles at premier properties across major markets, including the Kimpton Palomar San Diego, The St. Regis Houston and InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
Doak Walker
General manager
Marriott San Antonio Airport
San Antonio, Texas
July 14, 2025
New hire
Experience: Walker brings more than 30 years of hospitality experience to the position, having led operations for a diverse mix of branded and independent hotels across the country. Most recently, he served as vice president of operations for a hospitality management group with annual revenues exceeding $125 million.
Nate Hardesty
General manager and area vice president
Grand Hyatt Deer Valley
Park City, Utah
July 9, 2025
New hire
Experience: Most recently, he served as managing director at Thompson Austin and Tommie Austin — the latter during its opening, following his role as general manager at Andaz West Hollywood in California.
Mark O'Brien
General manager
Arlo Williamsburg
New York City
July 9, 2025
New hire
Experience: O'Brien brings over 20 years of experience working for hotel brands such as The Maritime Hotel, Shinola Hotel in Detroit and most recently as managing director for the Ace Hotels in New York and Brooklyn.
Sales and marketing
Petra Malbasa
Marketing coordinator
Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile
Chicago
July 14, 2025
New hire
Experience: Malbasa previously worked for Bluesun Hotels & Resorts and skincare brand Foreo, and after relocating to Chicago, she worked with Victoria Venues, supporting digital marketing efforts — such as website traffic and paid advertising — for all three of the group’s event-focused hospitality venues.
Anthony Visone
Director of sales and marketing
Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Medical District UIC
Chicago
July 11, 2025
New hire
Experience: With over a decade of experience and a record of success in driving top-line revenue growth, Visone has served in key leadership roles including sales manager at Marriott International, complex assistant director of sales for the boutique properties Canopy by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Central Loop, and director of luxury sales for The LaSalle Chicago, Autograph Collection.
Alexandra LaLoggia
Area director of sales and marketing
InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile; Kimpton Gray Hotel; and Kimpton Journeyman Hotel
Chicago and Milwaukee
July 10, 2025
Promotion
Experience: LaLoggia joined InterContinental Chicago in 2019 and was soon promoted to director of sales and marketing in 2020 where she has since managed the sales and marketing efforts of the property and its more than 45,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
Food and beverage
Francis Derby
Culinary director
Sound View Greenport
Greenport, New York
July 23, 2025
New hire
Experience: Derby earned critical acclaim as the opening chef at The Cannibal in both New York and Los Angeles before returning to Long Island to lead standout concepts like Prime in Huntington and The State Room in Patchogue.
Jordan Heissenberger
Executive chef
Ruschmeyers
Montauk, New York
July 16, 2025
New hire
Experience: In New York, he has served as executive chef at spots including Buvette, Vinegar Hill House, Apollonia and Inness in the Hudson Valley. Most recently, Heissenberger joined the Institute of Culinary Education as a chef instructor, where he continues to mentor the next generation of culinary talent.
Jason Hatton
Food and beverage supervisor
The Bower Coronado
Coronado Island, California
July 15, 2025
New hire
Experience: Hatton brings extensive experience in cocktail culture and service leadership, with a proven track record of increasing revenue, optimizing inventory management and developing innovative beverage programs. Prior to joining The Bower, he served as assistant general manager at Beverly Beach Garden, following his role as lead bartender at Pendry San Diego.
Kevin Martinez
Chef de cuisine
The Bower Coronado
Coronado Island, California
July 15, 2025
New hire
Experience: With over 12 years of hospitality experience, Martinez has led large-scale culinary operations across a number of luxury hotels including Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa and most recently, Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara.
Alan Chagolla
Restaurant manager
Hotel San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
July 10, 2025
Returning hire
Experience: Over the years, Chagolla has honed his expertise across both family-owned establishments and renowned culinary institutions, including the acclaimed Café Roma, Seeds and, most recently, The Hatch, where his leadership helped secure a “Best North County Restaurant” accolade from New Times SLO.
Miscellaneous
Vinson Huynh
Area creative director
InterContinental Boston
Boston
July 22, 2025
New hire
Experience: Huynh joins InterContinental Boston with a strong track record as area creative director for InterContinental San Francisco, where he has spent the past three years spearheading innovative campaigns, reimagining guest-facing experiences and strengthening brand identity across multiple platforms.
Ramon Reyes
Managing director
Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park
Atlanta
July 15, 2025
Promotion
Experience: Reyes has been an integral part of the Omni Atlanta team since 2021, serving as general manager and guiding the hotel through key operational and cultural milestones. Prior to his tenure in Atlanta, Reyes held general manager positions at the Omni Riverfront Hotel in New Orleans and the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta.
To be included in an upcoming CoStar News Hotels U.S. Hires and Promotions List, email Associate Editor Trevor Simpson here.