A variety of hotels and resorts make various food and beverage appointments. Here are some of the updates from the past two weeks.
AC Hotel & Residence Inn Reston
The AC Hotel & Residence Inn Reston, Va., adds Che McKissic as complex director of food and beverage.
McKissic brings deep expertise in beverage curation, including sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Previously the corporate beverage director for Donohoe Hospitality, McKissic curated beverage programs across multiple D.C.-area hotels. At the AC Hotel and Residence Inn Reston, which is home to SEVEN Restaurant and SYN Rooftop Bar & Lounge, he oversees culinary and beverage operations.
Bernardus Lodge & Spa
Bernardus Lodge & Spa, Carmel Vallay, Calif., appoints Gus Trejo as executive chef.w With Central Coast roots and global training, Trejo draws from his Portuguese-Latin background and years spent on his uncle’s ranch in Portugal.
Trejo has culinary experience in San Diego, Maui, Granada (Spain), Monterey and Santa Cruz, where he most recently led the culinary program at the Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge at sister Ensemble property, The Dream Inn.
Conrad Washington, D.C.
Conrad Washington, D.C. appoints Andrew Whiteside as its new executive chef, bringing nearly 20 years of culinary leadership in luxury hotel and resort kitchens across the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. Whiteside will oversee all culinary operations at the hotel, including in-room dining, events and banquets, and seasonal programming at the hotel’s rooftop, Summit at Conrad.
Most recently, Whiteside served as executive chef at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, where he oversaw all aspects of the culinary operation including the property’s two signature restaurants. Previously he served as executive chef at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto and executive sous chef at Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco. His first experience with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts was as executive sous chef at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.
Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs
Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs appoints Sean Morgan as Culinary & Beverage Director, where he will oversee the resort’s culinary programming and beverage innovation at the Calistoga, Calif. property.
With more than 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Morgan has a background in food and beverage operations. Prior to joining Dr. Wilkinson’s, Morgan served as Mixologist at EDM Hospitality’s Co Nam Restaurant in Oakland. Morgan’s previous roles include bar manager at The Battery in San Francisco, assistant general manager at PABU (a MINA Group restaurant), assistant outlets manager at Claremont Hotel Club & Spa, and leadership positions at celebrated restaurants including Doc Ricketts, Bluestem Brasserie, and Cockscomb.
Dream Inn Santa Cruz
Jack O'Neill Restaurant & Lounge, the reimagined waterfront dining destination inside the Dream Inn Santa Cruz, Calif., promotes Gregory Karjala to executive chef and adds Adam David as sous chef.
During his initial tenure as chef de cuisine at Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge, Karjala helped to significantly elevate the waterfront restaurant’s culinary program with a bold focus on sustainability and a deep connection to the Central Coast’s bounty. For more than four years, Chef Greg has championed local farmers, fishers, and purveyors, ensuring that 75–99 percent of the menu is locally grown, organic or fair-trade certified. His resume spans leadership roles at Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club in North Carolina, Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur and Pebble Beach Resorts.
A known figure in the Santa Cruz culinary scene, Adam most recently served as executive chef and banquet manager at The Grille at DeLaveaga. His experience also includes leadership roles at Alderwood Pacific and more than a decade of sushi mastery at Akira Sushi and Mobo Sushi.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, the award-winning oceanfront resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, appoints Sumanth Das as director of food and beverage. A global hospitality executive with a career spanning over two decades and nine countries, Das brings extensive leadership experience, deep culinary passion, and a full-circle connection to the Punta Mita property – where his Four Seasons journey first began nearly 20 years ago.
In his new role, Das will oversee all food and beverage operations across the resort’s diverse culinary outlets, in-room dining and event catering. Most recently, Das served as director of food and beverage for The Hari and Holiday Inn Golden Mile in Hong Kong, where he led all food and beverage operations across both properties, earning accolades from Tatler Dining, the South China Morning Post, and IHG Hotels for standout culinary innovation, branding, and high-volume event execution. Prior, he held senior leadership roles with The Langham Hong Kong, MGM Cotai in Macau, and Pan Pacific Singapore, where he oversaw multi-million-dollar operations and collaborated with world-renowned chefs including Mauro Colagreco and Mitsuharu Tsumura.
Grande Lakes Orlando
Grande Lakes Orlando, the luxury resort in the headwaters of the Florida Everglades anchored by The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, adds Seana Fenemore as a mixologist at Primo, the resort’s Forbes 4-Star and Michelin-recommended Mediterranean Italian restaurant.
Fenemore joins Primo with nearly 16 years of hospitality experience, spanning beverage programming, craft bartending, high-volume service leadership, and operational management. Most recently, Seana served as the general manager, beverage director, and experience curator at a fine-dining restaurant in Lake Mary, Florida.
Hotel Nia
Hotel Nia, an Autograph Collection Hotel in Menlo Park, Calif., appoints Paul Rogers as its new director of food and beverage. In this role, Rogers will lead all food and beverage operations at the property, spanning signature restaurant Porta Blu, in-room dining, banquet services for meetings and events, and more.
With almost 15 years experience at leading hospitality brands, including Four Seasons properties in Palm Beach, Whistler and Dallas, Rogers most recently served as director of food and beverage at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Hotel Phoenix
Ahead of its debut later this year, Atlanta-based Hotel Phoenix appoints Omari Buncum director of food and beverage.
Buncum brings more than 15 years of food and beverage expertise to Hotel Phoenix. He most recently served as director of food and beverage at FORTH Hotel Atlanta, where he opened four new dining concepts and helped establish the hotel in one of the most celebrated launches in the country. Earlier in his career, he advanced through leadership roles at Live! Hospitality and Entertainment, eventually overseeing 10 venues across four states as Associate Vice President of Operations.
Hutton Hotel
Hutton Hotel, Nashville, appoints Lucas Fleming as its new Executive Chef. Fleming brings over a decade of experience.
Fleming was the executive sous chef at The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nashville, where he contributed to menu creation for all F&B outlets, banquets and catering. Before his role at The Joseph, Fleming held positions at a range of Music City hospitality concepts, including Conrad Nashville, Troubadour Golf and Field Club, Bobby Hotel, Von Elrod’s, Strategic Hospitality, as well as Perry Lane Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Savannah.
Kimpton Pittman Hotel
Elm & Good, the signature restaurant at The Kimpton Pittman Hotel, Dallas, appoints executive chef JV Hernandez. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Hernandez’ culinary journey has taken him from the Virgin Islands to San Diego, Maine, Denver, Orlando and most recently Salt Lake City, where he helmed the kitchen at Bambara, Kimpton Hotel Monaco.
His first foray into Dallas’ dining scene began over a decade ago at acclaimed properties including The Joule Hotel, The Tower Club of Dallas and Omni Hotels.
Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco appoints George Vanyi as its new executive chef. Vanyi will oversee all culinary operations, including The Lounge; the Parallel 37 breakfast experience; in-room dining; and more than 24,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
With over 20 years of international experience, Vanyi most recently served as executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, where he led nine dining outlets—including the Banyan Tree and Alaloa Lounge—and managed banquet operations across 150,000 square feet. Vanyi has held key culinary roles at Ritz-Carlton properties across Europe, Asia, and North America, including The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street, where he oversaw Michelin Plate-recognized venues, and played a major role in openings such as The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui and The Edition Hotel Rome.
St. Regis San Francisco
The St. Regis San Francisco appoints Audrey Baudry to the position of assistant director of food and beverage. With roots in The St. Regis brand, Baudry will oversee operations at The St. Regis San Francisco’s signature fine dining restaurant, Astra, The St. Regis Bar, private dining and events.
Baudry began her career as assistant banquet manager at Hyatt Regency Paris Charles de Gaulle and later joined Marriott as restaurant manager at The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort. She has also held roles as banquet manager and senior banquet manager at The St. Regis San Francisco and Marriott Irvine Spectrum. Prior to re-joining The St. Regis San Francisco, Baudry served as director of event operations and senior food and beverage manager at The St. Regis Deer Valley.
Valley Hotel
The Valley Hotel, a boutique hotel in Homewood, Ala. and Valor Hospitality Partners, appoint Catherine Beaton as director of outlets. A Birmingham native with an extensive background in creative direction, guest experience and international event planning, Beaton brings a dynamic, people-first approach to the property’s food and beverage outlets, Ironwood Kitchen & Cocktails and The Terrace Bar.
At The Valley Hotel, Beaton will oversee the daily operations of all food and beverage outlets, ensuring exceptional service, guest satisfaction and strong financial performance. She’ll spend much of her time on the restaurant floor, engaging with guests and staff and making sure every detail, from service to setting, reflects the property’s commitment to warm, elevated Southern hospitality.