A variety of hotels and resorts across in the U.S. and the Caribbean have named new F&B leaders in the last two weeks. Here are some of the appointments.
Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel
Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel in Nashville has appointed Erin Kette as director of food and beverage ahead of the hotel’s fall opening. Kette will oversee culinary and beverage programming across the property’s dining venues, including Jolene’s, Parton’s Live, SongTeller Café, in-room dining, banquets and special events.
Kette brings nearly two decades of hospitality experience to the role. Most recently, she served as director of operations for Culaccino Hospitality and previously was chief operating officer of QED Hospitality Group. Her background also includes food and beverage leadership positions with Thompson Nashville, City Winery Nashville and Catch Hospitality Group.
Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort
Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort has named Luis Aquilino Pérez Alcántara director of food and beverage. He will oversee culinary and beverage operations for the 540-room resort, including its eight restaurants and bars, banquet operations, beverage programming and service standards.
Pérez Alcántara joins the resort from Hilton Panama and Waldorf Astoria Panama, where he most recently served as food and beverage manager. During more than eight years with Hilton, he also held restaurant management roles and helped develop dining concepts and guest-experience initiatives across the company’s Latin American portfolio.
Hotel Jerome, Auberge Collection
Hotel Jerome, Auberge Collection, in Aspen has appointed Zak Gregoire executive chef. In his new position, Gregoire will oversee the property’s food and beverage program, including Prospect, J-Bar, The Living Room, Bad Harriet, Garden Room, Events and Felix Roasting Co.
Gregoire arrives from NoMad London, where he was appointed executive chef in 2024. Earlier in his career he worked with NoMad in New York and Los Angeles and served as executive chef of The Groton Inn in Massachusetts. He is expected to introduce refreshed menus this fall centered on seasonality and regional ingredients.
Hotel Longmont
Hotel Longmont has selected Lindsey Ryan as director of food and beverage ahead of the Colorado property’s opening. Ryan will oversee the hotel’s overall food and beverage strategy, including rooftop venue Longmont Supply, with an emphasis on local sourcing and seasonal menus.
Ryan most recently served as executive chef and director of food and beverage at Origin Westminster. She brings experience balancing high-volume boutique hotel operations while advancing sustainability and hyper-local culinary initiatives.
Hyatt House Tampa Downtown & Hyatt Place Tampa Downtown
Hyatt House Tampa Downtown and Hyatt Place Tampa Downtown have appointed Matthew Bejarano director of food and beverage. The hospitality veteran brings more than 15 years of experience in hotel operations, food and beverage consulting and leadership.
Bejarano returns to the hotel sector after serving as dual-site community manager and transitions coordinator for Bryten Real Estate Partners. His previous hospitality experience includes leadership posts at Hyatt Regency Miami, Hyatt Place Indianapolis Downtown, Hyatt House Indianapolis Downtown, The Westin Phoenix Downtown, Le Méridien New Orleans and The Umstead Hotel & Spa.
Inverness Denver, a Hilton Golf & Spa Resort
The Inverness Denver has appointed Tom Adona executive chef. He will oversee culinary operations across the resort’s six dining outlets, banquet programming and menu development initiatives.
Adona joins from Le Méridien Denver Downtown and AC Hotel Denver Downtown, where he served as executive chef overseeing food and beverage operations. His career also includes culinary leadership positions with Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center and Le French.
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa & Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa and Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman have appointed Carlos Sierra area executive chef. Sierra will direct culinary strategy, menu development and dining operations across the two resorts’ restaurant and bar portfolios.
Sierra most recently served as executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Arizona. He previously was executive sous chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and has held leadership roles throughout the Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis and Rosewood brands.
Kimpton The Forum Hotel
Kimpton The Forum Hotel in Charlottesville, Va., has appointed Will Curley assistant food and beverage director. Curley will oversee wine programming, beverage operations and curated dining experiences while helping strengthen the hotel’s connections to Virginia’s wine industry.
Curley most notably owned and operated The Wine Guild of Charlottesville for six years, where he built relationships across the Monticello AVA and became a recognized advocate for Virginia wine. He plans to launch new programming that connects hotel guests directly with local winemakers.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts
Park Hyatt St. Kitts has expanded its executive team with two food and beverage leadership appointments. Ivan Chieregatti has joined as executive chef, while Haykel Cheour has been named executive pastry chef.
Chieregatti most recently served as executive chef and food and beverage manager at Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya and brings more than 18 years of international culinary leadership experience. Cheour arrives after leading pastry operations at Printemps Doha and has held positions with Kempinski Marsa Malaz Doha, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and Chez Shibata in Japan.
Whiteface Lodge
Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, N.Y., has refreshed its leadership team with the appointments of Michael Rush as senior executive chef and Holden Decker as food and beverage director. Together they are leading the resort’s culinary and service strategy across its dining outlets and events operations.
Rush brings 20 years of culinary and hospitality experience and most recently spent five years as director of food and beverage and executive chef at Hotel Saranac. Decker joins with experience spanning fine dining, casual restaurants, craft cocktail bars and luxury yachting and will oversee all food and beverage operations and events for the resort.