A variety of hotels across the U.S. and Caribbean have made various food and beverage appointments over the past two weeks.
Apiary Hotel Belleview Station
Denver-based Apiary Hotel appoints Elysse Altamirano as food & beverage director ahead of its opening in south Denver in early 2026. Altamirano has extensive experience in food and beverage operations, financial performance and guest experience. She will oversee the marketplace, coffee shop, bar and lounge, shaping offerings that support seamless service and encourage guests to return.
Most recently, Altamirano served as director of food and beverage operations at The Art Hotel, where she led the banquets department and brought the property to life through thoughtfully curated events for both local and visiting guests. Working closely with cross-functional teams, she helped elevate the hotel’s brand through creative programming and meaningful community engagement. Prior to The Art Hotel, Altamirano spent four years at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, an Autograph Collection property, where she served as director of banquets.
Camelback Resort
Camelback Resort, a year-round recreational destination in the Pocono Mountains, Pa., appoints Christopher Baulo as its new director of food and beverage and Kavon William Langley as executive chef. Baulo will oversee Camelback’s expansive culinary operations, which include 25 dining outlets ranging from food trucks and all-day casual venues to upscale dining concepts. Langley will lead day-to-day kitchen operations across the resort, including in-room dining and on-site catering for meetings, weddings and special events.
With more than 30 years of experience as both a chef and hospitality executive, Baulo will provide strategic leadership for Camelback’s food and beverage operations, guiding daily execution, operational performance and long-term business objectives. Most recently, Baulo served as director of food and beverage for Kings Island, a 364-acre amusement park northeast of Cincinnati, where he oversaw all culinary operations in collaboration with the park’s executive chef.
Hard Rock Hotel New York
Hard Rock Hotel New York appoints Tetyana Mykhaylyuk as director of restaurants and Fabian Ludwig as executive chef, who together will lead culinary and restaurant operations across RT60 Rooftop Bar & Lounge and Sessions Restaurant & Bar.
Mykhaylyuk brings more than 15 years of experience leading high-volume, multi-venue food and beverage operations. In her role, she will oversee all restaurant and lounge operations, including in-room dining and special events, with a focus on operational excellence, team leadership, and elevated guest experiences. Most recently, she served as General Manager at Merchants Hospitality and has held leadership roles at The McKittrick Hotel, Hugo Hotel, and The Lexington Hotel, where she managed multimillion-dollar food and beverage programs and large-scale teams across both hotel and independent hospitality environments.
Ludwig is an experienced culinary leader with more than 20 years of experience across luxury hotels and large-scale dining operations, most recently serving as Executive Chef at Sofitel New York. Ludwig has also held leadership roles at PUBLIC Hotel, BallenIsles Country Club, and Gaylord Rockies, bringing a balance of creative vision and operational rigor to every kitchen he leads.
Hotel Contessa
Hotel Contessa, San Antonio, names Katie Lopez as executive chef of its on-site restaurant, Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails. Lopez will oversee all aspects of the restaurant’s culinary operations, delivering memorable dining experiences to locals and visitors. Lopez will lead menu development, tasting panels and kitchen teams, ensuring quality and efficiency. She will mentor sous-chefs, delegate responsibilities and foster smooth kitchen operations. With more than a decade in hospitality dining, including years as a sous-chef, Lopez brings expertise in teamwork and task delegation.
Before joining Hotel Contessa, Lopez held a leadership role at the Marriott Jacksonville Downtown, the official host hotel for the Jacksonville Jaguars and visiting NFL teams. She oversaw dining for high-profile government contracts, Jacksonville Jazz Fest musicians and other visiting guests, delivering the kind of VIP experiences she now plans to bring to Ambler.
JW Marriott Nashville
888, inside the Nashville's JW Marriott, appoints Kiichi Okabe as master sushi chef. With more than 20 years of experience spanning Michelin-starred kitchens, Okabe has earned international recognition for his mastery of both traditional Japanese techniques and modern interpretations. As executive sushi chef at Kuro in Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, he elevated the sushi experience with premium seafood and inventive presentations.
At 888, Okabe will reimagine the sushi experience with his signature precision and flair, introducing refined nigiri, bold specialty rolls, and artful pairings that celebrate the freshest seasonal ingredients.
ONE | GT
Grand Cayman’s luxury boutique hotel, ONE | GT, adds Executive Chef René Cahane and Director of Food & Beverage Norman Martinez. Together, they will shape the culinary vision of ONE | GT Grand Cayman ahead of its spring debut.
Cahane brings over 30 years of global experience across the Caribbean, United Kingdom, United States and France. A classically trained chef whose early career began at London’s iconic Stafford and Cadogan Hotels, he went on to lead brigades at renowned properties including The Adria Boutique Hotel, Durrants Hotel, and most recently Sandals Grande St. Lucian. His career highlights also include serving as a finalist in the prestigious Roux Scholarship competition and coaching the St. Lucia National Culinary Team. S
Martinez is a hospitality executive whose career spans professional sommelier credentials and senior F&B leadership roles with global brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection, Sheraton, and Tryp by Wyndham. Fluent in four languages, Martinez has overseen multi-outlet dining operations across the Caribbean and Latin America, spearheading the launch of premium gastronomy concepts globally, and consistently driving operational excellence, revenue growth, and guest satisfaction. His expertise spans banquet operations, wine and beverage program development, and crafting immersive dining experiences.
The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, Calif., appoints Jonathan Moran as director of beverage. In this role, Moran will oversee the beverage program for the 261-room luxury coastal retreat along Northern California’s pristine coastline, which includes its signature dining venues. This includes Navio, the distinctive dining destination at the resort, offering contemporary cuisine amidst nautical inspirations and ocean views; The Conservatory, offering fresh California fare and striking views of the Pacific; The Conservatory Bar, complete with expertly crafted cocktails; and The Ocean Terrace, known for its cozy fire pits and al fresco setting.
Moran joins The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay with a decade of experience working for The Ritz-Carlton and Ritz-Carlton Reserve brands, spanning leadership food and beverage positions across four different hotel properties across three different continents. Most recently, he served as Complex Director of Beverage for The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and W Hong Kong, where he led high-performing teams and oversaw beverage programs for ten award-winning restaurants and bars. His journey with The Ritz-Carlton also includes senior roles at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico; The Ritz-Carlton, Hotel Arts Barcelona; and The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama.
The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis
Casa Don Alfonso located in The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, adds to its leadership team: General Manager Ryan Nickelson, Chef de Cuisine Ferdinando “Nino” Annio Ricupero and Sommelier Chris Hoskins.
Nickelson joins Casa Don Alfonso with more than a decade of leadership experience in high-volume, hospitality-driven environments. Most recently, he led operations at Olive + Oak, one of St. Louis’ most acclaimed restaurants, where he oversaw a 30-person team and implemented training systems that elevated both guest satisfaction and staff engagement. His career also includes key roles with Niche Food Group, where he contributed to revitalizing service standards under James Beard Award-winning leadership, as well as Rockwell Beer Company and Craft Beer Cellar, where he launched Missouri’s first hybrid beer retail concept.
Ricupero joins Casa Don Alfonso as chef de cuisine, with an international background and a deep passion for culinary innovation and hospitality. Born and raised in Sicily, = Nino began his culinary journey at age 14 at the Federico II di Svevia Culinary School in Syracuse, Sicily. Most recently, he served as chef de cuisine at The St. Regis Cairo in Egypt, where he led the hotel’s Italian restaurant, lounge bar, and special events. His career includes leadership roles at several acclaimed kitchens across Europe and the Middle East, including San-Ho, a one-Michelin-star Nikkei restaurant, and Sucás Restaurante by Lucas Maes, a Michelin-recognized restaurant in Tenerife.
Hoskins brings a distinctive blend of academic depth, industry expertise, and heartfelt hospitality to the role. His background includes years of teaching literature at the college level, followed by decades of experience in wholesale wine and fine casual dining, most recently serving as a partner at Veritas Gateway to Food & Wine. A seasoned traveler with extensive wine-focused journeys throughout France, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Chile, and the U.S. West Coast, Hoskins offers a global perspective that will further elevate Casa Don Alfonso’s expansive wine program.
Tempo by Hilton Times Square
Tempo by Hilton Times Square appoints Desmond Lim as chef de cuisine at the hotel’s onsite cocktail lounge & restaurant, Highball, located in Midtown Manhattan. In his new role, Desmond will oversee back-of-the-house operations and steer Highball into a new culinary chapter, redefining expectations of the modern hotel dining experience.
With more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Desmond has honed his culinary expertise through formal training at the French Culinary Institute, earning a degree in Culinary Arts, during which he engaged in an intensive immersion in classical French techniques that laid the foundation for his culinary philosophy and creative approach. Throughout his career, Desmond has honed his craft at world-renowned restaurants, including Rao’s and Bellagio Las Vegas. He later returned to New York City to oversee F&B operations at marquee properties, including Trump SoHo Hotel and New York Marriott Marquis, and most recently served as Executive Sous Chef at Andaz Fifth Avenue.
W Aspen
W Aspen appoints Christian Quiñones as director of culinary. Quiñones has more than 20 years of professional cooking and leadership experience to the role.
Quiñones most recently served as executive ahef at Signia by Hilton Atlanta, where he led expansive culinary operations and multiple food and beverage concepts. His career includes accolades such as Culinary Manager of the Year by the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association, Young Entrepreneur of the Year by SWIA, and recognition as one of the Three Best Young Chefs of Puerto Rico by Primera Voz.