Hotels and resorts across the country have hired new F&B leaders in the last two weeks. Here are some of the appointments.
L’Auberge de Sedona
L’Auberge de Sedona, Sedona, Ariz., appoints Drew Anderson as director of food and beverage. With two decades of management experience at highly rated hotels and resorts in the Mountain West, Anderson now leads all culinary operations for L’Auberge de Sedona, including the signature dining experience Cress on Oak Creek, plus a new in-room dining program, and banqueting for more than 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
Anderson joined L’Auberge de Sedona from Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection, a private collection of historic guest ranches in Wyoming’s Platte River Valley near Saratoga. Most recently, he served for more than two years as director of food and beverage, overseeing multiple luxury dining outlets and working closely with chefs and culinary teams on trend-forward menu development. His relationship with Brush Creek began in 2011, when he joined as Executive Chef. After a hiatus in 2015, he returned to Brush Creek in 2018 to help open Cheyenne Club at The Farm at Brush Creek Ranch. He later spent two years as culinary director for the collection, partnering with chefs across its outlets as well as the teams behind the greenhouse, ranch and creamery. In between his two tenures at Brush Creek, Anderson spent three years as executive chef at the Renaissance Boulder Flatiron Hotel in Colorado.
Enchantment and Mii Amo
Enchantment and Mii Amo in Sedona, Ariz., add Nathan Byers as sommelier and Alexander Weinman as chef de cuisine.
Byers will oversee the wine program across both Enchantment and Mii Amo, shaping thoughtful pairings and advancing a beverage philosophy that complements the region’s high-desert terroir. He joins from Old Edwards Hospitality Group in North Carolina, where he managed beverage operations across multiple venues and played an integral role in evolving the wine and cocktail program.
Weinman brings nearly two decades of experience in luxury hospitality and fine dining, including time in Michelin-starred kitchens and partnerships with Maîtres Cuisiniers de France and Belgique. Most recently he was sous chef at Mirabelle in Beaver Creek, Ariz. His background spans acclaimed kitchens in Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest, including Meteora and the Dossier Hotel, with expertise across live-fire cooking, garden-to-table dining, and vegetable-forward cuisine.
Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Riviera Maya, Mexico names Nahúm Velasco to creative gastronomic director to lead the resort's overarching culinary vision, while Crescenciano Nerey Encarnación has been appointed executive chef. After most recently leading the hotel’s Cocina de Autor to a MICHELIN star for the second consecutive year, Velasco will now oversee menu development, gastronomic research, and the conceptual direction of all dining experiences across Grand Velas Riviera Maya. In his new role, Chef Nerey - who was part of the hotel’s original opening team in 2008 - returns to Grand Velas to oversee culinary operations at the hotel inclusive of five gourmet specialty restaurants, multiple bars, 24-hour in-suite service, and extensive catering operations.
Originally from Mexico City, Velasco's passion for food took root at an early age, with family life centered around the kitchen. At 17, he committed himself to the culinary arts, formalizing his training at the Ambrosia Culinary Center before embarking on an international journey that would define his career. His path led him to Spain, followed by a transformative chapter in Copenhagen, where he honed his craft under the legendary Chef Rasmus Kofoed at the three-MICHELIN-starred restaurant Geranium. Returning to Latin America, Chef Velasco joined Cocina de Autor Riviera Maya as a cook. He later brought his expertise to Passion by Martin Berasategui in Punta Cana before being personally invited back by consulting chefs Mikel Alonso and Bruno Oteiza to help co-lead Cocina de Autor as executive chef in 2024. That same year, with the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide México, Cocina de Autor was awarded one Michelin Star, a landmark recognition of the team's dedication to culinary craft.
With more than three decades of experience in the hospitality and culinary industry, Nerey brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge in luxury hotel operations, opening teams, and large-scale gastronomic concepts. His career has taken him through some of Mexico's most prestigious properties, including Four Seasons, Mahekal Beach Resort, as well as multiple Grand Velas properties, including Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, where he served as executive sous chef, and Grand Velas Riviera Maya itself, where he was part of the original opening team in 2008.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino names David Campbell as its new executive pastry chef. Campbell will lead the resort’s pastry program across all dining outlets, banquets and special events, enhancing the property’s overall culinary offerings and guest experience.
With more than 30 years of international experience, Campbell brings a global perspective shaped by leadership roles across the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, and the United States. His expertise in menu development, large scale production and creative presentation positions him to strengthen the resort’s culinary operations while aligning with broader hospitality trends focused on experiential dining and differentiated programming.
Newbury Boston
The Newbury Boston, located in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, appoints Robert Angelo Jr. as executive chef. Angelo will lead The Newbury’s culinary team and oversee all aspects of the hotel’s food and beverage production including banquets, events, and in-room dining. He will also work closely with Major Food Group, which oversees the dining outlets located onsite including Contessa, the rooftop Italian restaurant, and The Street Bar.
Angelo brings more than 20 years of culinary experience to his new position at The Newbury, having most recently served as both executive chef and director of food and beverage at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston, where he oversaw the culinary team and operations property-wide. Prior to his time at the Mandarin Oriental, Angelo spent the previous 10 years of his career rising up the ranks as Banquet Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, following a seven year run as head line cook at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Hawaii.
Ritz-Carlton, Boston
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, appoints Kaleb Grunin as the hotel’s new restaurant chef. He will oversee all menu creation and execution for the hotel’s award-winning food and beverage outlets, Artisan Bistro and Avery Bar.
Grunin comes to Boston via The Charm On Main where he was most recently chef de cuisine for the inn in Brewster, Mass., overseeing menu creation for the hotel and its elegant catering operations. Prior to that, he was chef de partie at the Relais & Châteaux Cape Cod hotel, The Chatham Inn, and he also worked at the oceanfront Wequassett Resort & Golf Club.
Sanctuary Beach Resort
The Sanctuary Beach Resort, Monterey, Calif., appoints Ben Hillan as executive chef at Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette. With over a decade of experience across California’s Central Coast, Hillan brings a hands-on, ingredient-first philosophy rooted in wood-fired technique, hyper-local sourcing, and the resort’s rare setting within the protected Marina Dunes Preserve.
A Santa Cruz native, Hillan’s career spans roles at Seascape Beach Resort under Karl Staub and Roy’s at Pebble Beach under Pablo Mellin. He has since held leadership roles, including executive chef and general manager at Humble Sea Tavern, and Executive Chef positions at Esteban’s at Casa Munras and Seascape Beach Resort, shaping a culinary perspective grounded in regional sourcing and elevated coastal cuisine.
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, located on Kā‘anapali Beach at Pu‘u Keka‘a in Maui, adds Ashley Castillo as director of restaurants and bars. Castillo will oversee operations for the resort’s multiple dining establishments – including The Sandbar, Cliff Dive Bar + Grill, Mai Tai Bar, Teppan-yaki Dan, Coral Reef and Black Rock Shave Ice – as well as the property’s banquets, catering and special events.
Castillo joins the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa from The Westin Atlanta Gwinnett, where she served as opening director of food and beverage. She has also held leadership roles at properties including Orlando World Center Marriott; Gaylord Texan Resort in Dallas; Arlo SoHo in New York City; and Bolet Hospitality Asset Management in St. Petersburg, Fla.