A number of hotels and resorts across the country—and beyond—have appointed general managers in recent weeks. Here are some names to know.
AC Hotel Scottsdale Old Town
Real estate investment company PEG Companies has appointed Eren Bicakci general manager for the AC Hotel Scottsdale Old Town.
Bicakci has more than 20 years of hospitality experience across Marriott and lifestyle-driven hotel brands. Most recently, he was opening general manager for Moxy Phoenix Downtown.
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica appointed Markus Laahanen its new general manager.
Laahanen joins Andaz Peninsula Papagayo with a background spanning Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Most recently, he was an independent hospitality advisor, working on wellness and eco-luxury resort communities in Portugal, Spain and Costa Rica, including large-scale mixed-use developments.
Laahanen’s experience includes working as managing director of NIZUC Resort & Spa in Cancun; managing director and head of development for Nomade and Be Hotels, overseeing brand expansion and hotel development across multiple continents; and general manager of Zemi Beach House in Anguilla.
Earlier in his career, Laahanen held executive positions with Six Senses Resorts & Spas, GHM Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World properties, including roles at The Setai Miami, The Chedi Milan and Six Senses resorts in the Maldives and Spain.
Atlantis Paradise Island
Atlantis Paradise Island appointed Saurabh Mishra senior vice president and general manager of The Cove and The Reef.
Mishra joins Atlantis Paradise Island following a tenure at Galaxy Macau, where he was assistant senior vice president, hotel operations for more than six years. There he led flagship properties including the 1,450-key Galaxy Hotel and the 450-key, all-suite Raffles Macau.
Mishra holds an Executive MBA in Global Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-Calcutta) and a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality from Utkal University.
The Beckworth
Concord Hospitality appointed Robert Hannigan as the general manager of The Beckworth, an upcoming Charlotte slated to open in 2026.
Hannigan has opened several hotels, including The Shane Hotel in Atlanta and The Goodland in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Dream Downtown
The Dream Downtown in New York City appointed Munir Salem general manager.
Munir’s journey with Hyatt began as a corporate management trainee at Grand Hyatt Amman in Jordan while studying Finance and Banking. What started as a summer job quickly evolved into a lifelong international career fueled by curiosity, connection, and a deep passion for hospitality.
His career has taken him across the Middle East, Asia, and seven U.S. states. Munir has held positions at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, Hyatt Regency St. Louis, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hyatt Regency Maui, Hyatt Regency Washington D.C. and Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Internationally, he played a key leadership role at Andaz Xiamen in China,. Most recently, he was hotel manager at Thompson Central Park New York.
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale has appointed Jerome Arribas general manager.
Originally from the Loire Valley of France, Arribas began his Four Seasons journey in a nontraditional role as assistant director of purchasing at Four Seasons in the Bahamas.
Throughout his career, Arribas has held task force and leadership roles across multiple properties, including Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris and Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat. He was hotel manager at Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Boston and general manager of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail.
Arribas also held leadership roles at Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel; Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca; Four Seasons Resort and Residences Seychelles; Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane; and Four Seasons Resort Exuma at Emerald Bay.
Hāna-Maui Resort, A Destination by Hyatt
Hāna-Maui Resort, A Destination by Hyatt, appointed Alexander DeChagas general manager.
DeChagas brings two decades of Hyatt hospitality experience to his role, having previously been director of rooms for Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, director of operations at Hyatt Centric Times Square New York and director of rooms at The Bellevue Hotel – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. DeChagas most recently was general manager of the Hotel Kansas City – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. He received his bachelor’s degree in hotel management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Hotel Nia, an Autograph Collection Hotel
Hotel Nia, an Autograph Collection Hotel in California’s Silicon Valley, appointed Benjamin Duverge general manager.
Most recently, Duverge was general manager of the Grand Bay Hotel San Francisco, overseeing operations and guest experience initiatives. Previously, he held general manager roles at several landmark Bay Area properties, including The Clift Royal Sonesta as well as The Marker San Francisco and Hotel Zetta. Duverge was general manager of The Liberty Hotel in Boston, a Luxury Collection property, and held pre-opening and repositioning roles with Viceroy Hotel Group across the United States, United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
Hotel Theodore Seattle, Tapestry by Hilton and Mayflower Park Hotel
Azul Hospitality, managing group of Hotel Theodore Seattle, Tapestry by Hilton and Mayflower Park Hotel, appointed Andrew Harris general manager of both properties.
Harris launched his career in sales at Scottsdale’s Marriott Vacation Club International and Phoenix's Residence Inn. He relocated to Seattle to be director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Downtown Seattle, followed by joining Crestline Hotels & Resorts as the complex general manager, supervising the Aloft and Element hotels under Marriott. He later led the conversion of a Tapestry Collection hotel during a two-year tenure in Manhattan Beach, Calif., before returning to Seattle three years ago as general manager of the Graduate by Hilton Hotel.
InterContinental Washington D.C. The Wharf
Industry veteran Stefan Mirevski has joined the InterContinental Washington D.C. The Wharf as general manager with more than 30 years of international hospitality leadership. Most recently, Mirevski was general manager for The Capital Hilton.
Mirevski’s accomplishments include the reflagging and repositioning of the former One UN Plaza Hotel in New York to the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza; overseeing a $45 million renovation at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner; and leading Embassy Suites by Hilton Crystal City National Airport.
Koʻa Kea Resort
Koʻa Kea Resort on Kauai’s Poʻipu Beach, part of the Meritage Collection, appointed Jared Dayton general manager.
Most recently, Dayton was complex director of operations at Kauai Beach Club and Kauai Lagoons with Marriott Vacations Worldwide. He previously was director of operations at The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, managing teams, capital projects, and food and beverage operations. His leadership experience also includes general manager roles at The Setting Inn in Oregon and Dossier in Portland.
Dayton began his career in luxury hospitality in Southern California at The St. Regis Monarch Beach and the U.S. Grant, progressing from front desk supervisor to director of front office, and later gained revenue management expertise at Hyatt Regency Newport Beach and the Grand Hyatt San Diego. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Business Administration from Lewis University and completed Cornell University’s Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management program in 2019.
L’Auberge de Sedona
L’Auberge de Sedona in Arizona appointed Kevin Pickard general manager.
Pickard joined L’Auberge de Sedona from The Lindy Renaissance Charleston in South Carolina and Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta in Georgia, two Aimbridge Hospitality–managed properties, where he has been dual general manager since 2023. In that role, he led two full-service hotels with a combined team of 200 employees. He originally joined Aimbridge Hospitality in 2020 as general manager and Operations Director of the Renaissance Charleston.
Owned by DiamondRock Hospitality Company and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, L’Auberge de Sedona recently completed a $30 million expansion, including the addition of 70 guest rooms in its new Cliffs category for a total of 158 rooms.
Before joining Aimbridge Hospitality, Pickard spent more than 20 years with Marriott International, where he held senior leadership roles across hotel operations, brand advocacy, events and food and beverage, including positions at Marriott corporate headquarters and flagship Renaissance and Marriott properties nationwide.