A number of hotels have appointed new general managers in recent weeks—including three in New Orleans. Here are some names to know.
The Crescent Hotel
The Crescent Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, appointed Roberto van Geenen its new general manager. Over the past 35 years, van Geenen has worked in London, Amsterdam and Curaçao, the Netherlands Antilles. He has opened and converted six hotels and worked at Ritz-Carlton properties in Dallas; Palm Beach, Fla.; and Naples, Fla. as well as The Savoy in London.
Beginning his journey in hospitality at an early age in his father’s restaurants, van Geenen also was an officer in the Royal Marines.
Hāna-Maui Resort
Hāna-Maui Resort, A Destination by Hyatt in Hawaii, appointed Ryan Parker general manager. Parker most recently was general manager at The Shay, another Destination by Hyatt in Culver City, Calif. During his five years in the position, he oversaw the hotel's opening and growth in the Los Angeles market, developing strategies for marketing and sales efforts and operating budgets throughout the pandemic.
Before Hyatt, Parker spent the majority of his 18-year career at Kimpton Hotels in Cambridge, Mass., and Chicago before moving to California in 2014.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe (Nev.) Resort, Spa and Casino promoted Andrew De Lapp to resort manager. After graduating from college in Sydney in 2007, De Lapp moved to the U.S. where he held a one-year internship at Nine Zero Hotel in Boston. He then moved to Chicago where he entered Hyatt’s Corporate Management Trainee Program and worked as an assistant front office manager at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. He was promoted to the Park Hyatt Chicago where he held various roles ranging from assistant executive housekeeper to front office manager.
In 2014, De Lapp moved to New York City where he was a member of the pre-opening team of the Park Hyatt New York. Before his move to Lake Tahoe in 2019, De Lapp held positions as assistant director of operations at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa in Honolulu and Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove, Calif.
JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
The JW Marriott Clearwater Beach (Fla.) Resort & Spa appointed Manuel Magana general manager. Magana began his career as a room service waiter at the JW Marriott Mexico City, grew into roles in human resources and food and beverage and advanced to management roles. During his time in Mexico City, Magana helped open the JW Marriott Hotel Quito in Ecuador and the Panama Marriott Hotel.
Magana has worked at the Renaissance Prague Hotel in the Czech Republic, Marriott Casa Magna Cancun Resort in Mexico and the JW Marriott Miami. Most recently, Magana was the multiproperty general manager for the Marriott Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) Resort & Spa and the Westin Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa.
Point Grace
Grace Bay Resorts appointed Fred Khoury general manager of Point Grace in Turks and Caicos. Khoury is poised to lead Point Grace through its $180 million expansion.
In his most recent role as vice president of sales and digital marketing at Magna Hospitality, Khoury provided oversight for hotels across the United States, growing the company through the implementation of sales and marketing initiatives. Before that, he was regional vice president of sales and marketing at Highgate Hotels, overseeing a portfolio of thirty hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America region, including Key West, Fla.; Peru; Puerto Rico; and luxury properties in Florida. Khoury also was vice president of sales at Trust Hospitality Management Company, general manager of The Hotel of South Beach in Miami and director of sales and marketing at Viceroy Miami Hotel & Residences.
The Pontchartrain Hotel
The Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans appointed Matthew Iacobucci general manager.
Before joining The Pontchartrain Hotel, Iacobucci was hotel manager of Surety Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, a sister property in the Aparium Hotels portfolio. Before his time in Des Moines, Iacobucci worked as director food and beverage at Morgans Hotel Group in Miami Beach, Fla.; Viceroy in Snowmass, Colo.; and Virgin Hotels in Nashville.
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans appointed Wayne Morris general manager. Morris’ luxury hospitality roots are within The Ritz-Carlton, as he first began his career in 2000 at the French Quarter hotel, and has spent more than eight years with the brand.
Morris has worked at several Ritz-Carlton properties including Aspen Highlands, Sarasota, South Beach, and Reynolds Lake Oconee. Most recently, Morris was vice president of the Health and Wellness Division at Ochsner Health, the largest health system in Louisiana.
The Royal Sonesta New Orleans
The Royal Sonesta New Orleans appointed David Bilbe general manager. Bilbe has more than two decades of experience managing and operating U.S. hotels. He joins Royal Sonesta from his previous seven-year stint as GM at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. While there, he was responsible for a team of more than 200 associates. Before this position, Bilbe oversaw operations at Westin New Orleans Canal Place Hotel, Loews New Orleans Hotel, Historic Courtyard by Marriott Downtown and International House New Orleans; and held sales and marketing positions for more than a decade.
Outside of his management roles, Bilbe has held various positions at multiple New Orleans organizations including French Quarter Festival, Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, French Quarter Management District, and New Orleans and Co.
The Scottsdale Resort & Spa
Nick Solomon is the new general manager of The Scottsdale (Ariz.) Resort & Spa, a Curio Collection Resort by Hilton. Solomon started his career with The Ritz-Carlton where he worked his way up the ranks. He led nine different opening teams for The Ritz-Carlton brand including Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico; The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach in Hawaii; and The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara in Santa Barbara, Calif. He also oversaw front-of-house and back-of-house operations at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, Calif.; and The Ritz-Carlton, Marina Del Rey, Calif.
In addition, Solomon was also responsible for launching six of the first 10 Edition hotels for Marriott, including The Miami Beach Edition, The New York Edition, The Times Square Edition and The West Hollywood Edition. Before joining The Scottsdale Resort & Spa, Solomon was the general manager of Canopy by Hilton Tempe (Ariz.) Downtown, where he helped double total property revenue. Before that, he was the general manager of Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona, Ariz., where he navigated the property through a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
Chris Akoury is the new general manager of Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, part of the Hilton Bonnet Creek Complex. He joins the Orlando team from the Hilton Short Hills, N.J., where he was general manager for six years.
Before joining Hilton Bonnet Creek Complex, Akoury held progressively senior positions, including vice president of operations/asset management at Friendwell Group of Companies, general manager of Embassy Suites Parsippany (N.J.) & Embassy Suites Piscataway (N.J.) at Hilton, and director of food & beverage at Interstate Hotels & Resorts.
The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort
The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort appointed Laura Santoni general manager. Santoni began her career at Marriott in 1991. She was general manager for Marriott Village at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando and headed the global sales organization for Caribbean and Latin America. For the past seven years, she was area vice president for Mexico, spearheading the launch of several hotels in the region.
The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort is the first St. Regis hotel in the Dominican Republic, slated to open early 2025. The resort will have 200 guestrooms and suites and 70 residences.
Victoria House Resort & Spa
In Belize’s Ambergris Caye, The Victoria House Resort & Spa appointed David Jenkins general manager.
Originally from Dallas, Jenkins brings more than 12 years of experience in the hospitality industry to his new position. In 2012, Jenkins co-founded Sandbar Beachfront Hostel & Restaurant, a hostel in San Pedro, Belize, that he sold last year.
Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
Hilton appointed Ruben Gabino as general manager of the upcoming Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, set to open in late 2024 as Waldorf Astoria’s first hotel in Costa Rica.
Gabino joins the new property from the Conrad Koh Samui in Thailand, where he worked as general manager since 2019. He first joined Hilton in 2015 as hotel manager of Conrad Seoul and has 20 years of international experience in the luxury segment, having worked at St. Regis Hotels, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.