Appointments At Pacific Hospitality Group

Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) announced the expansion of its corporate leadership team with the appointment of Melanie Bucci as its Chief Financial Officer, Ajeet K. Anand as its Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and Stephen Schackne as its Regional Food and Beverage Director.

The new team members will report to PHG President and COO Paul McCormick.

Our corporate leadership team is one of the organization's most valuable assets, said McCormick. We are pleased to have such an elite team of hospitality experts join us at PHG as each individual will be instrumental in the growth of the company.

As Chief Financial Officer, Bucci will provide strategic direction and leadership to PHG's accounting and finance teams, oversee corporate programs and initiatives for the company, and manage policies, procedures and best practices at the hospitality brand's properties.

Most recently Bucci was Vice President of Finance at Montage International where she advanced her career within the organization over eight years.

Prior to her role with Montage, she held various accounting and finance management roles with Orient Express Hotels in Europe and Deloitte & Touche in Costa Mesa.

Bucci graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with degrees in Business Economics and Global Socioeconomics and Politics and is a California licensed CPA.

Anand will lead the sales and marketing initiatives for the group's portfolio of 11 properties as well as oversee the hospitality company's dedicated sales and marketing team in her role as Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

Prior to joining PHG, Anand was Senior Vice President, Global Marketing for emerging hospitality brand Cachet Hospitality where she assisted with the development of a growing management team and established the brand's marketing discipline focused on driving lead generation.

In a previous role as Senior Director, Sales Innovation at Wyndham Hotel Group / Dolce Hotels & Resorts, she enabled the brand's global sales organization to achieve $800 million in annual revenue by conceptualizing and developing a multifaceted plan.

Before Dolce, Anand served on the sale operations and strategy team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide where she developed an account profitability model that addressed rising sales costs and market uncertainties.

Anand received her MBA from Georgetown University and Bachelor of Arts degree from American University in Washington D.C.

As part of its new leadership structure, PHG has expanded its corporate food and beverage management team with the newly created role of Regional Food and Beverage Director.

In this role, Stephen Schackne will be responsible for continuing to elevate and heighten the culinary experience at each of PHG's properties, which prove to be a vital part of the guest experience.

Prior to joining the company, Stephen was a team leader and hotel manager at the iconic Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego and consulted for Outrigger Hotels in Hawaii where he was responsible for a restaurant conversion project with a $10 million gross operating income.

In addition, Schackne worked with KSL Resorts for 17 years where he increased revenue by $20 million over a decade and garnered numerous local and national awards for the hospitality brand's culinary concepts and restaurants.

Pacific Hospitality Group is comprised of 11 hotels and resorts located throughout the United States, and the company continues to expand its existing portfolio with the recent opening of the dual-branded AC Hotel and Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria and debut of Vista Collina Resort in Napa Valley, California.


Tourism Observer

RWANDA: Sheraton To Open In Kigali In 2018

Sheraton Hotel is preparing to enter Rwanda after a deal for its official establishment has been signed between Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Century Park and Hotel Residences.

In a statement, Michael Wale, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts for Europe, Africa and Middle East said that with signing of entry into the Rwanda market, Starwood is on track to increase its African portfolio by over 30 percent with more than 15 new hotels to open over the next five years.

Scheduled to open in 2018, Sheraton Kigali will mark the entry of Starwood into Rwanda and will be the company’s 50th hotel in Africa.

After signing the deal, Billy Cheung Yiu Tung, chairman of Century Park Hotel & Residences, said the agreement was reached after observing Rwanda’s impressive milestones in improving the hospitality sector.

The 136-room hotel will be located in the Gasabo district.

Marriott Buys Starwood Hotels For $12.2 billion

US-based Marriott International said that it has purchased Starwood for $12.2 billion, creating the world’s largest hotel chain bringing together such famous institutions as Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, W, Westin and Sheraton.

The boards of directors of both companies unanimously approved the merger, under which the companies will operate or franchise more than 5,500 hotels with 1.1 million rooms worldwide.

“This is an opportunity to create value by combining the distribution and strengths of Marriott and Starwood, enhancing our competitiveness in a quickly evolving marketplace,” said Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson.

Bruce Duncan, the Starwood Hotels & Resorts chairman of the board of directors, said that his board “concluded that a combination with Marriott provides the greatest long-term value for our shareholders and the strongest and most certain path forward for our company.”

Starwood shareholders will receive 0.92 shares of Marriott International, Class A common stock and $2.00 in cash for each share of Starwood common stock, a joint statement from the companies read.

The merger “has a current value of $72.08 per Starwood share, including the $2 cash per share consideration.”

Starwood shareholders will also receive about $7.80 per share from a transaction set to close prior to the Marriott-Starwood merger closing — the spin-off of the Starwood timeshare business and its merger with Interval Leisure Group, which has an estimated value of approximately $1.3 billion.

One-time transaction costs for the merger, to be incurred over the next two years, are expected to total between $100 and $150 million.
Once shareholders from both companies approve the transaction and other regulatory approvals are met, the merger is expected to be closed by mid-2016, the statement read.

Lara Dutta Joins As Well-being Brand Advocate For Westin Hotels & Resorts

Lara Dutta

Westin Hotels & Resorts has announced its partnership with wellness expert and ex Miss Universe Lara Dutta as the newest Asia Pacific Westin well-being brand advocate.

Westin Hotels & Resorts has announced its partnership with wellness expert and ex Miss Universe Lara Dutta as the newest Asia Pacific Westin well-being brand advocate. The partnership continues the momentum of The Westin Well-Being Movement, a US$15 million brand-wide campaign launched last year designed to enhance the well-being of guests and associates around the world.

In her role as a well-being brand advocate, Dutta will share her holistic lifestyle tips of restoring calm and balance at home or on the road with guests and associates; and how despite her hectic schedules, she is able to maintain a balance of work and life. She will also create content and share her wellness and fitness choices on social media channels in order to reach a wider audience of guests and associates around the world.

Lara Dutta said, “I am delighted to be a part of the Westin Well –Being Movement. I have always believed in a holistic approach to wellness; what one eats, what exercise regimen one follows and how one counters stress. The key to wellness is balance and positive thinking. I have benefited from this in my profession and personal life. Through this association, I look forward to sharing my own knowledge and experience with others.”

As a former Miss Universe as well as in her current role as a film actor, Lara Dutta has become a wellness inspiration to many. She has been practicing yoga for over 12 years and has also launched her Prenatal Yoga CD, helping pregnant women and young mothers to adopt a balanced and stress-free lifestyle. Her proactive approach to wellbeing suitably aligns with Westin brand’s six pillars of wellness: sleep well, eat well, move well, feel well, work well and play well. Westin Hotels & Resorts has been an industry innovator with a history of firsts in the wellness space, and partnering Lara as the first well-being brand advocate in India reinforces the Westin brand’s continued push to deliver wellness on the road.

Vincent Ong, senior brand director, brand management, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific said, “We are thrilled to have Lara Dutta on board as Asia Pacific’s newest Well-Being Brand Advocate for Westin. What makes Lara’s association with the well-being movement relevant is her holistic approach to life as well as her enthusiasm for healthy living throughout her career from Miss Universe to a working mother. We see this partnership with Lara as yet another innovative way the Westin Well-Being Movement transcends to our guests and associates; inspiring them to lead a healthier life.”

CHINA: Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel Opens In Anhui Province

Sheraton Chuzhou

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced its debut in Chuzhou, a city in Anhui Province, China, with the opening of Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel. Owned by Chuzhou Alliance Hotel Management Co., Ltd., the hotel features sweeping city views alongside luxurious accommodations and amenities, including a variety of gourmet dining options. Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel marks the brand’s 70th hotel in the region, reaching over 110 hotels in Asia Pacific.

The opening of Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel is yet another example of Starwood’s most global hotel brand continuing its aggressive growth in strategic markets all over the world,” said Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “China continues to be a vital market for Sheraton as it marches toward the brand goal of adding an additional 150 hotels globally by 2020.”

Nestled between the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, Chuzhou is located in eastern Anhui Province near Nanjing. The new Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel is ideally situated in Zhengwu Centre, a short stroll from Chuzhou’s new Central Business District (CBD), a retail mall, shops and a theatre, and just 90 minutes from Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG).

The hotel features 348 contemporary rooms and suites, featuring all of the brand’s signature amenities, as well as a wide range of on-property facilities, including a state-of-the-art Sheraton Fitness Center, an indoor heated pool and luxury spa. In addition, Club Room guests will enjoy complimentary breakfast, afternoon hors d’oeuvres and a variety of beverage options in the hotel’s signature Sheraton Club Lounge.

Two distinctive dining venues at the Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel provide an array of culinary options—from international cuisine at the all-day dining FEAST to Cantonese favorites at specialty Chinese restaurant YUE. Expertly matched small plates, premium wines and craft beers will be available in the lobby as part of Paired — the Sheraton brand’s reinvigorated food and beverage program.

To cater to meetings, conferences, and special events, Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel offers nearly 17,000 square feet of state-of-the-art conference space, including a deluxe grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,200 people.

“The opening of the first Sheraton hotel in Chuzhou underscores Starwood’s continued commitment to aggressively expanding its footprint in the region and builds on the Sheraton brand’s long legacy as a first-mover in markets across China and Asia Pacific,” said Vincent Ong, Senior Brand Director, Asia Pacific Brand Management, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “At Sheraton Chuzhou Hotel, guests will enjoy a comfortable and stylish atmosphere, as well as all of the brand’s signature amenities and services in a convenient location.”

Chuzhou’s Fenyang is one of the four provincial-level cultural ancient cities in Anhui, known as the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. From the hotel, guests can easily visit the large, ancient Ming Dynasty imperial tomb of his parents – a 600-year-old state protected mausoleum with a magnificent collection of vivid stone sculptures. Mount Langya – a national scenic spot which is home to attractions such as the highly regarded Tang Dynasty Buddhist Langya Temple, the South Heavenly Gate, and the famed Zuiwong (Old Drunkard), is also just a ten minute drive from the hotel.