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

Latest Hotel Openings

Wynn Palace
Wynn Resorts is set to open its newest Macau property, the 1,706-key Wynn Palace on August 22. The floral-themed luxury property offers rooms, suites and villas in various categories with views of a central 3.2-hectare performance lake. Amenities include flexible meeting facilities, a spa, whole range of F&B outlets and 18,580m2 of retail space. Air-conditioned SkyCabs serving hotel guests also traverse the central lake.

Soneva Jani
Soneva Resorts and Residences will be opening its newest property, the Soneva Jani, on the island of Medhufaru in the Maldives’ Noonu Atoll this year-end. It comprises a total of 56 units – 24 overwater villas and 32 on-land villas – ranging from 510m2 one-bedroom pool villas to a massive 1680m2 three-bedroom beach villa. Every master bedroom features a retractable roof for skygazing. Other amenities include a clubhouse, cinema, restaurant and spa. The resort soft opens on October 1 and officially opens on November 5.

Ramada Gangwon Sokcho
Wyndham Hotel Group in a franchise agreement with Korea Asset Management has opened the 556-key Ramada Gangwon Sokcho. The hotel, located in South Korea’s northeast city of Sokcho, spans across 20 floors and comprises 495 standard rooms and 61 suites. Facilities include an all-day dining restaurant, a spa and sauna, fitness centre, and banquet hall. Nearby attractions feature Daepo fish market, Seoraksan National Park, and a plethora of hot springs and golf courses.

GREECE: Wyndham Hotel Group Opens In Greece

Wyndham Hotel Group announced that accessible luxury is coming to Athens when the Wyndham Grand Athens, the first Wyndham Hotel Group hotel in Greece, opens in the city centre early next year. Travel is the best excuse to enjoy the grand things in life, and Wyndham Grand hotels and resorts offer truly unforgettable travel experiences.

Wyndham Grand is decidedly not pretentious, but approachable by design, featuring pristine guestrooms, relaxing spas, one-of-a kind dining experiences, and more. The Wyndham Grand Athens will be situated on Karaiskaki Place (2, Meg. Alexandrou St.), where Zeus International, a company that operates nine hotels across Eastern Europe, is transforming the building owned by VIOHALCO which formerly housed the Hotel Athens Imperial.

When renovations are complete, the Wyndham Grand Athens will boast 273 rooms, 2,500 sq. m. of conference and event space, a restaurant, a bar, a spa and an amazing roof-garden of 450 sq. m. with a pool and a 360° view of the city skyline. In addition, the hotel’s proximity to the Metro and many of Athens’ cultural points of interest will make it a destination for business and leisure travellers alike.

Dan Ruff, President and Managing Director EMEA, for Wyndham Hotel Group, said: “Wyndham Grand hotels are located in some of the world’s most sought after destinations, including Shanghai, Istanbul, Doha, Salzburg, Chicago, Orlando and now Athens. This is only our first stop in Greece, as we see opportunities for many of our brands across the country, from city centres such as Athens and Thessaloniki to resort destinations in the Greek islands and mainland.”

Haris Siganos, Founder of Zeus International, noted: “Our Company is engaged in a variety of consulting and advisory projects from hotel management and development to turnaround management. We have been monitoring the Greek market for the right hospitality investment opportunity.

We believe that Athens has been missing a flagship hotel offering a one-of-a-kind experience with a compelling local flavour, and we intend to change this when the Wyndham Grand Athens opens next year.”

All Wyndham Grand hotels in the region participate in Wyndham Rewards®, the simple-to-use, revolutionary loyalty programme from Wyndham Hotel Group that offers members a generous points earning structure along with a flat, free-night redemption rate in 73 countries across the world – the first of its kind for a major hotel rewards programme. To learn more or to join for free, guests should visit

USA: Wyndham Hotel Group’s Fastest Growing Brand Enters Mexico with 400th Hotel

Conquering one record after the next, Baymont Inn & Suites - Wyndham Hotel Group’s fastest-growing brand in number of rooms - today announced the opening of its 400th property and first hotel in Mexico, Baymont Inn & Suites Lázaro Cárdenas.

The 118-room hotel, owned by Mexican firm Desarrollo Hotelero LC, is located in one of Mexico’s most prominent port cities. It joins more than 50 new Baymont Inn & Suites hotels opened in just over a year. Since being acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group in 2006, the brand has nearly quadrupled in system size and spread its portfolio, which was once concentrated to just several Midwestern states, across the U.S. and into Canada.

Developers are taking notice of the Midwestern brand’s success: over the last year, interest in development surged thanks to record growth and an updated, turn-key prototype design that offers cost efficiencies for owners and showcases the neighborly hospitality at the heart of Baymont Inn & Suites. The brand’s momentum shows no signs of slowing down; there are nearly 30 hotels already in the pipeline for 2016.

“Mexico is the perfect market for Baymont’s international expansion – it’s a powerful world economy with robust domestic travel demand and consistently ranks as one of the most popular destinations for U.S. outbound travel,” said Greg Giordano, vice president of operations for Baymont Inn & Suites. “This opening is a major first step to accelerated growth in new markets where Baymont can delight guests through neighborly hospitality, which is meaningful to travelers in neighborhoods all over the globe.”

Situated in the south of Michoacán, the city of Lázaro Cárdenas boasts a bustling steel industry, secluded beaches ideal for fishing and Mexico’s leading port for auto imports and exports on the west coast. The port, which handles more than one million twenty-foot shipping containers annually, will be the first automated terminal in Latin America in mid-2016 upon the opening of a new TEC2 deep-water container facility.

The city’s name honors former Mexican president Lázaro Cárdenas, a Michoacán native revered for nationalizing the country’s oil industry and serving as a revolutionary hero.

“The city of Lázaro Cárdenas represents one of the most recognizable leaders in Mexican culture, making it a fitting home for this landmark opening,” said Paulo Pena, president and managing director, Latin America and the Caribbean for Wyndham Hotel Group. “Baymont Inn & Suites Lázaro Cárdenas leads the brand as we look to future expansion in Latin America, where it will stand out for its flexible business model and focus on guest experience.”

About Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group is the world’s largest hotel company based on number of hotels and is one of three hospitality business units of Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN). As both a leading hotel brand franchisor and hotel management services provider, the company’s global portfolio consists of approximately 7,760 properties and 672,000 rooms in 71 countries under the following brands: Dolce Hotels and Resorts®,

Wyndham Grand® Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Wyndham Garden® Hotels, TRYP by Wyndham®, Wingate by Wyndham®, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Ramada®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®. Wyndham Rewards, the company’s guest loyalty program, offers more than 40 million members the opportunity to earn and redeem points at thousands of hotels across the world. For more information, visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

Minutes from the city’s downtown area and a short drive from Lázaro Cárdenas Airport, Baymont Inn & Suites Lázaro Cárdenas puts guests near Malecon de la Cultura y Las Artes, an entertainment hub and boardwalk, and Parque Jesus Romero Flores, an outdoor recreation area.

The hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness center and free transportation to and from the airport. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s onsite restaurant, La Fuente, which serves Mexican and international cuisine, as well as Hola Bar, which offers cocktails and light fare. The hotel also offers four conference rooms which can accommodate up to 110 guests, as well as outdoor pool space and event planning services.

About Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group is the world’s largest hotel company based on number of hotels and is one of three hospitality business units of Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN). As both a leading hotel brand franchisor and hotel management services provider, the company’s global portfolio consists of approximately 7,760 properties and 672,000 rooms in 71 countries under the following brands: Dolce Hotels and Resorts®,

Wyndham Grand® Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Wyndham Garden® Hotels, TRYP by Wyndham®, Wingate by Wyndham®, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Ramada®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®. Wyndham Rewards, the company’s guest loyalty program, offers more than 40 million members the opportunity to earn and redeem points at thousands of hotels across the world.