Samuel Spurrier
Spurrier is appointed as The Westin Maui Resort and Spa Ka’anapali’s director of sales and marketing. In his most recent role as the director of group sales at Westin Maui, his work contributed to impressive growth in the Average Daily Rate. He has led an outstanding sales team that achieved 116 percent of the room revenue booking goal in 2022. He has received numerous awards including the President’s Award for Sales Excellence. Spurrier looks forward to embracing Hawaii’s unique culture and resources alongside his team to promote The Westin Maui as a phenomenal experiential destination.
Jordan Howell
Howell joins Lotte New York Palace as hotel manager. He comes from his role as general manager of THE JACX and JACX & co. After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Business at Michigan State University, Howell worked in numerous hotels across New York City before relocating to Utah, where he served as director of learning and development and later director of rooms at Waldorf Astoria Park City. In his role with Lotte New York Palace, Howell looks forward to providing the highest of excellence in service and property operations.
Margaux Helm
Helm steps in as marketing manager for meetings at Visit Seattle, the city’s tourism and promotion bureau. She most recently worked as the senior marketing manager at Sur la Table, where she handled the Seattle-based retail brand’s social and content team. She earlier worked at Visit Seattle and WE Communications. Her over 10 years of experience managing digitally focused omnichannel campaigns equips her to bring the bright positivity of meetings and events to this creative city.
Ray Guyton
Guyton joins Blossom Hotel Houston as director of sales and marketing. With over three decades of travel and hospitality experience, Guyton is exceptionally prepared to oversee a dedicated sales team and to manage media relations, community engagement and social media functions for the luxury hotel. His experience includes roles as a director of sales and marketing in Houston and Washington, D.C., at Dallas-based Remington Hospitality, at Houston’s Hotel Alessandra (now The Laura) and more. He is certain to bring a wealth of experience to establish Blossom Hotel as a Houston hospitality leader.
Deepak Mehra
Conrad Los Angeles appoints Mehra as general manager. His over 25 years of experience include his previous role as area general manager at Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw commercial, operational and financial performance and an over $75 million revenue between the brand’s two hotels. Before this, he has worked as general manager for Hilton Woodland Hills and Kimpton Hotels, as director of operations for Raffles L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills and in various positions at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts around the world, from New Delhi to Singapore.
Karen Earp
Hotel Barrière Fouquet New York welcomes Earp as general manager. Along with a Bachelor of Science in hotel, restaurant and tourism management and an MBA with a specialty in marketing and finance, Earp brings over 40 years of experience in hospitality. She has held positions around the globe at Pierre Hotel in New York, Disneyland Paris and Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul. She will pave the way for Hotel Barrière Fouquet to be a leader in New York’s luxury hotels in its second year of operation.
Gia Polo
Polo has been appointed general manager of Kimpton Schofield in Cleveland. Born and raised in Ohio, she brings her love for the city along with nearly two decades of hospitality experience. She began her career while a full-time student at Cleveland State University, and later was opening general manager of a newly built property in Washington, D.C. She served as corporate task force general manager at Interstate Hotels and Resorts where she demonstrated her tactful ability to help struggling or transitional hotels, and she looks forward to providing the warmth that makes guests’ stays incredibly memorable.
Kimberli Krutsch
Krutsch joins Visit Bentonville as director of sales. With over two decades of experience in hospitality and accommodations, she is well-equipped to serve the tourism and promotion center of Bentonville. She has previously served as director of sales for Courtyard by Marriott Bentonville and Towneplace Suites by Marriott Bentonville. In this role, she will focus on expanding niche markets such as the aviation and medical industries to promote Bentonville as an excellent conference and convention destination.
Jim Perrin
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) brings in Perrin as vice president of sales for the Mid-Atlantic region. His over 30 years of experience in the industry includes event service and sales with ALHI member hotels, a role as the co-chair of PCMA’s EduCon Committee and a seat on the ASAE Meeting and Exposition Section Council. He currently serves on AMCI’s Annual Meeting Committee. His deep understanding of ALHI and successful track record prepares him phenomenally for this role.
David Emig
Emig is promoted to general manager of Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort. He has previously served as resort manager of the wellness retreat at Sensei Lanai. His over two decades of experience also includes numerous senior management positions in the Maldives, London, Shanghai, Singapore and Austin. His nuanced understanding of guest service and hospitality equips him to lead Sensei Lanai in creating an outstanding guest experience.
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