Michael Paley
Fontainebleau Miami Beach names Paley executive chef of onsite steakhouse Prim 54. Paley is a pioneer in Miami’s restaurant scene with his acclaimed restaurants, such as Miami Klaw, which in 2022 was named “Best New Restaurant” by Eater and Infatuation Miami. Paley will lead all operations at Prim 54, working to uphold its esteemed reputation that it has developed since its opening in March 2023.
Rajiv Jha
Jha joins Fairmont Dallas as director of food & beverage. He will oversee all food and beverage operations at the iconic Dallas arts district hotel, drawing from 16 years of expertise in hotel food and beverage leadership. Most recently, he served as food & beverage general manager at Fairmont Grand Del Mar.
Lucas Curcio
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino appoints Curcio as director of food & beverage. Most recently, he served as executive chef at Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour. He grew up watching his grandparents cook, and learned their philosophy of cooking: serving others is an act of love and care. He has worked in the hospitality industry through advancing roles for the past 20 years.
Jason Sundberg
The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, promotes Sunberg to director of bars & restaurants from his previous role as restaurant manager. He began with The Gwen in 2021 as service manager at onsite restaurant Kostali. He has worked in hospitality for 16 years and viewed each of his restaurant roles as a way learn about cuisine and creating dining experiences.
Carlo de Leon
De Leon joins Town & Country Resort as director of food & beverage. With over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, most recently as director of food & beverage at Red Rock Resort & Spa, de Leon will oversee Town & Country Resort’s five signature dining outlets, including their onsite restaurant ARLO and poolside eatery Lapper Kitchen + Tap.
Eric Nelson and Rory Allen
The Davenport Hotel Collection in Spokane, Washington, has appointed two new chef de cuisines to serve under the leadership of Area Culinary Director and Executive Chef Patrick Dahms. Nelson will serve as chef de cuisine for the Davenport Historic Hotel restaurants. He first joined the team in 2017 as a sous chef, then was promoted to the role of executive chef prior to his most recent promotion.
Allen will serve as chef de cuisine for the Davenport Grand Hotel restaurants. He began with the Davenport Hotel Collection in 2022 as a sous chef under Nelson. He has spent over 15 years of his career in executive chef roles at some of Spokane’s and wider Washington’s most acclaimed restaurants and is locally recognized for his food truck and pop-up restaurant Duck Duck.
Donna Yuen
Yeun joins L’Auberge de Sedona as executive pastry chef for its onsite restaurant Cress on Oak Creek. She will lead the pastry department to oversee all dessert and bread production, and looks forward to collaborating with executive chef Ryan Swanson. Yeun developed a passion for pastry early on, and since the start of her career has worked in advancing roles in the craft, most recently serving as executive pastry chef at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge.
Johan Monterrat
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco welcomes Monterrat as director of food & beverage. With nearly a decade of experience with the Four Seasons brand in a wide variety of roles, Monterrat brings expansive leadership skills and industry knowledge to maintain and elevate the brand’s standard of excellence through this property’s food and beverage operations.
Farid Ahmed
Kimpton Tryon Park expands its culinary team with Ahmed as executive chef. He will oversee the hotel’s catering services as well as the operation of two onsite restaurants, Italian concept Angeline’s and rooftop bar and lounge Merchant & Trade. He grew up cooking alongside his mother in France, where he learned classical French cooking, as well as Pakistani cooking from his father’s side.
Christopher Robertson
Robertson joins Carillon Miami Wellness Resort with years of experience in five-star Five Diamond Resorts and Platinum Clubs in addition to executing wellness-focused culinary offerings. He will oversee a number of the resort’s culinary experiences, from onsite dining to banqueting for gatherings taking place onsite, with attention to seasonal and sustainable menus.
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