Congratulations to these new hires in San Francisco, Palos Verdes, and Indian Wells.
San Francisco Travel Association, the official destination marketing organization for the city and county of San Francisco, has welcomed Ernie Garcia back to the convention sales team as director of citywide accounts. Responsible for booking Moscone Center conventions for corporate accounts, Garcia brings more than 30 years of experience within the hospitality industry. He spent nearly 18 of those years with San Francisco Travel before taking an 18-month break to join Meet Hawaii as a senior director of sales. In other staffing news at San Francisco Travel, Lynn Bruni-Perkins has been promoted to executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the organization. She has been a key part of San Francisco Travel’s marketing division for more than 15 years.
Terranea Resort, the 102-acre luxury property on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, has named Michelin-starred Fabio Ugoletti as the new chef de cuisine of mar’sel, the resort’s signature restaurant, which offers its inventive twist on California cuisine in an oceanfront setting. A native of Parma, Italy, Ugoletti has worked in fine-dining restaurants all over the world, including as the executive chef at Al Gallopapa, the Michelin-star restaurant in the Chianti region of Tuscany. “I am delighted to join the remarkable mar’sel team and to share my passion for elevating and exciting the senses through flavor,” Ugoletti says. “I am excited to create unique and memorable dishes that capture the essence of the California lifestyle, while drawing on the influences of my French culinary technique and Italian roots to create a refined Mediterranean style of cuisine that infuses the spirit of mar’sel.”
Kevin Barnes joins Miramonte Resort & Spa, the 215-room Indian Wells property, as general manager. Barnes will oversee the property’s 215 upgraded guestrooms and villas, three tranquil pools, WELL Spa, signature dining concepts, and over 35,000 square feet of versatile meeting and event space. With over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Barnes has held leadership positions at properties in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, including The Evelyn, The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the Smyth, and New York Palace Hotel. Most recently, he served as the general manager of the historic Redbury New York, a 259-room Renaissance Revival-style hotel located in Manhattan.
“We are very excited to have Kevin lead the Miramonte team. His extensive expertise in hotel management will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our amenities and experiences,” says April Shute, vice president & area managing director for CoralTree Hospitality, which manages Miramonte. “His proven track record in operations, as well as the ability to hire and train high-potential leaders will factor heavily into the resort’s continued future success.”
