Several hotels around the world have recently appointed new general managers to lead their properties to success.
Joel Freyberg Named Managing Director of Gansvoort Park Avenue
Joel Freyberg has been appointed managing director of Gansevoort Park Avenue, the second location of Gansevoort Hotel Group in New York City. He will now be responsible for refining operational programming at the company, including guest and employee satisfaction, human resources, financial performance and sales and revenue generation.
Freyberg began his career with the company in 2004 as part of the pre-opening team at Gansevoort Meatpacking, the brand’s flagship property, serving as hotel manager.
“We’re delighted to have Joel back at Gansevoort,” said Elon Kenchington, chief operating officer of Gansevoort Hotel Group. “Joel has been a major contributor to the brand’s success since Gansevoort’s inception. We’re so thrilled to have his passion, leadership and knowledge on our side once again as we reinforce Gansevoort Park Hotel’s position as a true luxury competitor in the lifestyle hotel market.
Prior to joining Gansevoort Park Avenue, Freyberg served as general manager of The Chatwal New York where he launched the first luxury hotel in the theatre district, establishing the property as a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond status. He has also previously held positions including executive director and general manager of The Waldorf Towers in New York, as well as director of housekeeping at several notable and iconic properties including The Carlyle, The Michelangelo Hotel and The Mayfair Regent Hotel.
Freyberg holds a BA in business administration from New York University, and resides in New York City and Oyster Bay Cove, New York.
Nathalie Seiler-Hayez Appointed General Manager of Beau-Rivage
Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland, just appointed Nathalie Seiler-Hayez to the position of general manager.
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| Nathalie Seiler-Hayez |
Former general manager Francois Dussart will extend his responsibilities to Seiler-Hayez before becoming managing director of the entire Sandoz Family Foundation hotel portfolio, including the Beau-Rivage Palace, Hotel Angleterre & Residence, Chateau d'Ouchy and Lausanne Palace & Spa in Lausanne, and the Hôtel Palafitte on Lake Neuchatel.
Seiler-Hayez had previously managed The Connaught, an iconic London hotel, since 2010. Her career in hospitality began at the Beau-Rivage Palace in 1991, later moving on to various positions at New York's Carlyle, Le Lutetia Paris, Hôtel du Louvre Paris, and the Regent Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux.
Seiler-Hayez is a graduate of the Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne and currently serves as a member of its board of directors.
Anantara Appoints Two New GMs in Thailand
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has announced the appointment of two new general managers at a pair of its resorts in Thailand.
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| Sascha Hemmann |
Sascha Hemmann was named general manager of Anantara Phuket Layan Resort & Spa. He moves to Phuket from his previous position as general manager at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villa Resort & Spa.
Hemmann was born in Germany and completed his studies at the College of Tourism & Hotel Management in Berlin. He has over twenty years of experience in the industry, and joins Anantara following five years with Capella Hotel Group, where he served in various managerial positions in Singapore and China. His most recent role was general manager at their property in Virginia Beach in the USA.
Additionally, in Hua Hin, Manish Jha has been appointed to the postion of general manager at Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa. He joins the team at Anantara Hua Hin from his most recent position as general manager at AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa, where he oversaw the rebranding of the hotel.
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| Manish Jha |
Manish, an Indian national, has over 15 years’ experience in the luxury hotel industry, of which the last nine were spent with Minor Hotel Group. He joined the group in 2006 as director of food & beverage in the pre-opening team for Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa and Naladhu in the Maldives, before being promoted to resorts Mmanager for both Anantara Dhigu and Anantara Veli in the Maldives.
After receiving a diploma in hotel management at the Catering Technology and Applied Institute of Hotel Management in Gwalior, India, Manish began working at The Trident in Agra, India, and later was employed with Taj Hotels & Resorts and One&Only before joining Anantara.
Alex Furrer Accepts GM Role at The Setai, Miami Beach
Alex Furrer was recently named general manager of The Setai, Miami Beach.
Furrer joins The Setai with 15 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, and will now oversee all operational and directional responsibilities for the 86-room hotel and the 125 residential units, sales and marketing, and the company’s policies and staff, as well as management of all food, beverage, and financial operations.
A Swiss native, Furrer has previously worked in key management roles at the Eden au Lac in Zurich, the Palace Hotel Luzern and the Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken. He most recently held the role of resident manager at The Setai, overseeing operations, annual room renovations and playing an important strategic role on the property’s executive committee.
Additionally, The Setai also announced the appointment Nadine Johnson & Associates as their PR agency of record. Nadine Johnson & Associates is a boutique public relations agency located in New York, and has 20 years’ experience representing some of the world’s top hotels, artists, developers, museums, foundations, architects, designers, galleries and luxury brands.
Langham Place in New York Welcomes New GM Richard Bussiere
Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue has announced the appointment of Richard Bussiere to the position of managing director.
A 35-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Bussiere previously held the role of managing director at The Langham, Boston, and has spent the majority of his career managing hotels in Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific
His appointment comes just after the property recently announced scheduled renovations at Langham Place, which will debut beginning in fall 2015.
Born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and raised in Rockville and Vernon, Connecticut, Bussiere earned an associate degree in hotel and food service management from Manchester Community College and a bachelor’s degree in hotel management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Upon returning to the United States in 2013 after serving in various managerial positions overseas, Bussiere played a key role in helping The Langham, Boston achieve all of its financial goals, while leading a team of 300 employees. Under his leadership, The Langham, Boston was named to the 2015 Travel + Leisure “World’s Best” list.
Ed Brea Joins One&Only Hayman Island
Ed Brea has just been named the new general manager at One&Only Hayman Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
In his new role, Brea is responsible for the entire operation of One&Only Hayman Island and its continued strategic development. He joins One&Only with over 30 years’ experience in the industry, having begun his career in the early 1980s at the Hyatt Regency Maui in Hawaii. Brea's various roles have included stints with Hyatt throughout the Philippines, Australia and Singapore, before he was eventually appointed resident manager at Grand Hyatt Taipei in 1999.
In 2000, Brea joined Shangri-La at the Island hotel in Hong Kong. During his tenure at Shangri-La, he held key leadership roles from Canada to Singapore, from Australia to Malaysia and most recently, Thailand. Brea also introduced new resort brands within Shangri-La, including the flagship hotel Jing-An, and the Kerry Hotel Pudong, both in Shanghai, China as well as Traders in Malaysia. Ed has also led teams overseeing key projects, re-brandings and pre-openings.