Who’s Where in Travel: New at Habitas, Dream Hotel Group

A number of major hotel groups made new executive appointments this week. 

The Habitas hospitality group appointed Rui Barros as its chief operating officer. Barros joins Habitas from WeWork, where he served as SVP, head of operations -- U.S./Canada East. Barros also held several high-level operations positions for Wyndham Hotel Group.

Also this week Dream Hotel Group named Kitmun Fung as its vice president of development, Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Fung will oversee the development of new projects and sourcing new deals in the Asia Pacific region for Dream Hotel Group and its portfolio of lifestyle brands: Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels. Fung brings a broad background in business strategy, finance, and mergers & acquisitions to Dream Hotel Group with nearly 10 years working in financial services, and another decade of hospitality experience, most recently as the director of development (Greater China) at Hilton

In the Caribbean, Hyatt appointed Brad Cirino as director of sales and marketing, Caribbean resorts, for the Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa and Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino

A number of individual properties also made key leadership appointments this week:

  • Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun named Raúl Villagrán as the resort's new director of sales and marketing. 
  • Also in Mexico, the newly opened Viceroy Los Cabos appointed César Pita Águila as its executive chef. 
  • The Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa named Todd Raessler its new general manager. 
  • Charingworth Manor in the UK has named Anna Asimakopoulou as its new general manager. 
  • In Asia, the philanthropist John Wood has joined the Rosewood Phnom Penh as its Rosewood Curator, a role that shares travel recommendations and insider tips with guests. 
  • Aparium Hotel Group named the leadership team for the upcoming Crossroads Hotel, which is set to open later this month in Kansas City. Situated in a former bottling and distribution plant for Pabst Brewing Company, the hotel will debut with Hyatt Hotels veteran Jeff Conrade as general manager and Mimi Kippes as director of sales. The launch also brings about the appointment of fashion industry veteran and Kansas City native, Jeremy Bennett, as Aparium Hotel Group’s director of lifestyle.

Finally, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau named a new senior manager of international tourism sales this week: Gabriel E. Martinez. Most recently, Martinez served as senior manager of international sales and marketing at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment for six years.

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