Top Story
Three Hotels Agree to Pay $17.5M in Sex Trafficking Settlement
By Jordan Bradley
Three hotels in Philadelphia in a March 13 settlement.agreed to pay $17.5 million to three women who were allegedly trafficked at their properties from May 2015 to January 2017.
The three victims alleged that the owners of the three hotels—the Motel 6 and Days Inn on Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Boulevard and a former North American Motors Inn on City Avenue—had reason enough to suspect human trafficking was happening at their hotels and did not take proper action to prevent it.
Read More
Photos of the Week
Trending Now
Industry Movers
Drew Brown
Drew Brown, formerly director of media and content strategy with Visit Buffalo Niagara for nine years, has taken on the role of Sr. Creative Director. He is responsible for creating innovative marketing strategies across platforms to visually engage consumers, influencers and travel media with design, advertising, social media, branding, and photo and video production tools and tactics. He incorporates consumer analytics to build and maintain the brand.
Rosy Merlino
Rosy Merlino is now The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad’s Director of Sales and Marketing. Merlino will oversee all sales and marketing initiatives for The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad. She has more than 20 years of global hospitality experience. Merlino’s career spans brands, including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, The Dominick, Morgans Hotel Group, and GrandLife Hotels. Originally from Milan, Italy, she is fluent English, Italian, and German.
Diego Angarita
Diego Angarita is now General Manager of Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort, set to debut this year in Florida. It is owned and developed by Athens Group and BDT & MSD Partners. He studied hospitality at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. Angarita has more than 20 years of experience with Four Seasons and has worked in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Anguilla and Hawaii.
Christopher Nez
Christopher Nez is now the Director of Food & Beverage at Park Lane New York, a Highgate-managed hotel. Nez brings more than 20 years of experience. Most recently, he served as assistant director of food & beverage for Highgate Hotels. Nez oversaw operations at both the WestHouse Hotel New York and Park Central Hotel New York. He’s worked at The Plaza Hotel, and JW Marriott Essex House.
Ryan Kelly
Ryan Kelly is the new General Manager of OUTRIGGER Honua Kai Resort & Spa. OUTRIGGER Hospitality Group made the announcement. He brings more than 15 years of experience in hospitality and comes to OUTRIGGER from The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay, where he led the Rooms Division leadership team. Prior to his time on O‘ahu, he managed the rooms division teams at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.
Travis Taylor
Travis Taylor has been promoted from executive chef to Director of Food & Beverage at Riverhouse Lodge, located on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. He joined the property in 2022. Taylor was the Executive Chef of Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater Grill, where he earned numerous accolades, including winning the Bite of Bend and Iron Chef Oregon in 2014. He worked at Rainshadow Organics farm in Deschutes County.
Association NEWS
Around Associations
National Restaurant Association Names Ted Fowler as 2025 Legends Award Winner… Late last month, the National Restaurant Association announced Ted Fowler as the recipient of its 2025 Legends Award. The award will be presented at the Gold & Silver Plate Awards, hosted by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, on May 17 in Chicago.
“Ted Fowler is a true legend in every sense of the word, with a legacy that exemplifies the power of hard work and a drive to give back in service to others,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Ted’s extraordinary career, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication to our industry makes him a perfect recipient of this year’s Legends Award, and I look forward to honoring him in May at the 2025 Gold & Silver Plate Awards.”
The Legends Award is presented to an individual demonstrating a lifetime of dedication to the restaurant and hospitality industry. Fowler will be honored for his legacy shaping the future of the restaurant industry across a four-decade career that started as a 16-year-old dishwasher and culminated in a 25-year tenure as the second president & CEO of Golden Corral Corporation. He served as chair of the National Restaurant Association Board in 2001 and was awarded the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in 2016.
The association said Fowler played a pivotal role in the launch of ProStart, a program by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation that equips high school students with culinary and restaurant management skills. Thanks to Fowler’s advocacy and support, ProStart has trained more than 1 million young people with skills and knowledge aimed at connecting them with industry careers.
The celebration of the Legends Award returns this year to the Gold & Silver Plate Awards for the first time since the pandemic. Since 1954, the Gold & Silver Plate awards have celebrated restaurant and foodservice operators for their outstanding achievements and contributions.
Hotel NEWS
Checking Inn
Fairmont Pacific Rim reveals new Fairmont Gold experience (CNW Group/Fairmont Hotels & Resorts)
The Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 20 revealed its “highly anticipated” Fairmont Gold experience following an extensive renovation of the Canadian property.
The Fairmont Gold experience “invites guests into a serene sanctuary, drawing inspiration from the surrounding forests and natural landscapes, offering breathtaking views of Vancouver’s iconic mountains, Stanley Park, the harbor, and the city skyline,” Fairmont said.
As part of the Fairmont Gold renovation, the 20th to 22nd floors of the hotel offer floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views and bring in natural light.
The renovation also includes the Fairmont Gold Lounge on the 20th floor, “where sophisticated, residential design meets curated gastronomic delights and seasonal experiences,” Fairmont said.
Hilton announced on March 19 the company’s plans for the company’s first ski destination hotel at New Deer Valley East Village in Park City, Utah.
Hilton said the new-build Canopy by Hilton was part of an agreement with New York-based Extell Development company, and will be the “first luxury alpine village to be developed since 1981.”
The 180-room property will overlook the Jordanelle Reservoir and the Deer Valley Resort.
“Deer Valley East Village has been a long-anticipated project that is sure to attract brands, retailers, visitors and residents from around the world, and the addition of Canopy to the Village further enhances our vision of bringing world-renowned brands and experiences to the resort,” said Gary Barnett, Founder and Chairman, Extell Development Company. “With a variety of residential ownership opportunities, exceptional hospitality, world-class amenities, and an array of retail, dining, and entertainment experiences, Deer Valley East Village—with the addition of this new hotel—will further cement its status as the crown jewel of Utah.”
The hotel is set to open in summer 2026.
Hotel Nikko San Francisco, a Japanese-inspired luxury hotel in the heart of the city’s downtown, has promoted Jason Ngo to Commercial Strategy Director for the property, the hotel announced on March 24.
Prior to his promotion, Ngo acted as the hotel’s director of sales & revenue and has been with the hotel since 2012.
“I’m thrilled to continue my journey with Hotel Nikko San Francisco in this new capacity,” said Ngo. “I look forward to working closely with the team to further strengthen our commercial efforts and continue offering an exceptional experience to our guests while driving the hotel’s success.”
In his new role, Ngo will continue to lead the hotel’s commercial strategy to drive the property’s growth, Hotel Nikko said.
CVB Updates
Discover Long Island (DLI) in New York announced on March 24 the launch of a second video series as part of its now award winning tourism video campaign, “You BeLong.”
The video campaign initially debuted in June 2023 and featured six three-minute videos highlighting local Long Island business owners. This latest series, featuring six more videos, was officially unveiled at DLI’s Annual Meeting & Legislative Breakfast.
“What makes Long Island such and incredible place to visit, live, and work are the people and small business owners in our community,” said DLI President & CEO Kristen Reynolds. “This heartwarming video series truly captures the history, culture, and character of our region through unique and compelling stories told from the perspective of our locals with immense pride in the place we call home and want to share their love of Long Island to inspire visitors from across the globe.”
Each video in the series features a Long Island business owner sharing their unique connection to the area, from culinary legends and artistic innovators to stories of cultural heritage. The campaign’s core message emphasizes that “Long Island isn’t just a place to visit, it’s a place where beauty, energy, history, diversity, and culture thrive, and where generations of local pride can be felt within every small business,” according to the organization.
Since the initial six videos premiered on YouTube in 2023, the campaign has become nationally recognized securing more than 7 million viewer impressions, as well as a prestigious Telly Award win.
The entire series, now made up of 12 videos, can be viewed here.
Find an older issue? Here.
