Friday 24 April 2026 – Trinity Bridge Friday news briefing
We hope you have had a great week. Here’s our roundup of senior people moves across the hotel sector to keep you informed and up to date.
** A round-up of this week’s people moves in the hospitality sector
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UK-based HotelREZ Hotels and Resorts has appointed Frank Fuentes as Senior Vice President, The Americas, leading the group’s expansion across North America and Latin America. Frank joins after more than 15 years with IHG, where he held regional roles across the Americas.
Matt Lederer has joined Sirius Hotel Group in the newly created role of Director of Acquisitions following the group’s rebranding from Resident Hotels. Matt most recently served as Hotel Acquisitions Director for Castleforge, and his prior experience includes senior roles with JLL and Marriott International.
Dalata Hotel Group , Ireland’s largest hotel group has announced that Chief Executive Officer Dermot Crowley and Deputy Chief Executive Officer Shane Casserly will step down from their respective roles later this year following a deal by Scandinavian property companies Pandox and Eiendomsspar to buy the group last year.
Hilton has announced the expansion of the Canadian development team with the appointment of Mark Kochhar to the role of Director, Franchise Development, Canada. Mark holds more than 13 years of experience with Hilton and in his most recent role, served as Director, Owner Relations, Canada.
Mário Custódio steps into the role of Director of Operations, Portugal for Greek hospitality group, Domes Resorts . He brings more than two decades of experience to the role, previously serving as General Manager of the Domes, Lake Algarve – Autograph Collection.
John Banizette has been promoted by Groupe Barrière to the role of General Manager for Hotel Barrière, Le Gray d’Albion in Cannes. He has been with the group since 2007, previously serving as General Manager of Hotel Barrière, Le Westminster in Le Touquet.
Armella Stepan has taken the role of Managing Director for AKA, Beverly Hills . She brings extensive experience in luxury hospitality to the role and her earlier career includes positions with Kempinski Hotels and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
Minor Hotels has announced the appointment of Felix Otto as Director of Food & Beverage for Anantara, The Palm Dubai Resort. Felix has built his career with Mandarin Oriental, most recently serving as Director of Food & Beverage at Mandarin Oriental, Muscat.
Scott Armstrong has returned to Choice Hotels as Director, Development, Australia & NZ. Scott previously spent six years with the group and is joining from one of Choice’s white-label management associates; 1834 hotels where he held the role of Development Director.
Amora Hotels and Resorts has announced the promotion of Narej Farik to the role of Chief Development Officer. Narej joined the group in 2023 and was most recently in the role of Group Director of Business Development.
Karen Codilla has been named as Vice President, Optimisation & Commercial Strategy for Associated Luxury Hotels International . She joins from Prince Resorts Hawaii where she served as Corporate Director of Commercial Strategy.
Janna Hotels & Resorts , known for Bedouin-inspired hospitality across the UAE, has announced the promotion of Mahmoud Abouelela to the role of Head of Sales. He joined the group in 2018 as Area Sales Manager and has progressed through leadership roles in the Sales team.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited has announced the promotion of Somanna Vanchira to the role of Director of Security for Taj, Dubai. He has been with IHCL since 2010 and most recently served as Cluster Security Director overseeing security operations for 10 hotels.
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