The first all-inclusive W Hotel—and other properties across the Americas—have appointed new leaders in recent weeks. Here are some names to know.
Arlo Wynwood
Arlo Hotels appointed Nicholas Siracusa as general manager at the Arlo Wynwood in Miami. Before joining Arlo Wynwood, Siracusa took an educational sabbatical to travel while examining unique approaches and common threads in hospitality across different countries and consulting for hotel groups and restaurants through his company, Siracusa Hospitality Solutions. Since joining the hotel at the beginning of the year, Siracusa helped oversee a launch of the hotel’s signature restaurant, Wyn Wyn.
Originally from Auburn, N.Y., Siracusa started his career at 15 years old as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, eventually working his way up to restaurant owner and operator. After pursuing a degree in hospitality, Siracusa moved to Florida and held leadership roles at The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach and Grand Bohemian Orlando. He then was hotel manager at the Columbus Airport Marriott, assistant hotel general manager at The Westin Austin Downtown, and general manager at Hyatt Place Indianapolis before accepting a dual general manager position for two Highgate Hotels properties in Miami Beach: The Gabriel South Beach and Circa 39 Hotel.
Kimpton Schofield Hotel
The Kimpton Schofield Hotel in Cleveland, appointed William Mehalco as its new general manager, bringing with him more than two decades of hospitality leadership experience and a connection to Northeast Ohio.
Mehalco most recently was general manager of Royalton Park Avenue in New York City, managed by Highgate Hotels Group. He joined the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand in 2015, helping lead the repositioning of Hotel Eventi, and later worked with IHG Hotels & Resorts to support the reopening of Even Midtown South during the pandemic. Earlier in his career, Mehalco was general manager of New York City’s first Hotel Indigo (now Hotel Hayden) in Chelsea.
The Statler, a Curio Collection by Hilton
Shyam Lalu is the new general manager of The Statler, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel managed by Aimbridge Hospitality. The Statler, in downtown Dallas, was built in 1956 and is recognized on the Historic Hotels of America registry.
Lalu has spent 24 years in various roles in the hotel industry, most recently as the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport. He has worked in management roles in several hotels’ food and beverage operations. Lalu has worked his way up since beginning his career as a hotel desk clerk in 2001, progressing through roles such as food and beverage director and director of operations before being named general manager. He has worked in a mix of city, resort/destination and wellness markets, from Sedona to Hollywood to Maui.
Vintners Resort
Ensemble Hospitality appointed Michael Collins general manager at Sonoma County, Calif.’s Vintners Resort. Collins is poised to lead Vintners Resort through a $15+ million conversion and launch as a new resort, debuting this summer.
Collins was general manager at Archer Hotel Napa, where he launched the property and managed all pre-opening initiatives. Before his role at Archer Hotel, Collins held various leadership positions at The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif., and Kenwood Inn and Spa in Kenwood, Calif. He held roles at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, NC, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
W Punta Cana, Adult All-Inclusive
The W Punta Cana, Adult All-Inclusive appointed Omar Rivera as general manager of the brand’s first all-inclusive resort worldwide, scheduled to open this spring. In his new role, Rivera will lead the brand’s debut within the all-inclusive space.
Before joining W Punta Cana, Rivera was managing director for Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection in Jamaica. Previously, Rivera spent six years as general manager for various Hyatt Ziva properties in Mexico and Jamaica.
Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas
Hilton has appointed Randy Morton general manager of Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, the 389-room non-gaming, non-smoking property on the Las Vegas Strip.
Morton spent a decade as president and COO of Bellagio Resort & Casino. Morton was vice president of hotel operations at Bellagio; president of OVG Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and co-CEO of Foley Entertainment Group and the Vegas Golden Knights. His 30-plus year career has also included general manager and resident manager roles at various Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts across the United States, Hawaii and Canada. Morton will oversee a property-wide multimillion-dollar renovation, highlighted by the recent debut of the updated 23rd floor.