In October, John S. Janucik was appointed executive chef of the 294-room Hyatt Sarasota, located on Sarasota Bay. His new responsibilities include overall daily management of the 26-member culinary staff and the hotel’s two restaurants, the Boathouse and Scalini. He is also responsible for overseeing the Hyatt Sarasota’s 20,000-squarefoot 10 Hotel F&B Executive. March/April 2006 banquet facilities and directing all off-site catered events.

The Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach, Oregon, located on the shores of one of the world’s most dramatic coastlines, announced a muchanticipated renovation of their oceanfront family resort. Work began in October 2005 and will be completed in spring of 2006. Owned and managed by Martin Hospitality of Cannon Beach, Oregon, the Surfsand Resort overlooks Haystack Rock and the majestic Pacific Ocean and has been a popular Northwest coastal destination since the early 60s.

In November, the Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that it ranked at 47 on Condé Nast Travelermagazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards “Top 75 Hotels” in the United States listing. The rankings are based on rooms, service, food/dining, location and overall design. In the Boston market, the Hotel Marlowe was listed alongside Boston’s premier luxury properties, including the Four Seasons and XV Beacon.

In November, Albuquerque’s well-known restaurateur, James White, joined Sandia Resort & Casino, Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico, as the sous chef for Bien Shur, the hotel’s finedining restaurant. The Bien Shur offers fine dining on the rooftop of the hotel’s seventh floor where an indoor/outdoor lounge offers guests spectacular views of the Sandia Mountains, the city skyline, and the Rio Grande. White brings more than 30 years of restaurant expertise and will manage all operations in the kitchen—from staff management to the quality of the entrées created and served.

The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa Grand Cayman has developed a menu catered to travelers attending Food and Wine magazine’s Cayman Classic 2006 from March 3 to 5. Café Cubano will provide a wine flight and menu including dishes such as the Havana Rum Smoked Marlin, the Creole Crabcake, and the sautéed Red Snapper Filet Yucateco. The event itself showcases sumptuous fare from all over the globe. Chef Bruce Sherman, world-renowned Chef Aaron Sanchez, and wine expert Joshua Wesson will be on hand for cooking demonstrations and wine seminars. For more information, visit www.westincasuarina.net.

One of the first condominium hotel and spa complexes to be completed in Las Vegas, the Platinum Hotel and Spa will open in June 2006 and will feature 255 suites with stunning views of the Strip and the mountains. All units in the 17-floor high-rise are individually owned, fully furnished condominiums, with options ranging from a 42- inch wall-mounted plasma HDTV, to a full kitchen, electric fireplaces, whirlpool baths, and private outdoor terraces. In addition, the hotel will feature a contemporary poolside restaurant offering tasting plates and unique presentations, a cocktail lounge /social parlor in the lobby, and a 17th-floor rooftop terrace.

In January, the recently renovated Holiday Inn on the Hill, a Washington D.C. hotel for the Capitol Hill area, announced the appointment of Bobby Brandt as executive chef. Chef Brandt’s appointment was made following an extensive $10 million upgrade and renovation to the hotel’s 343 guestrooms and public spaces. He joins The Holiday Inn on the Hill from the renowned Gabriel Restaurant at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.

Enrique Guerrero has been hired as Chef at the recently refurbished Galisteo Inn and La Mancha Bar and Restaurant in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Chef Guerrero has coined the term “Nuevo Hacienda Cuisine” to describe his cooking. Born in northern California and raised in Mexico, Guerrero remembers watching his great-grandmother preparing the chicken with mole for the entire family. He now uses rustic touches to blend Mexican, Spanish, and French flavors, combining fresh seasonal ingredients such as olives, chilies, huitlacoche, black truffles, figs, apricots, and foie gras to create a palette of mouthwatering tastes.