Venue News
The Gabriel South Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton, announced that the hotel is now powered by 100% renewable energy. The Gabriel South Beach is part of Conscious Certified Hotels (CCH), an ESG (environmental, social, governance) platform with a commitment to social, health and environmental consciousness. The platform, created by CGI Merchant Group, focuses on implementing environmental improvements to hotel operations and caters to purposeful travelers who seek out properties who are focused on supporting sustainable causes. “By shifting to 100% renewable electricity, we’re keeping our future travelers in mind,” said Robert Festinger, vice president of hospitality asset management at CGI Merchant Group, LLC. “We’re also reducing our single-use plastics above and beyond the compliance requirements issued by the City of Miami Beach, with hope that the future will look a lot brighter for life on this planet.” The Gabriel South Beach is managed by Highgate, a premier hospitality investment and management company. As part of Highgate’s latest sustainability initiatives, the hotel is one of over 200 Highgate properties that are now powered by 100% renewable electricity and that have committed to third-party verification for 2022 through Green-e®, the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy.
La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes Estates, California, is open for guests after undergoing a top-to-bottom refreshment in late 2021. The historic clifftop property offers 4,500 sq. ft. of event space for up to 220 guests. Event spaces include the great lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean; a courtyard space with greenery and fountain; a main ballroom and two ballroom-adjacent dining rooms with ocean views; and manicured gardens throughout the grounds. Guests can enjoy seasonally-driven, gourmet, and locally-sourced menu options from Made by Meg Catering.
Hard Rock Hotel New York opened this week in Midtown Manhattan, offering a new music-themed option for event planners and travelers. The 12,717 square feet of meeting and event space includes the 3,025-square-foot RT60 Rooftop Bar & Lounge, as well as a two-story penthouse, which holds a 1,600-square-foot private terrace, a bar, and open-plan living and dining space. The hotel has 446 rooms with music-themed amenities like soundwave headboards and a Crosley record player.
People on the Move
Danika Smith-Josiah has been promoted to regional vice president of operations for Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG). Smith-Josiah will now be leading the hotel managers of SHG’s portfolio, providing guidance in areas such as property maintenance, asset protection, guest service, sales, accounting, and budgeting. “Danika’s perseverance and leadership defied the immense challenges put before her over the course of three years at the Hampton Inn Sarasota Airport,” Rob Sadoff, principal and co-founder of SHG, stated of Smith-Josiah's time during the COVID-19 pandemic. “She truly inspires everyone to be their best selves and we are blessed to have her as a teammate and friend.” Smith-Josiah has a strong education and background in hospitality, and has been with SHG since 2018, where she quickly acquired more responsibilities and made her way into leadership positions. Her work has helped the company increase profit and revenue, market share, client retention rates, and employee satisfaction ratings.
Hot off the Presses
The Gilroy Garlic Festival is sad to announce the end of its annual occurrence. Due to lingering uncertainties from the pandemic, as well as prohibitive insurance requirements from the City of Gilroy, the festival Board decided not to move ahead this year and for the foreseeable future. The Board has confirmed that other events will continue, including their second Annual Golf Tournament on June 24th and concert with KRTY at Clos La Chance Winery on July 13th.
