It’s hard to believe that summer will soon be over. If you’re like me, you’re thinking about getting the kids ready for school. My twin 13 year olds go back to school on Wednesday. While summer has certainly flown by, it’s been a very productive few months.
We recently brought our Hotel Manager on board, just in time for him and his wife to enroll their six year old son in a local school. Derek Ellis was most recently the General Manager of the Renaissance Club Sport hotel in Aliso Viejo, California. Derek brings a wealth of experience to our Resort. Prior to being the opening General Manager for the Renaissance Club Sport, he was the opening Resident Manager of the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, Arizona. Immediately before that role, he was the opening Director of Operations at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. Derek will be responsible for all service related departments at the JW Marriott San Antonio. It’s a significant responsibility and one that I know Derek will embrace with enthusiasm and passion.
In my last blog, I noted that our Food and Beverage Director, Scott Siebert was on board. I’m glad to share that he has hired our Executive Chef, Ryan Littman. This is Ryan’s second time as the opening Executive Chef as at a JW Marriott Resort. The 2007 recipient of Marriott’s Executive Chef of the Year, Ryan has already been busy at work meeting with local vendors, growers, and purveyors. Together, Scott and Ryan and creating a world class food and beverage experience for our future guests. I’ve already seen there first take at menus for our Cibolo Moon Restaurant. Our goal is to have fresh food that is so flavorful that our guests won’t want to dine anywhere else!
I’m excited about the next few months as we approach our January, 2010 opening. The Resort finishes; from the carpeting in Ballroom, to the lighting in the Golf Clubhouse, to the landscaping throughout the property; are being installed on a daily basis. I’ll be updating my blog more frequently as the pace has picked up as we approach our opening day.
San Antonio: It’s all about Warm Heart…Authentic Culture
