Appointments & Promotions

InterContinental Appoints Nelum Gunewardane Hotel Manager at Mark Hopkins

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - March 15, 2010 - Nelum Gunewardane has been appointed as Hotel Manager for the iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, a AAA four-diamond historic landmark property on Nob Hill featuring 380 rooms and 19,000 sq. ft. of event space, and home to the legendary Top Of The Mark sky lounge. In her new position, Gunewardane will oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations in the front office, uniformed services, guest relations, housekeeping, engineering, and IT departments, and will report directly to Peter Koehler, Regional Director of Operations and General Manager of InterContinental San Francisco.

Bringing over 17 years of hospitality experience, Gunewardane began her career in 1992 with the InterContinental Hotels Group at the Riyadh InterContinental Hotel in Saudi Arabia, and then moved on to the May Fair InterContinental Hotel in London in 1997. From London, she joined the InterContinental The Barclay in New York in 2001 where she initially served as Assistant Manager in the Front Office department and finally as Front Office Manager in 2005. During her tenure at The Barclay, Gunewardane was the recipient of a cash scholarship from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in cooperation with the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, which she used toward three intensive classes in Managing Hotel Electronic Distribution, Hospitality Financial Management: Operations Decision-Making, and Strategic Pricing for Hotels: Revenue Enhancement through Pricing. After several promotions in New York, she was then appointed in 2006 as Director of Front Office Operations for the opening team of the InterContinental Boston, a 424-room new-build property located in Boston’s historic waterfront district. In 2007, Gunewardane was recognized as “Best of the Best for Director of Front Office” for InterContinental Hotels, North America.

Gunewardane holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.

About the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco The InterContinental Mark Hopkins is a historic landmark hotel at the crest of illustrious Nob Hill and conveniently located at the intersection of 3 cable car lines. Just minutes away from the financial and theatre districts as well as Union Square and Chinatown, the hotel features 380 luxurious rooms including 31 suites and featuring 5 specialty suites. Featuring 2 historic ballrooms and 19 meeting rooms, the hotel offers 19,000 sq. ft. of versatile event space. It is also home to the legendary Top Of The Mark sky lounge, famed for its panoramic views and 100 Martinis menu. For reservations please call 415.392.3434 or visit www.intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com for more information.

Sign up to receive more articles like this on the Hotel Newswire Daily Digest eNewsletter.


Receive the free Daily Digest
Coming Up In The March Online Hotel Business Review

"Hotel Business Review offers weekly articles for hotel management and operation and discussion on emerging growth markets."
Feature Focus
Hotel Human Resources: The Biggest Challenges
The economic challenges of the past four years have led many hotel companies to re-examine the ways in which they do business and how they deploy talent. In many cases, the work did not go away and fewer people were left to carry on the tasks that had previously been shared among many. As we work our way out of the recession and look forward to a healthier economic environment, there is an understanding that despite recovering business levels, we may never see the return of former staffing levels. This "new norm" of operating with leaner teams has led Human Resources professionals and people managers to look at career development and growth opportunities in a new light. The March Hotel Business Review will take a look at some of the strategies being used by successful hotel brands, and techniques human resource directors are currently exploring.
INSIGHTS FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS BY INDUSTRY LEADERS
"The Four Habits of Highly Effective Human Resources"
By James Bermingham, Vice President, Montage Hotels
"Embassy Suites 'The Circle of Leadership"
By Darci Riesenhuber, Director of Brand Culture, Embassy Suites Hotels
"Applying Consumer Marketing Best Practices to Employee Loyalty"
By Fred Bendana, Executive Director Client Services, Maritz Loyalty & Motivation
"How Incentives are Changing to Keep Existing Staff Motivated?"
By Jim Houran, Partner, HVS Executive Search
PLUS: Mobile Technology - Attracting & Retaining Top Talent - Education - Employee Engagement - Employment Claims & Litigation - Employment Contracts - HR Management.