Sheraton Seattle Hotel Appoints New Executive Chef

Chef John W. Armstrong IV is New Executive Chef at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel

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. September 18, 2012

SEATTLE - September 18, 2012 - The Sheraton Seattle Hotel is pleased to announce the appointment of John W. Armstrong IV as executive chef. Chef Armstrong will oversee food service at the landmark downtown Seattle hotel, applying his 18 years of fine dining and banquet experience in his new role.

“Chef Armstrong brings a passion for building relationships with local farmers, ranchers and fish mongers that will flourish in the Pacific Northwest where locally sourced ingredients are abundant,” said Matt Van Der Peet, general manager of the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. “We're thrilled to watch as he applies his creativity to the flavors of our region, designing exciting culinary experiences for guests at the hotel.”

Chef Armstrong attended the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh, where he studied with German Master Chef Dieter Keisling and received the school's highest distinction, the President's Honors Award. Prior to joining the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Chef Armstrong worked in five-star, five-diamond and DiRōNA restaurants, including Arthur's 27 at the Buena Vista Palace Resort and Spa in Orlando, Fla. as saucier and Francesca's at Sunset at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, as executive chef. He was the youngest senior banquet chef in Marriott history, and his catering experience includes overseeing events for the Marriott Rivercenter & Riverwalk Hotels in San Antonio, catering at the Alamodome and catering eight years of PGA Tours. Chef Armstrong was appointed to the Marriott's special task force for planning high profile special events throughout the U.S., including The American Culinary Federation Conference in Atlanta and the Boy Scouts of America Conference in Monterey, Calif.

Chef Armstrong developed his enthusiasm for the culinary arts at an early age, when he often gathered with his Italian family in the kitchen, listening, watching and admiring the skill and pride his uncles and grandfather took in preparing meals for the family. He continues to educate himself about new trends and regional ingredients, and shares that knowledge as a mentor to up-and-coming chefs in culinary schools - both as a member of advisory boards and in the classroom.

New to Seattle, Chef Armstrong looks forward to learning more about the region's culinary highlights from local farmers and producers and to developing recipes that showcase those ingredients for his guests. In his spare time, he hones his skills as a bladesmith, forging recycled and raw materials into sharpened kitchen knives, and takes advantage of every opportunity to spend quality time with his family.

About The Sheraton Seattle Hotel

The Sheraton Seattle Hotel, named to the 2012 Expedia Insiders Select List and recipient of Meetings and Conventions Gold Key Award, is located at 1400 Sixth Avenue in downtown Seattle. The hotel recently underwent a $130 million expansion project, making it the premier convention hotel in the Northwest with a total of 1,258 rooms. The expansion included the construction of the new, 25-story Union Street Tower (420 additional guestrooms) and extensive upgrades to the hotel's meeting facilities that provide the Sheraton Seattle with a total of 47 meeting rooms and an additional 31,000 square feet of new meeting space for a total of 75,000 square feet. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1000 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.