“We are so pleased to have each one of these seasoned professionals as part of our Hilton Waikoloa Village team. Their hands-on approach, passion for guest satisfaction and knowledgeable backgrounds will elevate our level of excellence at the resort,” praises Debi Bishop, general manager.

Michael Donahue has been named executive director of marketing and will lead brand management at Waikoloa Beach Resort, delivering top line results through direct interaction with all revenue generating departments at the resort. Donahue boasts an extensive hospitality background with 25 years of successful senior executive hospitality and management experience. Most recently, Donahue served as the executive director of sales and marketing for the world-renowned LaQuinta Resort and PGA West. Among his many other leadership roles, Donahue co-founded Clairvoyix, a leading database marketing system, and served as vice president of marketing for KSL Resorts.

Abby Murtagh will oversee concept development and day-to-day operations of all food and beverage outlets at Hilton Waikoloa Village, as the new director of food and beverage. Murtagh boasts almost two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. After graduating from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel administration, Murtagh began her hospitality career as banquet captain at the Hershey Entertainment and Resort Company. Murtagh quickly climbed the ladder there and was named food and beverage director. Most recently, she served as vice president, food and beverage for HEI/Merritt Hospitality. During this role, she helped develop the successful “Beyond Banquets” concept that embraces a more contemporary, restaurant-like approach to hotel banquets.

The culinary team at Hilton Waikoloa Village will now be led by award-winning Executive Chef Charles Charbonneau. Chef Charles attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, where he learned from the European Masters Chefs, the culinary world’s best. Chef Charles brings more than 30 years of hospitality experience to the Waikoloa Beach Resort and will oversee the culinary operations, including staff training, food preparation and service, of the nine dining outlets, as well as banquet and group catering operations.

Michele Wilkin has been named the Kohala Spa director at Hilton Waikoloa Village. Wilkin has been a leader in the spa world for more than a decade and has continued to evolve resort spa services as treatments and trends change over time. Wilkin will lead an accomplished group of spa treatment experts in enhancing the Waikoloa guest experience through pampered immersion into Hawaiian methods of wellness. Prior to joining the Hilton Waikoloa Village team, Wilkin was the spa director at the Spa at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The most recent appointment at Hilton Waikoloa Village is Scott Ward, the new resident manager. Ward will implement and manage daily quality processes at the hotel, assisting the general manager in the administration of the hotel by directing staff efforts toward total guest satisfaction, increased employee productivity and overall resort profitability. Ward has more than 15 years of experience in the full-service hotel industry under well-known flags including Marriott, Westin and Crown Plaza. Most recently, Ward was general manager at Crown Plaza Tampa East.

For more information about Waikoloa Beach Resort and Hilton Waikoloa Village, visit www.waikoloabeachresort.com or www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com or call 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667).  

About Waikoloa Beach Resort
Waikoloa Beach Resort -- a 1,350-acre Resort located under the sunny skies of the Kohala Coast on Hawaii’s Big Island -- offers a wide array of accommodations, including Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hilton Grand Vacations Club and a variety of condominiums and vacation homes. Waikoloa Beach Resort is a gateway to cultural immersion, engaging travelers in the area’s rich history through interactive cultural entertainment and luaus, historic Petroglyph tours, authentic local treatments at the Kohala Spa, Dolphin Quest educational center, dining outlets with Island-oriented meals inspired by local ingredients, a Museum Walkway with 1,800 pieces of art and children’s programs at Camp Menehune. Waikoloa guests enjoy incredible weather year-round, with outdoor adventures ranging from championship golf at the Beach Course and Kings' Course and shopping at Queen's Marketplace and Kings' Shops to casual family fun at the private ocean-fed snorkeling Lagoon, seaside putting course and expansive tennis complex.
 
About Hilton 
Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,200 hotels and 545,000 rooms in 77 countries, with more than 135,000 team members worldwide.  The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf Astoria Collection™. Hilton Hotels Corporation is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, which will extend through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, the 2010/2012 U.S. Paralympic Team and the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team. The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.”  The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company:  be hospitable®.    The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity. For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com.
 

jennifer garner
850.668.2222
jgarner@zimmerman.com