Honolulu, Hawaii - April 30, 2013 - Aqua Hospitality (www.aquahospitality.com), Hawaii's leading hotel management company, has hired Steve Velez in the newly created position of sales manager mainland. Based out of Aqua's San Francisco offices, Velez will be responsible for developing and facilitating business from the domestic, retail and corporate markets on the mainland and in Canada.

"This newly created mainland sales position is the natural progression for Aqua following our recent company restructuring into three distinct hotel divisions: Monogram, Aqua and Lite Hotels," said Robin Harlow, senior director of sales. "Steve will be integral in helping Aqua identify and evaluate new opportunities for each of these new divisions on the mainland."

Velez most recently served as business development manager for Sandals Hotels and Resorts. In this position, he represented Sandals, Beaches, Royal Plantation and Grand Pineapple Hotels and Resorts throughout the Caribbean and was awarded top suppliers sales representative 2010 by Travel Agent Magazine.

Velez began his travel industry career in a reservations center position with Apple Vacations. He was quickly promoted to an inside sales and special bookings position and was responsible for travel agent itineraries as well as incentive promotions, tradeshows and special events. While assisting the organization Apple Vacations Tradeshows West, Steve was offered a position with Riu Hotels and Resorts Mexico. For the next three years, he represented Riu as the business development manager for the Pacific Mountain region and Texas.

Velez grew up in Southern California near Los Angeles and has lived in the Southwest and East Coast.

About Aqua Hospitality®
Aqua Hospitality is a Hawaii-based management company founded in 2001. The company provides full-service management including sales, marketing, Internet distribution, individualized branding, reservations, as well as revenue management to maximize profitability. Currently representing 23 contemporary properties on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island, Aqua offers lifestyle full-service resorts, stylish boutique hotels, comfortable budget properties and a historic hotel within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more information on the company, individual hotels, and its three divisions of hotels - Monogram Hotel Collection, Aqua Hotels and Resorts and Lite Hotels - visit  www.aquahospitality.com or call 1-808-943-9291