The Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville (www.bohemianhotelasheville.com), a Kessler Collection luxury property, is excited to announce the opening management team of its newest hotel located in the heart of Biltmore Village in beautiful Asheville, N.C. The 104-room boutique hotel opens today, April 1st, with a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting celebration on Friday, April 3rd.
General Manager – John Luckett
General Manager John Luckett is an 18-year veteran of the hospitality industry who comes to the Grand Bohemian Hotel most recently from La Posada De Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he was the General Manager. While there, Mr. Luckett led the team to move from a AAA Three-Diamond to a AAA Four-Diamond rating, increased annual revenues as well as oversaw a multi-million dollar renovation. Prior to his role at La Posada De Santa Fe Resort & Spa, he served as the General Manager at the Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colorado. He has also held numerous positions with Adams Mark Hotels and Hyatt Hotels.
Accolades that Mr. Luckett has garnered include RockResorts’ top honor – the “Above & Beyond” award in 2005, “Manager of the Year” with Adams Mark Hotels in 1994, and “Manager of the Quarter” with Hyatt Hotels in 1992. While in New Mexico, he sat on the New Mexico Lodgers Association Board of Directors.
Director of Sales & Marketing – Cheri L. Fairchild, CHSP
Cheri Fairchild has joined the team as the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. In this role, Ms. Fairchild oversees all sales and marketing initiatives for the property’s many outlets including meeting and special event space as well the Red Stag Grill, Grand Bohemian Art Gallery, Poseidon Spa, guestrooms and more. She brings more than nine years of sales experience and 12 years of hospitality experience to the team.
She has previously worked with RevPac Hotel Management, PrimeHospitality & Warwick International Hotels and comes to the hotel most recently from her position as Sales Manager with The Kessler Collection’s award-winning sister property in Savannah, Ga., the 126-room luxurious Mansion on Forsyth Park. She was one of the top sales professionals in 2008 for The Kessler Collection and was also named Manager of the Quarter the same year. She is a member of the MPI-CC Hospitality Committee and AENC Tradeshow Committee.
Executive Chef – Adam Hayes
Executive Chef Adam Hayes leads the exemplary culinary team at The Red Stag Grill which features contemporary European comfort food, an extensive wine by the glass menu, and a lively bar scene in the heart of Biltmore Village. Chef Hayes is known for integrating local ingredients and flavor into each creative dish. His featured items include skillet roasted mussels, beef goulash with spaetzle, grilled elk filet, and North Carolina smoked ruby trout dip. Chef Hayes comes to the Grand Bohemian Hotel most recently from his role as Chef de Cuisine at Print Works Bistro at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C.
Director of Food & Beverage – Gary Steuber
Gary Steuber brings more than 30 years of Food and Beverage experience to the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville. He is responsible for all of the various F&B operations at the hotel and at its Red Stag Grill. He was previously the Executive Food and Beverage Manager at the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa, also in Asheville. He is a Certified Food and Beverage Executive (CFBE), Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) and is a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Mr. Steuber is affiliated with the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Asheville Independent Restaurant Association.
Grand Bohemian Gallery Director – Constance Richards
Grand Bohemian Gallery Director Constance Richards comes to the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville with an eclectic multi-dimensional background in writing, languages, travel, and art. Born in Europe, Ms. Richards spent many of her formative years in Germany, France, and England. She previously worked with ABC News and wrote for Time Magazine, LIFE, People, Condé Nast Traveler, and numerous other publications.
Since returning to Asheville, she covered the rich Western North Carolina arts and crafts scene for her arts column that ran in a daily newspaper for five years, while authoring two guidebooks about Asheville and the North Carolina mountains, and also wrote about travel and the culinary arts. Ms. Richards is a public speaker on numerous subjects, and is fluent in Russian and German.
Director of Engineering – Jay Overton
Jay Overton brings more than 10 years of experience as chief engineer of resort hotels to the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville. He comes to the hotel most recently from his position as Director of Engineering at the Hilton Jackson in Jackson, Miss. There, he was responsible for overseeing the engineering operations of 273 guest rooms, including 11 suites and 4 executive level floors, two restaurants, two lounges, and 30,000 square feet of meeting space. He also created preventive maintenance programs and developed and implemented energy conservation programs for the property to minimize expenses.
I had a great time a few years back learning conversational Spanish; I didn’t realize this was still going on, thanks.