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The Hotel Council of San Francisco’s 18th Annual “Hotel Hero Awards” Finalists Are Announced

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( 415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

The Hotel Council of San Francisco’s
18th Annual “Hotel Hero Awards” Finalists Are Announced.

Annual Awards are Thursday, April 27
Hilton San Francisco Union Square
www.hotelcouncilsf.org 

5 April 2023 – San Francisco, CA: “And the envelope please…..” The Hotel Council of San Francisco (www.hotelcouncilsf.org) has announced the list of finalists for this year’s annual Hotel Hero Awards Gala celebrating the City’s hospitality industry. The finalists were selected from a wide list of nominees submitted by members of the City’s hospitality industry. The event takes place ThursdayApril 27th (6pm reception; 7pm dinner and awards) at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square (333 O’Farrell Street).

“Everyone working in hospitality in San Francisco is a hero for their role in helping our city bounce back,” said Alex Bastian, Hotel Council President and CEO. “Hospitality has gone above and beyond in their frontline efforts to welcome back the world to everyone’s favorite city. Our community celebrates not only the finalists, but each and every worker.”

Established in 2003, the Hotel Hero awards were created to pay tribute to the people who dedicate their lives to the hospitality industry. As the largest industry in San Francisco, hotels and tourism directly impact the success of many businesses throughout San Francisco, supporting over 86,000 jobs.Prices for the 18th Annual Hotel Hero Gala are: Table of 10: $3000; Half Table $1500. Individual Member Ticket, $ 350; Individual Non-Member Ticket, $425: available at www.hotelcouncilsf.org/events/


Following are this year’s finalists:

Beyond the Call of Duty (300 Rooms or Less)
Binh Thai, Taj Campton Place
Yuko Okumoto, Four Seasons San Francisco
Araceli Alvarado, Harbor Court Hotel
Pilar Hernandez, Galleria Park Hotel
Ryan Koecke, Argonaut Hotel

Beyond the Call of Duty (301 Rooms or More)
Salvador Sorro, InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco
Ken Murray, Handlery Union Square Hotel
William “Bill” Sutton, InterContinental San Francisco
Luis Enriquez, Hotel Nikko
Elton (Hung) Thanh, Hilton San Francisco Union Square

Unsung Hero (300 Rooms or Less)
Alex Molina, Taj Campton Place
Jeffry Suarez, Presidio Lodging
Chen-Chih Lin, St. Regis
Lin Zhu, Axiom Hotel
Haroldo Lopez, Galleria Park Hotel

Unsung Hero (301 Rooms or More)
Johnathan Ngo, Hotel Nikko
Michael Wilson, Parc 55
Eddy Monge, Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Leif Abram, Beacon Grand
JoJo Capuchino, The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco

Rising Star
Tiffany Wu, Fairmont San Francisco
Joshua Gutierrez, W San Francisco
Deysa Salinas, Argonaut Hotel
Bryan Paige, Hotel Nikko
Joey Tran, Galleria Park Hotel

Werner Lewin Lifetime Achievement, Operations
Rosario Bonilla, Hotel Zoe
Mario Ruano, InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco
Brigido “Briggy” Alegre, The Westin St. Francis
Oscar Cruz, Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Simon Hu, Parc 55 San Francisco

Lifetime Achievement, Department Manager
Naushad Alam, The Westin St Francis
Leon Demmon, Parc 55
Jeremy Tanaka, Hotel Kabuki
Edelvia Salic, Galleria Park Hotel
Daniela Puccinelli, The Westin St. Francis

Bob Begley Lifetime Achievement, Hotel Executive
Clifton Clark, Marriott Regional based out of the Westin St. Francis
Roger Huldi, St Regis
Terry Lewis, Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55

Sustainability
Hotel Nikko
Hotel Spero
Hotel Zoe
InterContinental San Francisco
Presidio Lodging

Community Spirit
Argonaut Hotel
Axiom Hotel
Hotel Nikko
Hyatt Hotels of San Francisco
InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco

Sponsors for this year’s Hotel Hero Awards include: United Airlines, Big Bus, Visit California, SF Travel, San Francisco Parks & Rec, HD Supply and RNDC. 

About the Hotel Council of San Francisco:
The Hotel Council of San Francisco is a non-profit membership-based organization advocating for the economic and social vitality of the hospitality industry in San Francisco. Their membership roster includes over 200 hotels, allied members, and partner organizations. The Hotel Council is dedicated to protecting the San Francisco hospitality industry and connecting its members to support the growth and success of the industry.