As AC Hotel Miami Dadeland looks to its opening later this fall, Marriott International and Concord Hospitality Enterprises are pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Shafi as director of operations and Irma Salinas to the role of food and beverage manager for the property. Shafi and Salinas bring a combined total of more than 25 years of hospitality knowledge and experience to the fashion-forward hotel located in the heart of South Miami’s growing cultural hub.
Bringing his cosmopolitan expertise and strong worth ethic to AC Hotel Miami Dadeland after having worked in the hospitality industry in New York City for many years, Shafi will oversee developing strategies for increasing the facilities’ operational efficiency, coordinating staff development activities and creating productive working environments at the new fashion-centric hotel in South Miami.
“We are proud to bring in a director of operations and a food and beverage manager to our new hotel who have the level of experience and expertise that Ryan and Irma both possess,” says Adriana Vellojin, general manager of AC Hotel Miami Dadeland. “We feel our values as a property perfectly align with Ryan and Irma’s goals, and that is to deliver superior service and memorable experiences for all our future guests,” adds Vellojin.
Hailing from Queens, New York, Ryan Shafi graduated from York College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, before diving headfirst into a career in the hospitality industry. Shafi landed his first hotel job as front desk coordinator at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan where his talents were quickly noticed and resulted in several promotions throughout his tenure there. Shafi was quickly promoted to operations manager, and assistant general manager where he assisted the general manager to ensure that day-to-day business operations ran smoothly, as well as drew up weekly schedules, ordered merchandise, and assisted the general manager with training, recruiting, promotions and planning. Additionally, Shafi has held positions in various hotel brands including the Moxy Times Square, The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Times Square NYC, and Cassa Hotel 45th Street.
As food and beverage manager at AC Hotel Miami Dadeland, Irma Salinas will bring five-star service and etiquette to the European-inspired hotel as she manages food and beverage operations within budget and to the highest standards, leads the culinary team by attracting, recruiting, training and appraising talented personnel, designs unique menus, and complies with food and safety regulations.
Born and raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Salinas learned the ins and outs of a kitchen and gained much of her cooking knowledge thanks to her grandmother. In 2011, Salinas moved to the United States with her family where she found many opportunities to work and learn in the industry that she loved, including attending the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu of Culinary Arts where she received the highest level of culinary and hospitality management education before graduating in 2013. Shortly after, Salinas decided to take on the food and beverage industry full time after accepting a position as Chef Tournant at the renowned Ritz-Carlton Hotel Coconut Grove, FL. where she worked beneath the head chef, helping with various culinary duties and further refining her five-star culinary expertise.
Under the leadership of Shafi and Salinas, hotel guests and locals can look forward to a perfectly precise and satisfying hotel experience complete with modern accommodations, elevated cuisine and culinary offerings, located steps away from Miami’s original shopping center, Dadeland Mall.
For more information about AC Hotel Miami Dadeland, please visit www.marriott.com/miacd.
ABOUT AC HOTEL MIAMI DADELAND
AC Hotel Miami Dadeland is a new, fashion-forward hotel located in the heart of South Miami’s growing cultural hub and is connected directly to the extraordinary shopping destination, Dadeland Mall via pathway. The 177-room hotel showcases a classic design with a European flair created for the intuitive and purposeful traveler. Guests can enjoy refined rooms, business travel-friendly amenities, elevated cocktail programs and menu offerings at the lavish onsite lounge, fitness center and a unique rooftop experience with a pool and bar serving specialty cocktails, wine, beer and small bites. In addition, the hotel features 3,600 square feet of meeting space with floor to ceiling windows. AC Hotel Miami Dadeland is located at 7695 North Kendall Drive, Miami, Florida 33156. For more information, please call 305.668.4490 or visit www.marriott.com/miacd. Follow the hotel on social media: Facebook/achotelmiamidadeland/ and Instagram at @ACHotelMiamiDadeland.
