Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas Paradise Valley appointed Dimitrios Bessis as managing director, following the announcement of the final phase of the reimagined resort’s $70 million transformation. Set for completion in early 2027, the project includes the addition of 134 Valley Villas and The Enclave, a hotel-within-a-hotel concept featuring 10 Residences, along with the Arizona debut of Katsuya, the acclaimed modern Japanese restaurant from lifestyle hospitality group sbe. In this role, Bessis will oversee operations across the resort as Kimpton Miralina moves toward its full 404-key footprint and expanded slate of culinary, wellness and event offerings.
With nearly two decades of hospitality experience, Bessis’ background spans full-service hotels, multi-property operations and area-level general management. His career has included leadership across resorts, dining, and operations, giving him experience managing complex portfolios while developing teams and driving financial and operational performance. These experiences will be particularly relevant at Kimpton Miralina, where Bessis will oversee a multifaceted resort experience spanning multiple dining venues, six pools, a spa, immersive desert-inspired wellness installations and more than 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
“Dimitrios Bessis brings a thoughtful, team-focused approach to hospitality leadership, along with the experience needed to lead a resort of Miralina’s scale and ambition,” said Alex Francis, vice president of operations at Highgate. “His leadership comes at an important moment for Miralina, and we’re thrilled to have him guide the team as the resort continues to expand and bring its full vision to life.”
Prior to joining Kimpton Miralina, Bessis served as vice president of operations with Rentyl Resorts with a portfolio of assets including resorts, theme park, and restaurants. Before that, he served as area resort general manager at NDM Hospitality/Rentyl Resorts and oversaw two vacation resorts, a water park and two restaurants. Bessis also served as area general manager with Aimbridge Hospitality, where he managed a four-property portfolio. Across these roles, he oversaw financial performance, forecasting, labor planning, budgeting and brand standards. Earlier in his career, Bessis held several property-level leadership roles with Interstate Hotels & Resorts before becoming a corporate task force general manager, supporting full-service and select-service hotels across staffing, financial operations and capital projects.
“I’m excited to join Kimpton Miralina as the resort enters the final phase of its transformation,” said Dimitrios Bessis. “There is an incredible opportunity to build on what has already been created at Kimpton Miralina and help shape the next phase of the resort alongside the team.”
As managing director, Bessis will lead Kimpton Miralina through the final phase of its transformation, overseeing the 404-key resort across the main hotel, Valley Villas and The Enclave. With expanded accommodations, new culinary concepts and signature wellness and event programming, the completed resort will introduce a new expression of Sonoran Desert hospitality to Paradise Valley.
