Thomas Luersen

President

Tom provides executive leadership for CoralTree Hospitality Group and previously oversaw the entire Two Roads Hospitality portfolio as COO. He started with Two Roads Hospitality at Sunriver Resort in Oregon in 1998, where he was Managing Director, then served as Regional Vice President and Executive Vice President in the home office until he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2016. Tom previously held senior resort and hospitality executive positions with The Woodlands Corporation, where he oversaw the Hospitality Division including resorts, hotels, corporate conference centers and club operations, along with master planning the 36,000-acre community. Tom has also held various executive and leadership roles with Busch Properties, operating and expanding hospitality, golf, club and condominium developments. After graduating from college, where he was managing restaurants in Miami, Tom joined Gaylord Hotels in Nashville, Tennessee, and held an executive-level role in management for the original Opryland Hotel. Tom is an active member of the AH&LA Resort Committee, the Urban Land Institute, the Founder and Board Member 501 (c)(3) of The Wonderland Express, and past two-term Chairman and Board member of the Oregon Tourism Commission and the Cascade Culinary Institute.
Education: Florida International University, BS

André Fournier

EVP, SALES, MARKETING & REVENUE

André oversees all sales, marketing and revenue efforts for CoralTree Hospitality Group, as he did previously with the entire portfolio of Two Roads Hospitality, as well as manages the strategic direction for corporate sales, revenue strategy and marketing programs. He is responsible for creating sales, marketing and revenue global vision and culture, driving revenue through annual business planning processes that develop brand-building strategies to meet short- and long-term business objectives.
André started with Destination Hotels in 1995 and previously held the positions of Vice President of Field Sales and Marketing and also Director of Sales and Marketing at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa in Colorado. Prior to joining Destination, André was Vice President of Sales for the Dawson Companies in Scottsdale where he had oversight of sales and marketing strategies for a collection of lodging and travel enterprises operated by Dawson, including the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Andre’s success in hospitality spans 30 years.
André’s leadership style is built on the foundation of “Living Above the Line,” coined by motivator Mike Lipkin, which fosters preeminence and accountability in the workplace. André is admired for his integrity, overcoming adversity, compassion and ability to inspire and develop staff by encouraging “intestinal fortitude” or strength from within. He sets high expectations for his team and believes in the freedom to fail. His leadership excellence has led him to win numerous awards, from HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing, Lowe Enterprises “Spirit of Lowe Award” to Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association’s Sales & Marketing Executive of the Year. He is most at home with his family and friends, enjoying a glass of wine along a river which is always flowing and changing its course.
Education: Arizona State University, B.S. Marketing

Robert Mellwig

SVP Really Cool People (HR)

Robert serves as Senior Vice President, Really Cool People (Human Resources) for CoralTree Hospitality Group, as he did previously with Two Roads Hospitality. Robert joined Destination Hotels in March 2004 as Director of Recruitment & Organizational Development and was later promoted to Vice President, Human Resources for Destination Hotels in 2006, a position he held until January 2009 when he accepted responsibility for the entirety of the HR function for all hospitality and non-hospitality related businesses for Two Roads Hospitality and LOWE. Prior to joining Destination Hotels, Robert held corporate staffing responsibility at the home office with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and held prior field HR responsibility within the W Hotel group. Robert’s HR career began with Hilton Hotels Corporation where he held various HR and training posts in the Southern California resorts and AAA Five Diamond Hilton at Short Hills in New Jersey. Robert has been an active member of SHRM since 1997 and has held his SPHR credential since 1999. Mellwig holds a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Lowe Enterprises is a multi billion dollar real estate company based on Brentwood, CA and is the parent company of Destination Hotels & Resorts based in Denver, CO. Robert recently was a speaker at the National Society of Human Resources Management meeting in 2011 and is featured on upcoming SHRM videos on “We Know Next”, a SHRM public relations initiative. An annual speaker on the Cornell University Hospitality Executive Roundtable and speaker at the HR in Hospitality Conference. Robert has been published in HR Magazine and was featured in at the Best Practice Institute in January 2012.

Rebecca Wells

VP, Corporate Controller

As the leader of CoralTree Hospitality Group’s corporate finance team, Rebecca enjoys combining her passion for the hospitality industry with her love of finance. She started with Destination Hotels at The Inverness Hotel in 2005 as the Assistant Controller and was a member of the Leadership Team. In October 2007, she became a member of Corporate Finance Team at the Destination Hotels home office where she was able to experience and take an integral part in the expansion of Destination Hotels as they merged with Commune Hotels to become Two Roads Hospitality in 2016. Prior to her career with Destination Hotels and Two Roads Hospitality, she was the Controller at The Embassy Suites Hotel in Englewood, Colorado where she enjoyed 11 years crafting her knowledge of the hotel industry. Education: BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a minor in Economics from the University of New Hampshire.

Ted Ely

VP, Information Technology

Ted oversees all aspects Information Technology for CoralTree Hospitality and Lowe. This includes infrastructure, security and applications for the organizations. He is responsible for strategic direction, planning, system integrations and implementations for all IT systems and networks.   Focused on leading a team of experienced IT professionals with a deep knowledge of hospitality systems and creative technology solutions to provide a secure, flexible and adaptable frame work to meet business objectives.

Ted has been working in the information technology field since 1995. He started with Destination Hotels in 1999 as the IT Manager of Sunriver Resort. During his tenure with Destination Hotels he has held the positions of Sunriver Resort IT Director, West Coast Regional IT Director, Director of Property Technology and VP of Hotel and Resort Technology for all Destination Hotels. Responsibilities included developing network and system standards, capital planning, equipment standards, hiring of Hotel and Resort IT personnel, new construction and openings, transitions\dispositions, technology auditing, and configuration standards.   For Two Roads Hospitality he was VP of IT Infrastructure and Security for all locations. Responsibilities included successfully leading the integration, planning and budgeting of all networks and security related infrastructure and systems for the merger with Commune Hotels with Destination Hotels. While leading the oversight of all managed locations for networks, personnel, security, auditing and hardware of Two Roads Hotels.

Ted is a solutions focused technology leader who understands the importance of building an IT culture that is adaptable to the constantly changing technology landscape. This allows CoralTree Hospitality to utilize best of class technology and proven solutions in concert to achieve objectives in creative ways.   A driving emphasis is reducing complexity and increasing utility of systems and networks without sacrificing security.    To this end recruiting, developing and retaining IT talent is a primary focus and a key to the success of the overall business objectives.

Education: BS in Economics from Oregon State University. Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

Shaun Beucler

Corporate Director of Restaurants, Bars & Events

Shaun serves as Corporate Director of Restaurants, Bars & Events for CoralTree Hospitality Group. Shaun joined Destination Hotels in 2014 as General Manager of the iconic L’Auberge Del Mar beachside resort where he led a dynamic team to their best financial and guest engagement results in the property’s 28-year history. Shaun was later promoted to Corporate Director of Operations for Two Roads Hospitality in 2016, where he provided operational and analytical support to the leadership teams for the diverse collection of independent hotels. Previous to joining Destination Hotels, Shaun worked for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for 14 years, starting his career at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Beach Resort, at that time a Mobil 5 Star, AAA 5 Diamond resort. Shaun held several senior leadership positons within Ritz-Carlton, including F&B Director at two luxury resorts and Hotel Manager for the Forbes 5 Star Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, as well as The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage. Shaun also was on the opening teams for several properties, taking the lead on all restaurant and bar concept development, design and construction leadership, OS&E procurement and recruitment. Shaun holds a B.S. in Hospitality Management from The Culinary Institute of America where he graduated with honors, in addition to an earned Associates Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, also with honors. Taking his career from restaurant kitchens to the corporate operational level has been an exciting journey for Shaun.
Shaun and his beautiful wife Jennifer have an amazing son named Jack. They enjoy being together whether hiking in the beautiful outdoors, cooking a family meal or snuggling together watching a movie.

Shirli Sensenbrenner

Senior Vice President, Design + Development Services

With over 30 years of experience in both high-end interior architectural design and as a project manager, Shirli brings a balanced knowledge of both to CoralTree. After joining Destination Hotels in 1998, Shirli assumed many responsibilities and is currently a LOWE shareholder. She works with property and project teams on capital expenditure planning, renovations and technical services. Shirli plays a key role in business development where she creates programs, visions and budgets for potential acquisitions and then advises on implementation of the chosen strategy/direction/repositioning.

Leslie Kaminski

Vice President of Global Travel Industry Sales

Leslie believes one of the keys to success is to constantly stay engaged and to live in the moment. She has spent her entire career of over 20 years in the hospitality industry. Her passion for travel began on her senior trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. She could not resist the opportunity to always see the world, learn other cultures, and strive to stay in amazing resorts. Originally from Dallas, TX, she began with two other large “big brand” hotels before finding her niche in the independent hotel space. Leslie started with Destination Hotels as Director of Business Travel in Richardson, TX, moving full time to the corporate office within a year and half. Leslie created the National Sales office for Destination Hotels within the Transient market segment and spearheaded major luxury travel partnerships on behalf of the brand. She has been with Two Roads Hospitality (now CoralTree Hospitality Group) for over 14 years and was recently promoted to Vice President of Travel Industry Sales with a focus on luxury sales. After marrying her husband, Frank, they moved to New Orleans for three years and most recently have planted roots in Miami. Leslie loves to spend time traveling internationally, experiencing new cultures, relaxing on Miami Beach, and spending time with Frank and her two dogs (Cooper and Ben).

Peter Gamez

Senior Vice President of Global Sales

With over 27 years in the hospitality industry, Peter is a valuable asset and leader to the CoralTree Hospitality team. Peter manages the Global Travel Industry Sales team and Group Sales Team focusing on luxury, corporate and international travel along with meetings and events segments. Before joining Joie de Vivre Hotels in 1996, Peter served as the Regional Director of Sales for Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Director of Sales at the Pan Pacific Hotel San Francisco, and spent time with the Kimpton Group, where he was Director of Sales for the Galleria Park Hotel (now a Joie de Vivre property). Peter holds a degree in Mass Media Communications from San Francisco State University and is an active member of the San Francisco State Alumni Council for the President. He is also a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Bay Area and Los Angeles Business Travel Association, and a lifetime member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Peter also proudly serves as the current 2018-19 Chairman of the Board for the San Francisco Travel Board of Directors.

Terri A. Haack

President of Terranea Resort

Terri has led the resort since opening in 2009, to national prominence, positioning it as one of the top destinations in the US. Previously, she held the position of executive vice president and managing director at Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston, SC and Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA, and has over 35 years of experience managing hotels, resorts and residential communities. A longtime contributor to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), Terri currently serves on the organization’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, representing the national resort segment, and is Chairman of the California Hotel and Lodging Association. Additionally, she is a founding Board Member and Chairman of the Women in Lodging Executive Council, Chairman of the AH&LA Educational Foundation Scholarship Committee and has served on this committee for more than 25 years. She was named 2010 Hotelier of the Year for California and Hotelier of the year by AH&LA. Terri is also Immediate Past Chairman of the Board for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and a member of the long-term strategic planning board for Marymount California University. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. A highly distinguished leader in hospitality, Terri successfully blends effective business vision with passionate commitment to positively make a difference, both in the world of business and the community she serves.

Terri holds a Bachelor of Science Business Administration and a Masters in Organizational Management.

Terri is married to Doug Haack, Commercial Pilot and Business Owner and has one son, Brian, a graduate of The University of Southern California.

John Remmers

Area General Manager

CoralTree Hospitality Area General Manager John Remmers oversees luxury properties in San Francisco—Hotel Vitale, the city's only luxury waterfront hotel, and The Marker Hotel, a boutique luxury property. He took up his position in December 2017 under Two Roads Hospitality. John has 30+ years of experience in the hotel industry. Previously he served as General Manager of Hotel Nia, an Autograph Collection Hotel in Menlo Park. For a decade, he held executive positions at Magnolia Hotels, where as Vice President of Operations, he managed boutique properties in Texas and elevated Magnolia Houston to Four-Diamond status, among other achievements. Prior to Magnolia Hotels, John served as General Manager for luxury properties in Houston, and before that, he was General Manager of four-star properties under the Omni Hotels and Resorts brand. A former pre-med student, John switched to hotel management and earned his degree from the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. John is inspired by the human side of the industry, and deeply committed to the happiness of his team members and clients. An avid triathlon athlete, John is also active in various community service initiatives.

Suzie Yang

Area General Manager

Suzie brings a passion for San Francisco, an appreciation for Galleria Park Hotel’s rich heritage, and a mission to make every guest’s experience positive and memorable, emphasizing customer engagement as an integral part of her overall management philosophy. As a boutique hotel, Galleria Park Hotel embraces an authentic, unscripted service mantra, personalizing every experience.

Prior to accepting the position of area general manager for Two Roads Hospitality in 2015, Suzie worked for Audi on Demand luxury car-share service as operations director after serving as general manager for Hotel Adagio, a 171-room luxury boutique property in San Francisco. Beginning in 2003, Suzie worked as general manager of a Hilton Garden Inn in South San Francisco while also serving as regional director of operations and area general manager for a portfolio of Larkspur Landing Hotels, and enacting a remarkable turnaround for Newark, CA’s W Hotel Silicon Valley, leading to the opportunity to oversee a $5 million renovation in San Diego. Suzie started her career as general manager for San Francisco residential property owner and developer Trinity Management Services before entering the hospitality industry at Homestead Studio Suite Hotel in Sunnyvale, CA, where she received a prompt promotion to area operations manager that put her in charge of 10 properties in four states with more than 1,000 total rooms.

A passionate yoga enthusiast who appreciates the energy and diversity of San Francisco, Yang volunteers for Habitat for Humanity as well as Project Homeless Connect SF. Yang earned a B.S. in business administration from San Francisco State University, spending part of her time studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea.

Dana Cariss

VP of Revenue Strategy

Dana is responsible for managing the revenue strategy efforts for CoralTree Hospitality. A naturally competitive person, whether snowboarding or surfing or scuba diving or rock climbing, Dana loves a good challenge. It is this can’t lose attitude that serves him well in his role.

He works closely with the property ROC (Revenue Optimization Community) teams and helps support each in their pricing, distribution, channel management and revenue optimization strategies. Dana is an accomplished, result driven revenue management professional who focuses on delivering superior analytics, insight on market intelligence and a strategic marketing vision for each of his hotels.

Dana started with Destination Hotels in 2008 working on property as the Director of Revenue Management at Estancia La Jolla in San Diego, CA. Over the next 8+ years, he worked as a Corporate Director and RVP handling all of Destination’s West Coast properties. Before his time with Destination Hotels, Dana spent four years with Handlery Hotels, three years with Loews Hotels, and one year with New York based Internet technology company Open Hospitality, where he supported a portfolio of over 30 independent hotels. Dana currently sits on the Revenue Management Advisory Board for HSMAI and is the Immediate Past President of the HSMAI San Diego Chapter. He has spoken at various industry conferences and was featured in a HotelNewsNow.com Revenue Management Webinar Series.

Education: University of California, San Diego, with a double major in Mathematics and Economics

Mike Shutts

Vice President, Engineering, Security and Sustainability

Mike is a seasoned hospitality veteran of 30 years, leading engineering, security and sustainability efforts for CoralTree Hospitality. Mike has an extensive mechanical background in upscale hotels and resorts, and prior to promotion to the Two Roads Hospitality home office in 2005, he served as Director of Engineering and Project Manager for the Inverness Hotel & Golf Club (now the Hilton Denver Inverness), where he began as part of the pre-opening team in 1989.

The measure twice and cut once analogy is one of Mike’s favorites. You can hear this message echoed throughout the company as you speak with those who have worked side by side with Mike. “It is always better to get the job done right the first time than to have to do it twice.” “Measure twice and cut once” Mike enjoys sharing memory triggers to keep attitudes focused on success.

Optimizing relationships and performance requires building internal and external partnerships that requires not only an intuitive understanding of the complex working components of the assets in the hotel but also a good grasp on the journey that has many stakeholders. Mike embraces that opportunity with a charisma that is sort of a blend of tool time and brain games. Mike has a strength in building positive those relationships with the approach that trust and integrity are important attributes to success.

When working through change, Mike appreciates the DNA within company culture of “Because it is just the right thing to do!” The freedom to be empowered to progressively improve bench strength, establish and validate best practices, innovation and to support growth are key factors in Mike’s long term commitment to Hospitality.

Mike’s early career path included managing a local Ace hardware store for eight years and then managing the engineering department for the Greenwood Plaza development, with oversight of over five million square-foot office space area, where he also provided oversight to project construction management, equipment start-up and punch listing.
Embracing the live life balance of Coral Tree Hospitality you can frequently find Mike under his jeep in his well-equipped garage at home. He could also be found volunteering time with his wife at church. Mike is also a skilled veteran in “honey-do” list management, keeping his wife of 26 years a happy camper.

Lourdes Quinonez

Regional VP of Revenue Strategy

As Regional VP of Revenue Strategy for CoralTree Hospitality, Lourdes’s main focus is to ensure that the properties in her region are deploying strategies that assist in not only achieving their top line revenue but also gaining market share. One of Lourdes’s greatest strength is her ability to adjust her management style so that it fits with the team she is working with resulting in driving change and results quickly. She is always focused on high level of team involvement that emphasizes the relationship between sales, operations and revenue management.
Lourdes began in hospitality working as a front desk host and quickly realized that this would be her career journey. Over the years her desire for knowledge and driven personality had her moving through operations in different leadership roles. She earned a reputation of being a firm but fair leader with result driven expectations from her teams. She found her true passion in Revenue Strategy where she worked her way up from a single property Dir of Revenue Strategy to being the Area Dir of Revenue Strategy at Joe de Vivre Hospitality. During her time with Joie de Vivre, Commune Hotels, Two Roads Hotels and Resorts and now CoralTree Hospitality, Lourdes has lead the Revenue Strategy team in numerous successful transitions and hotel openings in different markets as well as helping develop the structure and processes of the Revue Strategy department. When Lourdes is not working you can find her exploring the many hidden gems of California with her two teens and their gentle giant Rottweiler

John Garth

Area Managing Director

John is currently an Area Managing Director for Coral Tree Hospitality and Hotel Talisa, A Luxury Collection Resort, Vail. Since 2013, he’s been pivotal in working with ownership to transform and reposition the former Vail Cascade Resort & Spa into the new Hotel Talisa, Marriott’s only ‘Luxury Collection’ ski resort. His tenure as a hospitality executive has included an extensive background in operations, sales and marketing, revenue management, asset optimization, topline achievement and investor-driven performance. He has consistently been recognized for exemplary leadership skills, passion for process management and culture building. His experience spans over three decades with senior roles at both property and “above property” levels, including general manager positions at Marriott’s Vail Mountain Resort and The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. He has also held Regional Vice President of Operations roles with both White Lodging Services and HEI Hotels and Resorts, consistently leading his respective portfolios to be the best in class in “balanced scorecard” results. Previously, John led the Vail Valley Tourism and Convention Bureau where he was instrumental in the creation of the Vail Local Marketing District and the iconic GoPro Mountain Games, two vital economic engines for the Town of Vail. John has been a dedicated community leader and resident of the Vail Valley for the last 25 years, having served as the Chairman for the Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Board and the Economic Advisory Council. He is passionate about volunteering and supporting community programs, including Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity. John is an avid triathlete, a sadly self-described “forever mediocre guitar player” and loves spending time with his family in the Colorado high country they hold so dear to their hearts.

Gary Stringham

Regional VP of Revenue Strategy

Gary Stringham serves as the Regional Vice President of Revenue Strategy at CoralTree Hospitality. With an extensive background in hospitality revenue management, e-commerce & distribution disciplines, Gary has worked for high-performing organizations including Joie De Vivre Hotels, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Two Roads Hospitality and now CoralTree Hospitality. Gary brings significant experience driving results for lifestyle hotels in both urban and resort markets. His affinity for building strategy and performance analysis allows him to optimize across multiple disciplines including sales, marketing & operations to bring results-oriented solutions with overall profitability at top of mind. Gary believes in a calculated risk-taking test & learn approach to always push the boundaries of what is possible while incorporating his creative thinking to possible solutions, multiple theories, alternatives and possibilities. Gary understands that for independent properties success is sometimes about breaking the rules and going outside the status quo to drive return on investment through innovative approaches. Through this thought process and strong collaboration he has consistently demonstrated significant market share and revenue gains. In addition to his role with CoralTree, Gary is a frequent speaker at industry events and panels where he enjoys sharing insight to help grow and inspire the revenue management community.

Andrea Fowler

Administration and People Services Support

Andrea enjoyed over 30 years of employment with Destination Hotels and Two Roads Hospitality before accepting a position with CoralTree Hospitality Group in administration and People Services support. Having started at the Radisson Hotel Denver South in 1988, she served over four years as Executive Assistant before taking on the opportunity to serve the hotel’s team members as Human Resources Administrator until the property was sold in 1997, at which time Andrea joined the corporate team in the benefits department. Shortly thereafter, she had the opportunity to join the operations team as Executive Assistant, working for various senior executives over the years and providing assistance to the property teams. Her hard work and dedication earned her various Employee of the Month/Year awards as well as CHLA’s Human Resources Manager of the Year for 1996 and Lowe Enterprises Spirit of Lowe Award for 2013.
Education: University of Northern Colorado - BS in business administration and a BA in Spanish.

April Shute

Vice President and Managing Director of Town and Country San Diego

April is currently serving as Vice President and Managing Director of Town and Country San Diego, a 688 room convention hotel in the midst of an $80M renovation, slated for completion in mid-2020. Town and Country boasts over 200,000 square feet of meeting space with the largest hotel ballroom in San Diego. April has built a dynamic team to ensure the successful repositioning and relaunch back into the Southern California tourism landscape.

During her nearly 30 years in the hospitality industry, April has held various senior leadership roles with KSL Resorts, Sage Hospitality and The Phoenician. As Vice President and Managing Director for KSL Resorts, April was responsible for several complex luxury resorts with multiple revenue streams including La Costa Resort & Spa, La Quinta Resort & Club and Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. She also served as Vice President of Operations for Acquisitions and New Openings at Sage Hospitality and Regional Vice President with Two Roads Hospitality.
Each of these luxury resort products has had diversified revenue segments including membership, spa, golf, tennis, waterparks and retail. In addition April has expertise in the turnaround of underperforming assets, union management, strategic planning and increasing guest and associate satisfaction scores.

Having spent the last 20+ years in Southern California has afforded April the opportunity to grow in the communities in which she has served. April currently sits on the board of the San Diego Tourism Authority and is a former board member for the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and past-president of the Carlsbad Tourism BID.

April resides in Carlsbad, California with her husband and three children. In her spare time April enjoys hiking, shoe shopping and catering to the needs of the king of the household, Maxwell, a four year old rescue dog.

Leadership