The St. Regis Tianjin Announces Opening Team

　　Damon Page

　　The St. Regis Tianjin is pleased to announce the appointment of the elite team that will prepare the hotel for its grand opening in October, 2011. The iconic new hotel, situated in the financial heart of Tianjin, is already a city landmark and, under the leadership of the veteran opening team, is destined to become an influential epicenter for business leaders, society tastemakers and discerning world travelers.

　　Tiago Sarmento

　　The St. Regis Tianjin opening team will introduce Tianjin and visiting travelers to the unique exceptional services and amenities indigenous to the St. Regis brand and never before seen in Tianjin or the region. The team is led by veteran hotelier General Manager Damon Page who is supported by Joey Wu, Hotel Manager; Tiago Sarmento, Director of Sales and Marketing; Alexandre Usseglio, Director of Food and Beverage; Foster Yu, Chief Butler; and Cissy Chen Shu, Executive Pastry Chef.

　　Alexandre USSEGLIO - DOFB

　　“We are moving ahead full steam in preparation to welcome the world to The St. Regis Tianjin,” said General Manager Damon Page. “Tianjin is an exciting, dynamic city that is rapidly growing and becoming more and more vital to businesses in the region and from around the world. We are thrilled to introduce visitors and locals to the unique sophistication and contemporary elegance of the St. Regis brand.”

　　Foster YU - Chief Butler

　　General Manager Damon Page brings more than 25 years of experience in the hotel business, including some of the world’s most luxurious and prestigious brands. He is also skilled at opening new properties, having led the opening teams for the W Retreat & Spa Maldives and China’s first W hotel in Hong Kong. An Australian native, Mr. Page began his career at the Regent Hotel in Sydney before becoming Food & Beverage Director at the Sydney Marriott. Mr. Page joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 1995 where he served as Hotel Manager or General Manager for Starwood brands in Guilin China, Moscow, Warsaw, Shanghai and others.

　　Hotel Manager Joey Wu will be directly responsible for the hotel’s daily management, including budgeting and financial management, planning, organizing and directing all hotel services, including front office, food & beverage and housekeeping. With more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including working with the world’s most luxurious and prestigious brands like Le Meridien, Grand Hyatt and Hilton, he has gained valuable experience in opening new hotel properties. A Taipei native, Mr. Joey Wu began his career at the Grand Hyatt Taipei before joining Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2010 to serve as Hotel Manager for Le Meridien Taipei. Mr. Joey Wu will set the example for staff to deliver a standard of service and presentation that exceeds guests’ needs and expectations.

　　Supporting the team’s efforts will be Tiago Sarmento, Director of Sales and Marketing. Mr. Sarmento has a long and prolific sales career with Starwood Hotels and Resorts and has worked across four out of nine Starwood brands around the globe, including Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection and St. Regis. He was the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Marques de Riscal, a Luxury Collection resort in Spain where he successfully positioned the resort as one of the world’s leading hotels for luxury dining and wine. Mr. Sarmento also brings valuable opening experience having served as the Director of Sales and Marketing of The St. Regis Mexico City for nearly three years.

　　France native Alexandre Usseglio serves as the Director of Food and Beverage. Mr. Usseglio brings more than a decade of experience managing food and beverage operations for five-star luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants in France, the United States, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Mr. Usseglio comes to The St. Regis Tianjin from the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta, where he was the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage for this five-star resort. Prior to that position, he managed restaurant operations for the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong SAR. He joined the Mandarin team at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii as the restaurants manager. Mr. Usseglio launched his career at several five-star hotels in Paris after graduating from the prestigious Hospitality Management School of Lausanne Switzerland.

　　Chief Butler Foster Yu comes to The St. Regis Tianjin from the Regent Hotel Beijing, where he gained valuable well-rounded experience in guest services, hotel management and operations as Chief Butler as well as a Manager in the front office. Mr. Foster Yu’s meticulous attention to service and guest requests earned him the opportunity to manage the Regent’s high-profile guests during the 2008 Olympics, including facilitating all the details of visits for officials, athletes and media. Prior to that, Mr. Foster Yu served in a variety of capacities at the Beijing Hong Kong Macau Center, including Front Desk Manager and Concierge. Mr. Foster Yu is a Tianjin native who is fluent in both English and Mandarin.

　　Chef Chen “Cissy” Shu is the Head Pastry Chef for The St. Regis Tianjin, responsible for developing dessert programs for the hotel’s restaurants and catering operations. An accomplished pastry chef with nearly 20 years experience in the hospitality industry – most of it for five-star brands – Ms. Shu has established an impressive track record of accomplishments. Most recently, Ms. Shu was one of only eight participants representing China in the prestigious World Chocolate Masters competition, the world’s premier culinary competition devoted solely to chocolate. Ms. Shu comes to The St. Regis Tianjin from Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts where she served as Pastry Chef at several properties, managing the pastry programs for hotel restaurants and catering. Prior to that, Ms. Shu served as Chef de Partie for the Sofitel Plaza Hotel Jinan as well as the Grand Regency Hotel Qingdao.