Hilton Gains New General Manager

　　The Hilton Guam Resort & Spa announced yesterday it is welcoming a new general manager, Makoto "Earnie" Yasuhara, who moved to Guam after managing a hotel property in Vietnam.

　　Yasuhara officially begins his job at the Hilton Guam on Sunday, the hotel"s management announced.

　　He held the same title with the Hotel Nikko in Hanoi, one of Vietnam"s top hotels.

　　Yasuhara brings to Guam more than 30 years of international hotelier experience and will oversee all of the 32-acre Hilton Guam"s operations, according to Hilton Guam management.

　　Yasuhara held management positions for Nikko hotels in Shanghai, San Francisco and Beverly Hills, Calif., according to Hilton Guam.

　　The Hilton Guam"s incoming general manager also holds a master"s degree in professional studies from Cornell University.

　　New assistant GM

　　The Hilton Guam also announced the hiring of Assistant General Manager Yoshihito Shibahata, who moved from his previous position as director of rooms at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

　　Both the Hilton Guam and the Hyatt Regency are owned by subsidiaries under real estate and property management giant Ken Corp., which is based in Tokyo.

　　Ken Corp., through its subsidiaries, owns more than one-third of Guam"s approximately 8,000 hotel rooms.

　　The Hilton Guam"s previous general manager, Nicolaus Priesnitz, moved to China and has been designated general manager of the soon-to-be-completed Hilton Qingdao Golden Beach, a five-star hotel complex with 480 rooms and 17 banquet function rooms.