SANTA BARBARA, Calif.
Santa Barbara’s anticipated new property, the Hotel Californian, announced the executive team to lead this 121-room coastal retreat. Carlos Lopes will be the hotel’s managing director. Industry veterans Warren Nocon and Ellen Adelman will join the team to head up hotel operations and sales and strategic marketing.
Together, Lopes, Nocon and Adelman bring decades of luxury hospitality experience to this new addition to the Santa Barbara waterfront.
As the managing director Lopes brings his luxury management expertise to all facets of hotel operations. In this role, Lopes will ensure that all services and facilities reflect the finest quality standards. Lopes resume’ includes: managing director and vice president of the Hotel Bel-Air; executive vice president of Rock Resorts; senior vice president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts; and senior vice president of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
General Manager Warren Nocon brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to the
Hotel Californian. Nocon will manage all aspects of the day-to-day operations at the property, including sales and marketing, revenue management, and food and beverage. Nocon most recently served as the general manager at the Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs and The Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica. Prior to Colony Palms, Nocon was a hotel operations leader for the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles.
Hotel Californian’s strategic marketing and sales director, Ellen Adelman joins the team to lead the sales, marketing and public relations efforts for the grand opening of the hotel and to promote the property to meeting and wedding planners and the incentive and group markets. Adelman previously served as the vice president of marketing and sales for the opening of The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, Calif., and as the vice president of sales and marketing for the Shutters at the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica. Adelman has also served as the chief marketing and sales consultant for the opening of six new luxury properties around the world.
In addition, Alexander La Motte will serve as executive chef. In this role, the La Motte will oversee all of the hotel’s culinary operations, including its Mediterranean and Contemporary American restaurant and the gourmet café as well as a hands-on role creating customized offerings for special events and celebrations.
“We’re thrilled to have Alexander lead our culinary program,” said Lopes. “He is true to classic culinary techniques, yet playful in his creations, and will bring local and seasonal ingredient-inspired cuisine to our unique coastal retreat.”
Most recently, as executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, La Motte lead all culinary operations and was instrumental in the reconceptualization and conversion of the former Season’s Restaurant to MKT Restaurant – Bar. La Motte graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America and went on to intern With New York City dining bastions Jean George and Daniel Boulud.
Moving to Napa Valley, he embraced roles at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and The French Laundry in Napa Valley where he served as chef de partie. La Motte also served as the saucier at Café Boulud in Palm Beach, Fla., sous chef at Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas, chef de cuisine at The Park Chalet in San Francisco, executive sous chef at The Clift Hotel in San Francisco and executive chef of the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California.
Hotel Californian, set to open this summer, features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and a modern Moorish vibe. The 121-room property will feature a rooftop pool and event deck with unobstructed views of both the coastline and the Santa Ynez Mountains; a Turkish-inspired spa, fashion boutique; casual dining options; and more than 6,000 square feet of indoor meeting space as well as 14,000 square feet of outdoor and rooftop event space.
