Hard Rock International names John Rees as senior vice president of hotel operations

Rees will lead all facets of hotel operations across the firm’s portfolio.

US.- Hard Rock International has appointed John Rees as its senior vice president of hotel operations. In He will be responsible for leading all facets of hotel operations at both corporate-managed and franchised locations. Rees reports directly to Jon Lucas, chief operating officer of Hard Rock International.

Rees is a hospitality industry veteran with over 30 years of experience. He most recently served as vice president of resort operations and guest experience at Marriott Vacations Worldwide. His career began in the kitchen as an executive chef before he moved to food & beverage director positions and later hospitality operations. He has held senior hotel operations leadership roles at Marriott International and Ritz-Carlton.

Rees completed hospitality studies at Newbury College and has since gained certifications in restaurant management, leadership training and wine studies.

Jon Lucas, chief operating officer of Hard Rock International, said: “We’re thrilled to have John lead the Hard Rock Hotel team as we continue to elevate our position as one of the world’s most recognized global hospitality brands. His depth of experience guiding world-class luxury and lifestyle hotels paired with his results-driven leadership style makes John an invaluable addition to our company.”

Rees commented: “I’m thrilled to join Hard Rock at this pivotal point of the Hard Rock Hotels brand journey. Our future pipeline of hotel projects is very robust which will allow me to work with my teams to innovate and create more of the special brand touchpoints and guest experiences our fans expect. My goal is to make Hard Rock Hotels feel like the coolest place to stay with the best vibe and where every guest around the world is made to feel like a VIP.”

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon breaks ground in California

In December, Hard Rock International and the Tejon Indian Tribe celebrated the groundbreaking of Hard Rock Tejon, in Kern County, California. Hard Rock representatives, Tejon Indian Tribe leadership and general membership plus statewide and local community leaders were present.

The project is expected to create 2,000 construction-specific jobs. It will be managed by Penta Building Group, a southern California company. Once both phases are completed, the project is expected to create approximately 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, both full-time and part-time.