Manuel De Luca Named Exec Chef for Sheraton Hacienda del Mar in Los Cabos
Los Cabos, Mexico - June 8, 2011 - The Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort in Los Cabos has named Manuel De Luca executive chef. In this position, he will direct the resort's event dining, room service and celebrated restaurants, including one of its Five Star Diamond Award-winning restaurants, De Cortez Grill & Restaurant. De Luca will also manage aspects of food and beverage operations, including food production, menu planning and new recipe development, as well as oversee a kitchen and front of house staff of 35 professionals.
“Chef Manuel has been delighting diners in Mexico and Argentina for more than a decade,” said Renato Mendonca, general manager of the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort. “His strong foundation in French cuisine will help us provide new experiences for our guests' palates. We are thrilled that Manuel has brought his culinary flair to Los Cabos and our resort.”
De Luca has 12 years of experience in some of the top restaurants in Central and South America. He joins the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort after six years at the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center, including three years as the executive sous chef for the Park Tower, part of the brand's Luxury Collection.
After studying guests' dining preferences at the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar, De Luca plans to incorporate additional aspects of French, Japanese, Argentinian and Mexican cuisine into the established flavors of the resort's restaurants. He hopes to showcase his passion for fresh, quality ingredients and nurture the kitchen staff's talents.
“A kitchen's team is very important,” said De Luca. “With a good team, a restaurant becomes a second family, and you can taste their love in the food. I want to help each chef at the resort express their enthusiasm in the dishes they create.”
De Luca has studied cuisine around the world, including in France and Japan. He graduated from the Gato Dumas Colegio de Cocineros in Argentina, and has continued his education with courses at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, The Ritz Escoffier School, Ecole de Cuisine de Beatriz Chomnalez and Escuela Superior de Cocina Alicia Berger.
About Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos
Situated on 28 acres overlooking the Sea of Cortez, the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, with 270 guest rooms each featuring the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed, whirlpool tubs and private terraces, is impeccably reminiscent of an upscale seaside village. The sprawling, Hacienda-inspired resort is home to five restaurants and five bars, four infinity and cascading swimming pools, the acclaimed Cactus Spa and Fitness Center (part of the Starwood Spa Collection) and a broad selection of outdoor activities. Boasting Los Cabos' largest meetings facility with more than 18,000 square feet of function space, Sheraton Hacienda del Mar welcomes meetings and special events of all sizes. A small chapel and beachfront locations are also available for weddings and the staff has extensive experience with multicultural wedding planning. For more information, please visit www.sheratonloscabos.com or call (011) 52-624-145-8000.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1025 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
