Espacio the Jewel of Waikiki Welcomes Two New Hospitality Veterans to Hotel and Restaurant Teams

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USA, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. November 13, 2023

ESPACIO, The Jewel of Waikiki, the ultra-luxury beachfront hotel located on Waikiki Beach, and its award-winning restaurant Mugen announced the appointment of two industry veterans as General Manager and Food and Beverage Manager. Gerald Glennon has been named General Manager of ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki and Wes Zane has joined as Food and Beverage Manager, ushering in a new era of world-class service and hospitality at the boutique hotel and Mugen, its award-winning fine dining restaurant. In their roles, Glennon and Zane will oversee the expansion of the hotel's experiential offerings and the restaurant's grand re-opening for dinner in the coming weeks.

Gerald Glennon brings to ESPACIO extensive management experience at premier hotels in Honolulu and on both coasts of the mainland. Most recently, he served as Strategic Advisor at The Kahala Resort, responsible for management and strategic planning, after earlier serving as the property's General Manager. At The Modern Honolulu prior to that, Glennon served as Director Emeritus Senior Advisor, after spending three years as the hotel's Managing Director. Glennon has also served as General Manager of the Halekulani and earlier as Executive Assistant Manager overseeing multiple renovations and enhancements and guiding a team of more than 750 people. His earlier career includes tenures with Sofitel hotels in Miami and San Francisco, Westin Hotels and Amfac Hotels & Resorts.

Equally well-established on the Honolulu hospitality scene, Wes Zane brings to ESPACIO and Mugen more than five decades of management and ownership experience at a number of premier restaurants and hotels in the city. Most recently, he served as Consulting Manager and Founder of Culinaire Hawaii, where he oversaw concept development and the management of several independent and hotel restaurants. Prior, Zane spent eight years as Owner and Operator of Formaggio Wine Bar and Formaggio Grill, two years as Restaurant Manager at Kahala Hotel and Resort's Hoku's Restaurant, and 20 years as General Manager and Vice President at Hy's Steakhouse. Zane has also served as President of the Hawaii Restaurant Association and has been recognized with Hale Aina and Illima Dining Awards and will bring a uniquely local approach to Mugen's globally inspired ethos.

"We are delighted to welcome Gerald Glennon and Wes Zane to ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki," said Lesli Reynolds, Senior Vice President of Operations at ESPACIO. "Both are seasoned veterans of the hospitality industry and bring a deep understanding of our destination and clientele to ESPACIO and Mugen. The only hotel in Waikiki with back-to-back Forbes Five Star awards for both hotel and restaurant, ESPACIO has achieved tremendous momentum, and Gerald and Wes' leadership will take us even further."

In the role of General Manager, Glennon will oversee all aspects of the operations and guest experience at the Forbes Five Star-awarded hotel and restaurant. As Hawaii's only ultra-luxe boutique hotel, ESPACIO offers unrivaled privacy with nine suites, each occupying an entire floor. Offering 2,250 square feet of accommodations and residential appointments, such as private elevator entry, smart home technology and a chef-caliber kitchen, each two- or three-bedroom suite also features an oceanfront balcony with Jacuzzi, an in-suite dry sauna and soaking tub. ESPACIO guests can enjoy private access to the hotel's rooftop infinity-edge pool and 270-degree views of Waikiki Beach and the sparkling Pacific.

As the hotel and restaurant's Food and Beverage Manager, Zane's appointment represents a new chapter for the hidden-gem Mugen, to include elevated breakfast service, available now; and the triumphant return of fine dining dinner service in an entirely new format, to debut in the coming weeks. He will also oversee the hotel's culinary programming and facilitate locally driven partnerships and activations in collaboration with small businesses like Hawaii-based Tea Leaves and Tradition Coffee Roasters—including a soon-to-launch tea service at ESPACIO. Last, Zane will manage ESPACIO's beverage program, including Mugen's Wine Spectator Best of Award-winning wine collection featuring over 400 bottles of globally sourced wines.