W South Beach Hotel & Residences announced today the appointment of Wolfgang Wehen as hotel manager. Wehen will leverage his more than 25 years of international hospitality and five-star hotel experience – including work in markets such as New York City, Miami, Germany and London – to lead the luxury Miami Beach hotel that has garnered international attention since opening in July 2009.
Wehen joins W South Beach from his role as general manager at W New York Downtown. During his time at the property, Wehen increased RPI and market share with a focus on group production and increase of weekend business. He worked closely with his team to execute marketing and public relations strategies, increasing top-line revenues at Living Room Bar and successfully positioning the property as a downtown destination.
Before joining the W New York Downtown team, Wehen held a range of leadership positions at other properties in the region, including W New York Union Square; The W Court & The W Tuscany; The Westin New York at Time Square; and W New York. Among these positions was his role as director of food & beverage at W New York. During his 2.5 years in this position, he increased revenue by 40% by revamping and reprogramming the hotel’s banquet and catering operation.
Wehen started his hospitality career in the United States in 2000 at Turnberry Isle Miami as the assistant director of food & beverage. In 2001, Wehen became part of the opening team at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida. After being the property’s banquet manager, Wehen was promoted to assistant director of food & beverage.
Since opening in 2009, W South Beach has become a permanent fixture in the luxury market synonymous with glamour and style worldwide, winning several prestigious industry awards and landing spots in coveted travel lists along the way, including Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Member Favorite Resort – Best Beach Resort 2013, U.S. News & World Report – Best Hotels in Miami Beach 2013, AAA’s Four Diamond Award 2012, Travel + Leisure’s Design Awards 2011, Travel + Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels 2011, Cond? Nast Traveler’s Hot List 2010, Elite Traveler’s Top Suites 2010 and Lodging Hospitality’s 2010 Design Award, among others.