Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico is pleased to announce the appointment of seasoned Chef Luis Quezada as the 72-acre resort’s new executive chef. Bringing with him decades of experience with a proven track record of streamlining operations and increasing profitability, Chef Quezada is now the culinary director of the property’s 17 food and beverage outlets, which range from its premium steakhouse Prime 787 and sea-side food truck Picalo Gallo to one of the only true sports bars on the island, Sand Trap.
With a degree in culinary arts, Quezada spent most of his early career at the iconic Bellagio Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, working as a junior sous chef and chef de cuisine, in conjunction with the property’s opening team. Five years later, in 2005, he became the executive banquet chef at Caesars Palace and Caesars Entertainment, where he supervised and guided a staff of 65 people, successfully servicing 460,000 square feet of banquet and event space. He remained at Caesars, further developing his skills, for six years before he transitioned to Hilton Buffalo Thunder Casino & Resort in Santa Fe, and assumed his first official role as executive chef of a major resort. In New Mexico, Quezada oversaw the 400-room resort’s food and beverage operations, revamping its culinary program and stewarding the department to maximize revenue growth. In 2015, he took on the executive chef role at Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in Austin before joining the Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center team in Poconos, Pennsylvania in 2017. After four years managing that property’s seven culinary outlets, Quezada accepted a coveted executive chef and task force chef role for Marriott International, which challenged him to manage the largest operation of his career to date, overseeing a $90 million revenue machine.
