Edhat StaffKimpton Canary Santa Barbara announced today the appointment of Marybeth Gilliland as Director of Catering. In her new role, Gilliland will lead sales strategies, execution of events, oversee the catering team, and lead new business development for the 97-room luxury boutique hotel.
Gilliland has nearly two decades of industry experience in events and catering. Before joining the Canary, Gilliland served as the Event Director at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort, where she led the planning and execution of corporate meetings and events. Prior to that role, Gilliland served as the Conference Service Manager at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort. 
“Marybeth has a wealth of knowledge of Santa Barbara and the local hospitality landscape,” said Ryan Parker, General Manager at Kimpton Canary Hotel. “Her tenure and skillset coupled with her passion for creating unmatched guest experiences perfectly complement the Canary’s vision and make her a great asset for our property. We’re thrilled to have Marybeth join the team.”
“The Canary is a beautiful premier Santa Barbara venue, with the most stunning views of the city, the mountains and the Pacific,” said Marybeth. “I’m honored to join the incredible team at the Canary to further expand their successful events programming and lend my creativity and industry expertise to deliver unforgettable guest experiences.”
Gilliland holds an associate’s degree in resort and travel management from the Sawyer School.
Born in Lewisburg, Penn., Gilliland moved around the country before settling in Santa Barbara 19 years ago. When Gilliland isn’t busy executing one-of-a-kind events, and creating custom catering experiences for Canary guests, she can be found cruising around on her motorcycle or sipping on an Old Fashioned at her favorite local lounge.
ABOUT KIMPTON CANARY SANTA BARBARA
Situated in the heart of downtown, Kimpton Canary Santa Barbara is steps away from the city’s beaches, bistros, and world class shopping. Offering postcard-perfect views from the rooftop pool and terrace, locally sourced cuisine and a world-class wine list, the 97-guestroom boutique hotel creates an inviting retreat with unmistakable local flavor. Catering to social and corporate events, the hotel boasts more than 7,300 square feet of flexible event space and full catering and banquet services from its famed Finch & Fork Restaurant. For more information, visit www.canarysantabarbara.com.
ABOUT KIMPTON HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is a leading collection of boutique hotels and restaurants and the acknowledged industry pioneer that first introduced the boutique hotel concept to the United States. In 1981, Bill Kimpton founded the company that today is renowned for making travelers feel genuinely cared for through thoughtful perks and amenities, bold, playful design and a sincerely personal style of guest service. Out to help people live full, balanced lives, Kimpton aims to inspire with touches like yoga mats in every room, complimentary coffee and tea to start the day, hosted evening Wine Hour, in-room fitness programming and complimentary bike rentals. The award-winning restaurants and bars are led by talented chefs and bartenders that offer guests a chance to dine like a local.
Kimpton is consistently ranked as one of the top companies in the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, Upper Upscale Segment, for Customer Satisfaction. The company is highly-regarded for its innovative employee culture and benefits and has been named a FORTUNE magazine “Best Place to Work” six times since 2009. Kimpton is continuously growing and currently operates over 60 hotels and 70 plus restaurants, bars and lounges in 30 U.S. cities. In January 2015, Kimpton was welcomed into the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) family of hotel brands, bringing together two special cultures and sets of values to create the world’s largest boutique hotel business. For more information, visit www.KimptonHotels.com.
