InterContinental Mark Hopkins

March 15, 2010 - Nelum Gunewardane has been appointed as Hotel Manager for the iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, a AAA four-diamond historic landmark property on Nob Hill featuring 380 rooms and 19,000 sq. ft. of event space, and home to the legendary Top Of The Mark sky lounge. In her new position, Gunewardane will oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations in the front office, uniformed services, guest relations, housekeeping, engineering, and IT departments, and will report directly to Peter Koehler, Regional Director of Operations and General Manager of InterContinental San Francisco.

Bringing over 17 years of hospitality experience, Gunewardane began her career in 1992 with the InterContinental Hotels Group at the Riyadh InterContinental Hotel in Saudi Arabia, and then moved on to the May Fair InterContinental Hotel in London in 1997. From London, she joined the InterContinental The Barclay in New York in 2001 where she initially served as Assistant Manager in the Front Office department and finally as Front Office Manager in 2005. During her tenure at The Barclay, Gunewardane was the recipient of a cash scholarship from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in cooperation with the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, which she used toward three intensive classes in Managing Hotel Electronic Distribution, Hospitality Financial Management: Operations Decision-Making, and Strategic Pricing for Hotels: Revenue Enhancement through Pricing. After several promotions in New York, she was then appointed in 2006 as Director of Front Office Operations for the opening team of the InterContinental Boston, a 424-room new-build property located in Boston's historic waterfront district. In 2007, Gunewardane was recognized as "Best of the Best for Director of Front Office" for InterContinental Hotels, North America.

Gunewardane holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Studies from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.

About the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco:

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins is a historic landmark hotel at the crest of illustrious Nob Hill and conveniently located at the intersection of 3 cable car lines. Just minutes away from the financial and theatre districts as well as Union Square and Chinatown, the hotel features 380 luxurious rooms including 31 suites and featuring 5 specialty suites. Featuring 2 historic ballrooms and 19 meeting rooms, the hotel offers 19,000 sq. ft. of versatile event space. It is also home to the legendary Top Of The Mark sky lounge, famed for its panoramic views and 100 Martinis menu. For reservations please call 415.392.3434 or visit www.intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com for more information.