Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico welcomes new Executive Chef Luis Quezada

RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO – Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico We announce the nomination of an experienced Chef Luis Quezada as the new chef at the 72-acre resort. Bringing with him decades of experience and a proven track record of streamlining operations and increasing profitability, Chef Quezada is currently the culinary director of the property’s 17 dining options, including top-notch steakhouse Prime 787 and seaside food truck Picalo Gallo to one of the few true sports bars on the island , Sand Trap.

With a degree in culinary arts, Quezada spent most of his early career at the iconic restaurant Bellagio Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, working as a Junior Sous Chef and Executive Chef in collaboration with the venue’s opening team. Five years later, in 2005, he became director of banquets for Caesars Palace and Caesars Entertainment, where he supervised and led a team of 65 people, successfully operating a 460,000-square-foot banquet and event space. He remained at Caesars, further developing his skills, for six years before moving on to Hilton Buffalo Thunder Casino and Resort in Santa Fe and took on his first official role as executive chef at a major resort. In New Mexico, Quezada oversaw the food and beverage operations at the 400-room resort, modernizing the culinary program and managing the department to maximize revenue growth. In 2015, he took up the position of chef in the company Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Austin before joining Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center in the Poconos, Pennsylvania in 2017. After four years of managing the property’s seven dining locations, Quezada accepted the position of in-demand executive chef and task force leader at Marriott International, which required him to lead the largest operation of his career to date, overseeing a location with a $90 machine generating millions in revenue.

All of this has led him and prepared him for this opportunity to lead the innovative food and beverage department at the recently renovated 579-room Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve at the foot of the El Yunque rainforest. Since Hyatt acquired the property in 2020, the resort has established itself as a culinary leader and a giant meeting and event destination in Puerto Rico. Under the leadership of General Manager Mark Frances, the resort introduced new food and beverage concepts such as La Mina Poolside Restaurant and Molido Cafe and Pastry Shop, in addition to increasing the facility’s support for Puerto Rico’s food sovereignty, increasing the consumption of local products by over 60% in the last alone year. The resort has also introduced innovative culinary products to further immerse guests in the island’s rich culture, such as the locally produced, exclusive PRadise Bliss Lager craft beer and the upcoming PRadise Bliss Popsicles ice cream.

“It’s an honor to join the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico team.” he said Luis QuezadaChef. “I am proud to lead the resort’s culinary program in this exciting new phase of the property’s history, serving diverse guests flavors from around the world and sharing what makes Puerto Rico such a special place through unparalleled food, beverage offerings and service. Seeing how open the facility’s team is to innovation and creativity, I knew this facility would be a fantastic opportunity at this stage of my career and I look forward to contributing to its continued development.