MIAMI, Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hotel Equities (HE), a best-in-class hospitality operator, announces the continued expansion of its Caribbean & Latin America (CALA) in-market operating platform. Since appointing industry veteran Juan Corvinos as President of the HE CALA region, the portfolio has grown to include five open hotels and twelve additional projects underway across multiple markets. Projects include Amaris Grace Bay, an LXR Hotel in Turks and Caicos with exciting announcements to come in Riviera Maya, Curacao, Mexico City, Trinidad, Tobago, Dominica, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica. The portfolio is supported by a dedicated regional team based throughout the market. This week, executives will be attending the 2026 International Tourism Fair, FITUR.
“Our focus from the outset was to build a platform designed for long-term success in this region,” shares Corvinos. “By investing early in local talent, in-market infrastructure, and strong owner partnerships, we have been able to scale with discipline while delivering the responsiveness and insight that owners expect from a locally led operator.”
Recent Openings and Upcoming Developments
Hotel Equities’ expanding CALA portfolio reflects a growing mix of resort and lifestyle properties across key leisure destinations. Most recently, Hotel Equities assumed management of Donoma Las Terrenas Beach Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection, which opened this past November in the Dominican Republic. Set on the beachfront in Las Terrenas, Donoma serves as a luxury oceanfront retreat, offering design-forward guest experiences and a strong sense of place. Widely regarded as one of the most anticipated new openings in the region, the property represents a significant addition to the HE CALA portfolio of resort destinations. Other noteworthy portfolio additions include Terra Nova Best Western Premier Collection in Kingston, Jamaica and Casas del XVI in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Looking ahead to an active 2026; the HE CALA team is preparing to open Claritas Resort Jacó, a 63-room oceanfront resort in Jacó, Costa Rica, located along the country’s Central Pacific Coast, will join the WorldHotels Elite portfolio on March 2nd. Hotel Equities opened its first CALA property, the Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas, located in Charlotte Amalie U.S. Virgin Islands, in August 2025.
Strengthening CALA Leadership and Infrastructure
To support this continued growth, Hotel Equities has made several in-market appointments, including Rodrigo Cuello based in Cancun and Mariana Gonzalez based in Ciudad de Mexico, strengthening the platform’s human resources, shared services, and operational finance capabilities.
“Our people are central to how we operate in this region,” Corvinos adds. “Having experienced leaders on the ground allows us to move decisively and support owners with the level of attention and insight these markets require.”
Rodrigo Cuello is Senior Director of People and Talent where he leads recruitment, training, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and organizational initiatives in market. He brings extensive experience hiring both senior executives and large-scale hospitality teams with Hyatt and Hilton, with a particular focus on hotel openings and rebrandings, supported by deep multicultural expertise throughout Latin America and a background in psychology.
Mariana Gonzalez Director of Shared Services and Finance most recently oversaw shared services operations for Hilton. Her experience spans focused-service hotels to large-scale luxury and all-inclusive portfolios. A hotel management graduate and lifelong hotelier, Gonzalez partners closely with owners and on-property teams to ensure strong financial performance.
They join a CALA leadership team that includes Michael Register, Chief Development Officer; Marilia Pergola, Vice President of Operations; Martin Larralde, Vice President of Finance; Maria Del Pilar Garcia, Senior Director of IT Systems and Openings; and Margie Aristy Mai, Senior Director of Sales. Together, the CALA team is based throughout the region, reinforcing HE CALA’s locally executed operating model and hands-on approach to development, openings, and ongoing operations.
A Disciplined Platform for Long-Term Regional Growth
With a fully in-market operating platform in place, Hotel Equities is designed to support owners across the Caribbean and Latin America with local execution backed by Hotel Equities’ global scale. The division’s growing mix of operating hotels and developments reflects a disciplined, owner-aligned approach built around regional expertise, hands-on leadership, and long-term performance across resort, lifestyle, and select-service segments. For more information about partnering with Hotel Equities, visit hotelequities.com/cala.
About Hotel Equities
Hotel Equities (HE) is a best-in-class hospitality operator and developer with a portfolio of open and operating hotels, resorts, and outdoor hospitality destinations throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. With a diverse portfolio of premium-branded and independent properties, Hotel Equities delivers proven results and drives long-term value for its stakeholders through a comprehensive suite of services, a people-first and performance-driven culture, and a commitment to excellence rooted in servant leadership. To learn more, visit www.hotelequities.com, @Hotel-Equities.
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