HAMPTON -- Omni Hotels has announced the appointment of Eddie Sipple to vice president, food and beverage, according to Stephen Giblin, senior vice president of operations. In this position, Sipple will oversee all food and beverage operations including restaurants, bars, catering and corporate-wide programs. In addition, Omni Hotels announced that Keith Coe, general counsel, has been given the additional responsibilities of senior vice presidents, development, effective immediately.

Sipple's industry experience includes 10 years with Hyatt Hotels, most recently in the capacity of Corporate Director, Food and Beverage. His responsibilities there included the development of chainwide food and beverage promotions. With Hyatt, Sipple previously held titles of Southern California Regional Food and Beverage Director, and Food and Beverage Director in Grand Champions, Indian Wells, California and Grand Cayman, British West Indies. His tenure with Hyatt also included properties in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia. Sipple began his food and beverage career designing and developing restaurant concepts for east coast establishments.

Coe, who has been active in hospitality development for more than ten years — the last two with Omni Hotels — takes on his new role at a particularly crucial time for the hotel chain. "We are in a growth mode," says Jerry Best, president and CEO of Omni Hotels. "Keith has been invaluable in our recent development activities, in fact he has a real feel for this aspect of the business. And since want to grow dramatically in the next three years, we asked him to take a more active role."

Coe will pursue two major development initiatives. First, of course, is to accelerate the development goals of the company, which include a four-star management contract or ownership presence in west-side Los Angeles, San Francisco, and key feeder markets in the west.

Second, since he is also responsible for coordinating the activities of development officers in LA, Chicago, and Hampton, he also wants to more fully integrate these executives in the Senior Operations team here.

"The active participation of Omni's senior management in our growth strategy will bring a lot more power to bear on the development agenda," Coe said.

Coe joined Omni Hotels as General Counsel and Corpora te Secreta ry in February 1993. Prior to joining Omni, he was Associate General Counsel, then General Counsel of Red Lion Hotels, based in Vancouver, Washington, for seven years.

In recent weeks, Omni Hotels announced the addition of the Omni Los Angeles Hotel & Centre, a four-diamond property in the heart of LA's financial district and downtown business district — the first in what is expected to be a series of expansions out west.

Headquartered in Hampton, Omni Hotels is comprised of 44 hotels in operation and/or under development throughout the United States, Mexico and the Far East. Omni Hotels is a subsidiary of Wharf (Holdings) Limited of Hong Kong.