Charlestowne Hotels Appoints Tomas Chavarría as Corporate Culinary Director 

Award‑Winning Chef Brings Global Perspective and Story‑Driven Culinary Vision to Expanding Food & Beverage Portfolio 

CHARLESTON, S.C. (April 29, 2026) — Charlestowne Hotels, a leading hospitality management company known for its diverse collection of lifestyle, independent, and soft‑branded properties, announces the appointment of Tomas Chavarría as Corporate Culinary Director. Chavarría will lead culinary strategy and food and beverage innovation across Charlestowne’s growing portfolio, working closely with on‑property chefs, ownership groups, as well as development and project partners to create meaningful, market‑driven dining experiences that elevate both guest satisfaction and financial performance. 

An accomplished chef and hospitality leader with more than two decades of international experience, Chavarría brings a global perspective shaped by roles across Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the United States. He began his career at 16 and rose to an executive chef role by 25, later expanding into multi-property leadership. Most recently, he served as Multi-Property Executive Chef with Sage Hospitality, overseeing several luxury hotel outlets while supporting the broader portfolio. His experience spans both branded and independent environments, where he has led concept development, managed complex multi-outlet operations, and aligned culinary programming with brand vision, local context, and revenue.

“Food and beverage is one of the most powerful ways an independent hotel can tell its story,” said Matt Barba, Chief Operating Officer of Charlestowne Hotels. “Tomas brings extraordinary culinary talent as well as a rare ability to connect cuisine to culture, place, and people. His collaborative leadership style and global experience make him uniquely suited to help shape the future of our expanding food and beverage operations.” 

As Culinary Director, Chavarría will oversee concept development, openings, and ongoing culinary performance across Charlestowne’s F&B outlets, helping to build a cohesive food and beverage culture rooted in storytelling, authenticity, and local relevance.  

“What drew me to Charlestowne Hotels is the genuine commitment to creating distinctive experiences with a strong sense of identity,” said Chavarría. “Every hotel, every restaurant, every market has its own story to tell. My goal is to support our chefs and teams in bringing those stories to life through food that is memorable, intentional, and deeply connected to the communities we serve.” 

About Charlestowne Hotels:  

For over 45 years, Charlestowne Hotels has been recognized for its management and development of lifestyle hotels and is consistently ranked as one of the leading hospitality management companies for independent, collegiate properties, soft brands + brands, condo hotels and adaptive reuse properties. The company’s portfolio of 60+ hotels and 50+ food & beverage outlets can be found in urban city centers, secondary cities, and resort destinations across the country. Charlestowne’s management expertise encompasses all phases of operations, inclusive of day-to-day management, new development, property renovations + repositioning projects, and hotel transitions. Charlestowne properties consistently achieve above-average RevPAR growth and receive some of the country’s top travel accolades, including topping the “best hotels” lists by Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, USA Today and TripAdvisor. To achieve this, Charlestowne brings an individualized and agile approach to each of its managed properties, working with owners and on-site teams to implement lifestyle operations, revenue optimization and strategic marketing that elevate the property’s unique story and enhance the guest experience. For more information visit CharlestowneHotels.com.