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September 9, 2026 2:59 PM

Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas in Paradise Valley, Arizona, has appointed Dimitrios Bessis as Managing Director, placing an experienced hospitality executive at the helm as the resort advances towards the final stage of its $70 million transformation. Bessis takes charge as the property prepares to expand to a 404-key resort, with the reimagined development scheduled for completion in early 2027. The next phase includes 134 Valley Villas, The Enclave, a hotel-within-a-hotel concept featuring 10 Residences, and the Arizona debut of Katsuya, the acclaimed modern Japanese restaurant associated with lifestyle hospitality group sbe. Bessis brings extensive experience managing resorts, hotels, restaurants and leisure assets, having previously held senior operational positions with Rentyl Resorts, NDM Hospitality, Aimbridge Hospitality and Interstate Hotels & Resorts. His responsibilities at Kimpton Miralina will span resort operations as the property expands its accommodation, culinary, wellness and event offerings. The appointment comes at a pivotal point for the Arizona resort, with the enlarged footprint expected to significantly reshape its luxury hospitality proposition.

Kimpton Miralina Names Dimitrios Bessis Managing Director

The appointment of Dimitrios Bessis marks a major leadership development for Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas.

Bessis will oversee the resort as it moves towards completion of its extensive $70 million redevelopment and transformation.

The project is scheduled to reach completion in early 2027, creating a substantially expanded hospitality offering in Paradise Valley.

His appointment comes as the resort prepares to operate across a 404-key footprint, incorporating new villas, residences and expanded amenities.

The Managing Director will be responsible for overseeing operations across the property while supporting the delivery of its broader culinary, wellness and events strategy.

A Major $70 Million Resort Transformation

The leadership change coincides with the final phase of an ambitious transformation programme.

The project is designed to expand and reposition Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas through additional accommodation and new lifestyle experiences.

Among the most significant additions will be 134 Valley Villas.

The development will also introduce The Enclave, a hotel-within-a-hotel concept comprising 10 Residences.

Together, these additions will contribute to the resort’s eventual 404-key inventory.

The scale of the project means that Bessis is taking over during a period of substantial operational change rather than inheriting a static resort environment.

Katsuya Makes Its Arizona Debut

The transformation will also bring a major culinary addition to the property.

Katsuya, the modern Japanese restaurant associated with lifestyle hospitality group sbe, is scheduled to make its Arizona debut at Kimpton Miralina.

The arrival of the restaurant is expected to broaden the resort’s food and beverage proposition while strengthening its appeal to both overnight guests and the wider local market.

For a luxury resort, dining has increasingly become an important part of the overall guest experience.

The combination of new accommodation and a recognised restaurant concept therefore forms a central component of the property’s repositioning.

Bessis Brings Extensive Resort Experience

Bessis arrives at Kimpton Miralina with a career spanning multiple segments of hospitality and leisure operations.

Before joining the resort, he served as Vice President of Operations at Rentyl Resorts, where his portfolio included resorts, a theme park and restaurants.

That experience provided exposure to complex hospitality environments involving multiple revenue streams and operational requirements.

Previously, Bessis served as Area Resort General Manager at NDM Hospitality/Rentyl Resorts.

In that role, he oversaw two vacation resorts, a water park and two restaurants.

The breadth of that portfolio is relevant to Kimpton Miralina as the Arizona property expands its own range of accommodation, culinary and leisure offerings.

Experience Across Multiple Hotel Portfolios

Bessis also held the position of Area General Manager with Aimbridge Hospitality.

His responsibilities there involved managing a four-property portfolio.

Across his senior leadership positions, he gained experience in areas including financial performance, forecasting, labour planning, budgeting and brand standards.

These responsibilities extend beyond day-to-day hotel operations.

They require senior executives to balance guest experience with financial discipline, staffing requirements, commercial performance and consistency with brand expectations.

Those capabilities are particularly important for a resort undergoing a large-scale expansion.

From Property Operations to Corporate Leadership

Earlier in his career, Bessis held several property-level leadership positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

He later became a corporate task force general manager, supporting full-service and select-service hotels across a range of operational requirements.

His responsibilities included staffing, financial operations and capital projects.

This background provides exposure to both individual property management and broader corporate operational challenges.

It also gives Bessis experience in environments where hotel performance must be aligned with renovation, investment and capital-development objectives.

404 Keys Will Define the Resort’s Next Phase

The eventual 404-key footprint represents a substantial expansion for Kimpton Miralina.

The new Valley Villas are expected to provide a different accommodation format from conventional hotel rooms, while The Enclave will offer a more exclusive residential-style experience.

The introduction of 10 Residences through the hotel-within-a-hotel concept is particularly significant for the resort’s luxury positioning.

It creates an additional layer of accommodation designed around a more private and differentiated guest experience.

The combination of these formats can allow the resort to address different segments of the luxury and upscale leisure market.

Wellness and Events Become Part of the Expanded Proposition

The transformation is not limited to accommodation.

Bessis will oversee an expanded slate of culinary, wellness and event offerings as the resort approaches completion.

Wellness has become an increasingly important component of destination hospitality, particularly at resorts where guests spend several days on property.

Events can provide another significant source of demand, ranging from corporate gatherings to private celebrations and destination occasions.

The combination of accommodation, dining, wellness and events can therefore help create a more comprehensive resort ecosystem.

Kimpton’s Boutique Hospitality Heritage

Kimpton Miralina operates under the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand, which is part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection.

Kimpton was founded in San Francisco in 1981 and is recognised for pioneering the boutique hotel concept in the United States.

The brand has historically focused on distinctive, design-forward properties and individualised guest experiences.

Its portfolio now extends across urban destinations, resorts and emerging markets.

The brand’s emphasis on unique experiences provides an important context for the transformation taking place at Kimpton Miralina.

Paradise Valley Provides a Distinctive Setting

The resort is located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, an established luxury destination within the Scottsdale area.

Its location places Kimpton Miralina within a market known for resort hospitality, leisure travel and high-end accommodation.

The expansion therefore arrives in a competitive environment where differentiation is critical.

The addition of villas, private residences, a recognised Japanese restaurant and enhanced wellness and event offerings provides multiple ways for the property to distinguish itself.

A Leadership Appointment at a Critical Moment

Bessis’s arrival is closely aligned with the property’s development timetable.

With completion expected in early 2027, the resort is approaching the stage where construction and transformation activity must increasingly translate into fully integrated guest operations.

Managing such a transition requires coordination across accommodation, staffing, food and beverage, financial planning, brand standards and capital projects.

Bessis’s previous experience across those areas provides a relevant operational foundation.

His history of managing multiple assets also means that the expansion of Kimpton Miralina will not represent his first experience with complex hospitality portfolios.

Highgate’s Role in the Property

Highgate Hotels is identified as the management and investment company associated with the property.

The company operates across the global real estate and hospitality sectors, with a significant presence in major US gateway markets and an expanding international footprint.

Its involvement places Kimpton Miralina within a broader hospitality investment and management environment.

For the resort, the transformation represents a substantial capital commitment intended to strengthen the property’s long-term market position.

What the Appointment Means for Kimpton Miralina

The appointment of Dimitrios Bessis as Managing Director comes at a defining point for Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas.

The resort is not simply adding rooms.

It is developing a broader hospitality proposition that will include 134 Valley Villas, The Enclave’s 10 Residences, Katsuya, expanded wellness experiences and additional event offerings.

Once the transformation is completed, the property will operate with 404 keys, creating a significantly larger platform for resort operations.

Bessis’s experience across resorts, hotels, restaurants, water parks and multi-property portfolios positions him to manage that complexity.

His background in budgeting, forecasting, labour planning, financial performance, brand standards and capital projects is particularly relevant as the resort moves from transformation into full-scale operation.

The arrival of Katsuya will add another high-profile culinary component, while the villas and residences will broaden the accommodation mix.

As Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas approaches its early-2027 completion target, Bessis will therefore be leading the property through one of the most consequential periods in its development.

The appointment signals a focus on experienced operational leadership as the Arizona resort prepares to unveil its expanded footprint and compete for a larger share of the luxury leisure, wellness, culinary and events markets.