In luxury resort dining, leadership hires are strategy in disguise. When a property lands a marquee brand like Nobu on-site, the next move is making sure the talent running the floor and the bar can carry that momentum across every outlet. That's exactly the play unfolding on Florida's Atlantic coast.
Eau Resort & Spa, the award-winning oceanfront retreat in Palm Beach, has named Dany Hasbani as Director of Food & Beverage and Stephen Lezama as Beverage Director. Together, the two will oversee the resort's full culinary and beverage program — Nobu Manalapan, Angle, Breeze Ocean Kitchen, Stir, Savor, in-room dining, banquets, special events, and future culinary programming.
Two Hires, Decades of Luxury Hospitality Pedigree
The appointments come as Eau continues to sharpen its position as one of South Florida's premier epicurean destinations, following the opening of Nobu Manalapan and ongoing enhancements across its dining venues.
"We're so excited to welcome Dany and Stephen to the Eau family," said Michelle Phillips, Director of Marketing & Brand. "Their talent, creativity, and thoughtful approach to hospitality make them a natural fit for Eau. Each of our restaurants has its own distinct personality, and we're excited to see them build on what's already special while creating new experiences for our guests to discover and enjoy."
Dany Hasbani, Director of Food & Beverage
Hasbani oversees all dining outlets and culinary experiences across the resort, with a focus on operational excellence, team development, and elevating the guest experience. His career began in New York at a family-owned restaurant before he moved into luxury hotels at the iconic Helmsley Park Lane Hotel.
From there, he built a résumé stacked with recognizable names, including The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, Conrad New York Midtown, and The New York Palace. He also served on opening teams for several high-profile properties: Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Waldorf Astoria Arizona Biltmore, and Conrad Orlando.
"My vision is to continue elevating every aspect of the dining experience while ensuring it feels warm, welcoming, and authentic," said Hasbani. "Eau Resort & Spa has an incredible foundation, from its talented culinary team to its distinctive dining venues. I'm excited to build upon that by creating experiences that reflect the resort's unique identity and leave a lasting impression on our guests."
Stephen Lezama, Beverage Director
Lezama takes the reins on beverage programming across the property — wine, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic offerings spanning Eau's restaurants, bars, lounges, and special events. His path started in nightlife and entertainment, where he honed a knack for creating experiences that bring people together.
His background includes Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, The Ray Hotel Delray Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton, Live! Dining & Entertainment Districts, and Gale Hotel Miami. Across those roles he developed new beverage programs, opened concepts, and built high-performing teams.
"What excites me most about hospitality is the opportunity to create moments people remember long after they leave," said Lezama. "Whether it's introducing a guest to a new wine, crafting a seasonal cocktail program, or developing experiences that encourage people to gather and connect, beverage plays an important role in creating those memories."
A Dining Portfolio Built to Impress
Hasbani and Lezama will support and enhance Eau's award-winning culinary program, led by Executive Chef Neall Bailey. The resort's lineup includes:
- Nobu Manalapan — the newest addition to the property, from the globally renowned Nobu Restaurant Group and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
- Angle — contemporary American cuisine centered on steaks, seafood, and seasonal ingredients.
- Breeze Ocean Kitchen — oceanfront alfresco dining celebrating coastal flavors and inventive cocktails.
- Stir — craft cocktails and light bites.
- Savor — the spa terrace café — plus the Oceana coffee shop.
Set across seven acres on a secluded private beach, Eau Resort & Spa has been recognized by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler as one of Florida's top resorts, and is a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legends Collection.
Why It Matters
For hospitality operators, this is a textbook example of aligning talent to a portfolio strategy. Splitting oversight between a Director of Food & Beverage and a dedicated Beverage Director signals a resort treating beverage as its own profit-and-experience center — not an afterthought bolted onto the kitchen. As margins tighten and guests increasingly judge a stay by its bar program as much as its plates, that structure is worth studying.
A few practical takeaways for F&B executives and resort operators:
- Beverage deserves its own leader. Elevating a Beverage Director role dedicated to wine, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic offerings positions a property to capture higher check averages and cater to the growing zero-proof crowd.
- Opening-team experience is a hiring signal. Both hires carry launch experience at major flagship properties — valuable currency for any operation eyeing new concepts or renovations.
- Multi-outlet consistency is the challenge. With everything from a Nobu to a spa café under one program, the mandate is coherent quality without flattening each venue's distinct identity.
Leadership moves like these are the through-line of a competitive luxury dining market — and they often preview where a property's menu and beverage innovation are headed next.
Keep Reading
Track the people shaping today's hospitality and beverage programs. See how other resorts and restaurants are approaching leadership and drinks strategy in The New Economics of Craft: How Hospitality Operators Are Reengineering Beverage Programs for Scale and Elevating Dining: Jonathan Headley's Vision at Ocean Prime Las Vegas.
What do you make of splitting F&B and beverage leadership at a luxury resort — smart specialization or added overhead? Weigh in with a comment.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
