InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco announce Peter Koehler’s appointment as Regional Director of Operations Northern California and Nelum Gunewardane’s promotion to General Manager for the iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkins. Koehler now manages multiple InterContinental Hotels Group brands within the Northern California region, including the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites, while Gunewardane will oversee all aspects of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins and its iconic Top of the Mark lounge.

Koehler brings over 35 years of hospitality experience to his new role with the InterContinental Hotels Group. He has worked with many of the world’s top hotels, including the Morgans Hotel in New York City and the Omni Hotel at Independence Park in Philadelphia, where he served as opening General Manager. In 1991, Koehler relocated to San Francisco, accepting the General Manager position at Campton Place Hotel Kempinski. After three years in San Francisco, Koehler spent seven years as the General Manager at various properties in Mexico, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Koehler returned to the Bay Area in 2001 as General Manager at the Kimpton Hotel Group’s Hotel Palomar and Fifth Floor Restaurant, San Francisco and later joined the opening team at the InterContinental San Francisco. Prior to being named Regional Director of Operations Northern California, Koehler was appointed Regional Director of Operations San Francisco, where he assumed responsibility of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, in addition to the InterContinental San Francisco.

Bringing over 20 years of hospitality experience, Gunewardane began her career in 1991 with the InterContinental Hotels Group at the Riyadh InterContinental Hotel in Saudi Arabia, and then moved on to the May Fair InterContinental Hotel in London in 1997. From London, she joined the Intercontinental New York Barclay in 2001 where she initially served as Assistant Manager in the Front Office department and later as Front Office Manager in 2005. After several promotions in New York, Gunewardane was then appointed Director of Front Office Operations for the opening team of the InterContinental Boston where she was recognized as “Best of the Best for Director of Front Office” for InterContinental Hotels, North America. She moved to San Francisco following the opening of the Boston property, accepting the role of Hotel Manager at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins before becoming General Manager. The San Francisco Business Times recognized her as one of the “Most Influential Women in Business” in 2012.

For more information on the InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco please visit 
www.intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com or www.intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com.

About InterContinental Mark Hopkins
Located on the top of prestigious Nob Hill at the intersection of California and Mason Streets, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, a historic landmark, is a regular stop on the California Street cable car line. Just minutes away from the financial and theatre districts as well as Union Square and Chinatown, this four-star, four-diamond hotel is also home to the Top of the Mark, the world-renowned 19th floor sky lounge that offers panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area.

About InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has 169 hotels located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 60 years of experience. At InterContinental Hotels, we believe that superior, understated service and outstanding facilities are important, but what makes us truly different is the genuine interest we show in our guests. Our desire is to help guests make the most of their time. We connect our well-traveled guests to what’s special about a destination, by sharing our knowledge so they enjoy authentic experiences that will enrich their lives and broaden their outlook.