Starwood Hotels, operator of the St. Regis Deer Crest at Deer Valley Resort, announced Thursday it was replacing General Manager Michael Hatzfeld with Stan Kaminski from San Diego on Aug. 9.

Alexandra Hynes, the spokesperson for St. Regis, said Hatzfeld was moving back East to be closer to family.

Kaminski is an avid skier but visited Park City for the first time just weeks ago, he said in a Thursday interview.

He had been general manager of W San Diego another Starwood Hotels property but is new to the St. Regis brand.

The press release issued Thursday paints Hatzfeld as an expert in "pre-opening and initial operations" of St. Regis hotels having previously opened the locations at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Aspen, Colorado (after a major renovation).

"We were very fortunate to have Michael Hatzfeld join us as general manager during our opening phase," said Michael Zaccaro, one of the hotel owners, in the release. "His previous experience was invaluable to us as we commenced operations Similarly, Stan Kaminski’s background and approach make him the right person to take the reins as we move forward, and we are quite pleased he is able to join us."

Kaminski said he’s been in San Diego for the past 10 years and is excited to begin a new chapter in Park City. With two young children who will be in the Park City School District, he said it’s a good move for his family.

His wife has roots in Colorado and the family has always been fond of the mountain lifestyle.

"We have been a very outdoors driven Southern California family. This is going to be a blast," he said.

Kaminski said the opportunity to manage a world-class resort that represents the epitome of luxury was too good to pass up.

He said he plans to continue efforts to joint market Park City as a year-round destination with other luxury brands in the community. He will "take one step at a time" beginning Aug. 9, but improving business during the off-seasons will be a primary goal.

"There’s a possibility for this to become a huge summer destination," he said.

View St. Regis Deer Crest in a larger map