Island Hotel hires Balboa Bay Club’s manager

The general manager of the Balboa Bay Club and Resort has accepted a similar position at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach.

Dieter Hissin took over daily operations at the Irvine Co. hotel Jan. 2. The Fashion Island property is being updated throughout.

Respect for Hissin within the Newport Beach community and his familiarity with the food and wine industry made him perfect for the role, said Irvine Co. spokeswoman Kimberly Sanders.

Hissin, who grew up in Germany, worked in the kitchen of his family’s hotel beginning at age 10. He later completed an apprenticeship as a chef at a Michelin-starred hotel and earned a degree in hotel economics before moving to California to work as a restaurant manager for the Ritz-Carlton in 1992, according to a news release.

The Island Hotel, which boasts a new outdoor wedding venue and lays claim to the largest ballroom in Newport Beach, plans to debut a new restaurant and lounge this year, Sanders said.

Donald Stamets, who served as general manager before Hissin, accepted a position as managing director for the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Florida.

The Balboa Bay Club and Resort, where Hissin worked for 18 years, is in the process of looking for a new general manager, said spokeswoman Lauren Crowley.

Steve Arnold, president and chief operating officer of the resort’s management company, Pacific Hospitality Group, is serving in the role in the interim.