Yudith Bustos Taleno has been appointed Executive Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Adorn Bar & Restaurant, located on the seventh floor of Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, announces the appointments of new Executive Pastry Chef Yudith Bustos Taleno. This new addition further elevates Adorn's commitment to creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation in both its culinary and beverage programs.
Chef Yudith brings creativity, discipline, and heart to her role as Executive Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, where she leads the pastry program at Adorn Bar & Restaurant. Known for her refined technique, artistic presentations, and thoughtful leadership, she crafts desserts that are as beautiful as they are flavourful, while mentoring the next generation of pastry chefs.
Originally from Costa Rica, Yudith fell in love with baking at a small neighbourhood bakery - a moment that sparked her culinary path. After attending culinary school, she worked in leading kitchens around the world, including the InterContinental in San José and several Four Seasons properties in Costa Rica, Dallas, Scottsdale, and Washington, DC.
Her passion for growth led her to train at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and London, experiences that shaped her elegant presentation and global perspective. During her eight years in Washington, DC, she deepened her commitment to excellence, collaboration, and mentorship, values that continue to define her approach today.
A dedicated mentor, Yudith fosters a kitchen culture rooted in learning and creativity. Just as she was supported early in her career, she now empowers young pastry chefs to grow with confidence, humility, and curiosity.
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Sean McCarron: Here at Conrad Orlando at Evermore, we are fortunate to have several different outlets, for our guests. The first being Little Spoon and Little Spoon is a grab and go restaurant that we have for the guests that are on the go, whether they're going out to the pool or they're getting onto the Luxury Motor Coach to get out to Disney. And it has different kinds of coffees and pastries from our award-winning chef and different kinds of breakfast sandwiches and things to take on the go. But it's open all throughout the day so the guests can come back for more lunch type meals, sandwiches and salads. And then of course, that afternoon coffee that everyone kind of dies for. And then at the end of it is also a gelato. We have beautiful gelatos that are again, produced by our pastry chef and making sure that we have something for everybody just in a grab and go basis. The second of our restaurants is Papaya Club, and it's a polynesian fair, so very light bites. Shrimp Toast is one of my all time favorites there, but it's also has tiki cocktails, and they were developed by a very famed, tiki bar specialist named Paul McGee in partnership to really make this a, a, an incredible cocktail experience and an incredible food experience right over this beautiful beach and overlooking our lagoon. One of our other areas is called Appar, and that's a cocktail bar and cocktail lounge, and we did a lot of spritz bar and Negroni type cocktails, that was established by a gentleman named John Carlo Mancino. And he is famed for a lot of spritz bars and Aperol spritzes and different kinds of cocktails. So he helped develop that program, our signature restaurant, which is called Ceiba, and Ceiba is on the roof of the Conrad, and it overlooks Epcot and it overlooks Magic Kingdom and this beautiful lagoon that we have. And that is very authentic Mexican food as well. And it has over 150 different agave based spirits. So you can have an cocktail program of all different kinds of tequilas coupled with very authentic Mexican cuisine. My personal favorite are the tacos. They do all kinds of different and amazing street taco, very small bite tacos. So you can try a lot of different, different ones. Ryan Embree: And again, where a guest are spending a lot of their time, those options, I'm sure go a long way. You love to see the international flavor, you know, not just one particular brand of flavor. And, and taking, its own take, but you certainly have the ambiance covered. With that, again, some of the views that you have on this very scenic property, but it goes beyond just the F&B experience, some of the state of art amenities the dedication and prioritization of wellness is also really infused in this guest experience. Talk to us a little bit about that. Sean McCarron: Yeah. Well, wellness is so important. And sleep experience is so important. And as you're creating your journey of vacation and relaxing and reconnection and rejuvenation, wellness is a big part of that. And our spa really focuses on exactly that. A lot of our treatments are designed around that wellness and how do you take care of your body and your mind and your soul. We have an incredible water garden that is associated and right next to our spa that has a very tranquil environment, lots of flora and fauna around and has water treatments. We have a hot and cold plunge pool. Yeah. We have a hydrotherapy tub, and a lot of based on these natural springs that are in and within central Florida. So a lot of that is giving that feeling of Florida and that relaxation throughout. Ryan Embree: Yeah. Back to that theme of water that you talked to that makes this property so unique and the destination experience here. Let's talk about, you know, I had the, like I said, privilege of talking to a couple properties and general managers who always say, you never managed to win awards. They typically just come with the service that you provide. What has been some of the feedback that you've been hearing from guests and recognitions that you've seen and what this means to your team? Sean McCarron: I mean, quite a few accolades that, you know, we weren't expecting necessarily. We try to give the guest experience to every single guest that are coming in here, but we won, Best Hotel in US News for 2025. SBA won best new restaurant in Orlando Magazine. OpenTable, also gave quite a few awards to not only Sophia's, but to SBA as well. And then our spa, actually in Spa Magazine was number 15 of the top a hundred spas throughout the us, so, wow. Yeah. A lot of things and a lot of hard work that the teamput into to getting this resort open and really making the areas that our guests can go into the best of the best. And we've been recognized for that, and we are very proud of that. Ryan Embree: A testament to the hard work, especially to see almost every facet of the guest experience being recognized in some capacity. It's gotta get those new pickleball courts on some sort of lift that you guys just opened up. Right? Yeah. You know, this is a digital marketing podcast. This is how we started, you know, seven years ago doing this, and it's kind of transformed. But, you know, we talk about, especially with a project like this, you wanna get the local community? No, well, not just the local community. You wanna get everybody involved here. Fantastic job of growing a social presence online, thousands of followers. I'm sure you're getting picks every single day that you're liking, commenting, and sharing on. Talk to us about launching this hotel and, and the foundation that was built from a digital presence and how that kind of catapulted you and, and really accelerated growth here. Yeah. Sean McCarron: Well, social media is, is really the most important part of, of getting the message out and, and learning about the hotel. We actually won an award from Forbes for our Instagram and really highlighting all of the Instagram posts that we did and how we were able to talk through and capture all of the imagery of, of this resort. And the challenge that we find is that no matter how much imagery we have out there, and no matter, no matter how much social media posts that we have, until you actually physically see this resort, it, it, it doesn't do it any justice. I mean, this is an absolutely stunning resort for anybody that walks in the front door. And as, as our guests walk in through the lobby, the first thing they see is, you know, from the third floor overlooking that beautiful lagoon. It's so wowing to the guests. They just, it starts the whole mood of, of their visit. Whether they're coming from a group perspective or whether they're coming from a leisure perspective, it's a huge Wow. But going back to social media and how important it is, you know, I have teenage kids and when we go on vacation, they're already well ahead of me. They're doing all of the research and social media. 'cause, you know, spring break comes up, all right, where do we want to go, kids? Yeah. And it used to be, you know, when my kids were younger, I just made the decision, now they're making the decision, dad, I want to go either here or here or here and here's why. And here are the things that are great about the resort, and here are great things that are great about the actual, you know, environment and around us and the act activities that they can get into. So they really start to drive that, but they're driving it from a social media lens. Ryan Embree: It's a great use case, Sean. And, and, you know, I think I challenge people that are listening to this, you know, where we used to start our research might have been just Google and TripAdvisor and some of these online review sites, but you're absolutely right, this younger generation when you mention, Hey, we might be going to this city, or we're going to stay at this hotel. Yeah. The place they're doing their research is places like Instagram. So to see that you have such a strong presence, there is something we preach on this podcast all the time, because it could be the make or break. You know, when you have this beautiful lagoon and everyone's posting you, you've got a great opportunity to capture guests there. So, we're gonna hit you with some quick, rapid fire questions here. Okay. This one, probably the most difficult, but favorite view on property, Sean. Sean McCarron: Oh my goodness. I would say my favorite view is overlooking the, the lagoon that crystal blue water, and looking right down and looking at the beaches. And in the background, our view on the backside of that lagoon is Epcot. So by day we get to see this beautiful lagoon by night fireworks. And the Epcot ball lit up is, is a pretty spectacular viewpoint. Ryan Embree: That's incredible. Fun fact about the property? Sean McCarron: Yeah, I'm gonna go back to the lagoon. I have to tell you, it, it, you know, you've seen it, it, there's nothing really like it in any of the resorts, not only in central Florida, but I would say all throughout Florida for that matter. But, you know, one of the fun facts is it is 17 million gallons of fresh water. And if you think about 17 million gallons, and, and try to understand what that is, it's about a thousand residential swimming pools that our guests can go out and swim in, get on a paddleboard, get in a kayak. There's just so many things to do out on that water, and it's amazing. It Ryan Embree: Really is. We walked in, saw a bunch of paddle boarders out there, absolutely incredible to see. And you know, there a lot of sustainability efforts, as well were pointed out with this being a new build, so important. We will also talk about trends. Right now, hospitality trends, these new builds are really trying to get those sustainability efforts in there. Favorite amenity at the property? Sean McCarron: I would say that the spa. It's so unique in itself and the treatments that are provided are so wellness based and, you know, encapsulating the, the body and the mind and the spirit and the actual physical relaxation that you can get out of that. Between that and, you know, our two relaxation rooms that we have within the spa itself, where you can go into a hot sauna or you can get into a steam room or then go out into the water garden and experience all of that. It's probably the most tranquil, relaxing spot, I would say is part of this resort. Ryan Embree: Yeah. And sleep, travel wellness, again, a big, big hot topic right now in hospitality. People will, you know, certainly pay a premium to, to make sure that they're getting a relaxing and, and well kept stay there. Sean, you've had multiple stops. You talked about at the top of the episode of, of these luxury hotels and resorts that you've been at, you've been open now for some time you've seen guests come in and out of the lobby. You know, what is your hope as the gm when somebody leaves the Conrad Orlando, what they're saying about their stay here? Sean McCarron: I think for us, the most important piece, and what I would want our guests to walk away from and, and, and have as their memory point is that they had an opportunity to reconnect with themselves, which is part of wellness. Reconnect with their families and their loved ones rejuvenate themselves by relaxing and enjoying the resort itself and finding a place to just say, ah, yeah. And have us do the work for them. I think those are the two main areas of anybody, and even for myself included, when I go on vacation after, you know, a hectic work life, you, you want to get out and, and just relax and reconnect with yourself and reconnect with your family. Ryan Embree: The perfect sound when I saw, when I walked into your this property ,right when you see that lagoon overlooking, it's a beautiful property. Thank you for hosting us, Sean. Any final thoughts as we wrap up today? Sean McCarron: No, please come see us. We would love to have you all come and take a look and experience the resort as well. Conrad Orlando is here. Ryan Embree: Follow them on social media. Obviously we talked about it. But hope you get the privilege to visit this beautiful property and see all that, Sean, and, and the team will certainly take that, take that special care of you. So thank you so much, Sean, for joining me on the Suite Spot. Sean McCarron: I appreciate it. Thank you. Ryan Embree: Thank you. And we will talk to you next time on The SuiteSpot. To join our loyalty program. Be sure to subscribe and give us a five star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I'm your host Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay. About Travel Media Group (TMG) Travel Media Group (TMG) is a hospitality marketing partner for brands, hotel management groups, and individual properties. Services include custom social media marketing, professional review response, online reputation management, and more. TMG is responsible for elevating our hotel partners' online presence while helping hotels manage real-time guest feedback. Travel Media Group is a business that is a part of the Dominion Enterprises Family. Cassady Quintana Marketing Coordinator View source
Hospitality Net
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EHL Innovation Rewind: Rainer Stampfer on AI, Personalization, and the Human Touch at Four Seasons
During the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we sat down with Rainer Stampfer, President of Global Operations, Hotels and Resorts at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Our conversation explored the growing role of artificial intelligence in luxury hospitality, the evolving expectations around personalization, and why the human element continues to be the ultimate marker of excellence in high-end service. Which technology or innovation do you think will have the biggest impact over the next 5 to 10 years? There is a lot of conversation about artificial intelligence, and for good reason. We are still in early stages, but the potential to enable our team members is enormous. Our industry has not always been tech forward. For many years, funding and business models have limited innovation. But I believe we are at a turning point. We are finally in a place where we can move faster. The integration of AI is helping us break down silos and bring systems together. Today, our systems are still fairly fragmented, which makes it difficult for teams to use technology effectively. The opportunity now is to converge those systems in a way that enables our people to serve customers better. That is the real transformation. In luxury, there is a lot of talk about hyper-personalization. Do you think it will be seen as a true differentiator or just status quo? And is there a line that should not be crossed? There is always a line not to cross. But first, let me say that in luxury hospitality, we have always talked about personalization. I would argue the industry has not done a particularly good job at it. Historically, personalization has depended on individual team members. We have given them a framework, some support, but really it has been up to them. If you have the right people, it works. But structurally and systematically, we have not enabled it well. Technology now allows us to do that better. How we apply and execute it will make the difference. Will it be a success? Will it feel like too much? That depends on execution. Personalization still requires human judgment. It has to be contextual. It cannot be scripted. It has to show that we care. In a world of increasingly artificial experiences, do you think the human element will become the ultimate luxury? Yes, absolutely. In luxury hospitality, it all comes back to human connection. Socialization, real interaction, that is the essence. I do not know if luxury is the perfect word, but it is certainly how we label it. If you look at other segments, transactional or lower service tiers, the customer might not expect or even want a human interaction. But in luxury, human engagement will always be the key differentiator. It is what defines how well we deliver. And it justifies the value. So yes, humans are still the common denominator of hospitality at the top end. You are part of a globally recognized brand with deep legacy. How do you stay agile in this fast-moving world of tech? I would actually not call Four Seasons a Goliath. We are proud of the brand and its strength, but we are still a small company. We operate 133 hotels, 56 private residences, and we are building a yacht. The brand is strong and trusted, 64 years old, but we are a focused organization. We know one another. We have strong tenure across the team. And our concentration is laser sharp. Everyone talks about the same themes in hospitality today, but the difference is in how well you deliver. Focus and enablement make that possible. We serve a specific customer with consistent expectations, and we deliver that across 50 countries. In a sea of sameness, that clarity plays in our favor. About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025 This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner. The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time. Key Figures 385 participants 48 speakers and contributors from more than 20 countries 7 innovation challenges collectively addressed 45 sessions 25 student volunteers 15 F&B startups letting us taste the future 1.5 days of connection, learning, and co-creation Key Insights from the Summit
