Baccarat Hotel New York has named Isaac Olivo its new Executive Chef and Beata Parzych its Head Sommelier, filling two of the most consequential food-and-beverage posts at the Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond property.

Olivo won't be running the kitchen alone. He'll collaborate with Gabriel Kreuther, the hotel's Two Michelin-starred Culinary Director, across every F&B outlet on site: the Grand Salon, The Bar, Le Jardin, private events, and in-room dining. That structure matters. In a hotel this size, the Executive Chef seat controls sourcing, menu engineering, and labor deployment across at least five distinct revenue points — not just one dining room.

Parzych inherits the full wine program for the same spread of outlets, including private bar service and catered events. For a luxury hotel, beverage is where much of the margin lives, so a sommelier hire at this level is a pricing and inventory decision as much as a service one.

Who Is Isaac Olivo?

Olivo brings nearly 20 years in professional kitchens. His résumé reads like a map of American fine dining, with Executive Chef stints at two Relais & Châteaux properties — Cuvee Restaurant at The Chatham Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts, and the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut. Earlier roles include culinary leadership at Amorette Restaurant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Restaurant Clement at The Peninsula New York.

He started as a Sous Chef at Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina in Miami, with additional time at SHO by Sean Hergatt and Jean Georges in New York, plus The Villa by Barton G in Miami Beach.

A New York City native of Dominican heritage, Olivo trained at Le Cordon Bleu and describes his cooking as French technique filtered through contemporary American flavors. His sourcing philosophy is seasonal and sustainable, and he has represented Relais & Châteaux at international events including World Oceans Day, advocating for ocean conservation — a signal that procurement standards, not just plate design, are part of his brief.

"I am thrilled to be part of something shaped by a pedigree rooted in centuries of excellence, craftsmanship, and an appreciation for the art of living well, and my goal is to bring this spirit to the table," Olivo said.

What Does This Change for the Beverage Program?

Plenty, potentially. Parych arrives with her own deep fine-dining track record — nearly 20 years across Michelin-starred New York rooms including Le Bernardin, Le Cirque, and Circo. She has also held beverage leadership and sommelier posts at BLT Restaurant Group, STK Saint Urban, the Rhubarb Hospitality Collection, STK, and Zuma.

That background spans both hotel-adjacent and high-volume steakhouse environments, which suggests she can manage a list that needs to work at The Bar and in catered events alike — different check averages, different by-the-glass economics.

"My focus is on maintaining high standards while building a collaborative team culture, while ensuring that knowledge, consistency, and genuine hospitality come together in every guest interaction," Parzych said.

Why It Matters

Luxury hotels live and die by F&B consistency, and this pairing puts two veterans with roughly four combined decades of experience over the property's kitchen and cellar. With a Two Michelin-starred culinary director above them, the appointments suggest Baccarat is investing in operational depth — and guests at the Grand Salon and Le Jardin should expect the standards, and likely the menus, to keep evolving under the new team.