Alex Cerda is a seasoned hospitality executive with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.  His career began in 1994 as a Night Auditor at a Hampton Inn & Suites in Monterrey, Mexico.  After two years, he returned to Houston, Texas, where he continued his work at a Hampton Inn and quickly rose through the ranks into management.

In 2006, Alex joined Terrapin Hospitality, where he played an instrumental role in the company’s impressive growth from five to 35 hotels. By 2012, he advanced to the position of Vice President of Hotel Operations, overseeing a diverse portfolio of properties across multiple states and markets. During his tenure, Alex was responsible for driving operational excellence and expanding the company’s reach, eventually serving as Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations until the company’s acquisition in December 2022.

Following his 16-year tenure at Terrapin, Alex founded Aquamarine Hospitality, where he continues to share his expertise in hotel operations, revenue management, e-commerce, sales, and marketing. Throughout his career, Alex has managed prominent hotel brands such as Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham, Choice and Best Western, consistently driving higher revenues, enhanced customer satisfaction, and superior brand scores.

Alex is passionate about helping hotel owners achieve exceptional performance, guiding them to reach new heights in both financial success and brand strength. His strategic insights and hands-on leadership have made a lasting impact on the hospitality industry.

Based in Houston with his wife and two daughters, Alex enjoys traveling and exploring new destinations with his family during his free time.

Richard is a seasoned Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 28 years of experience spanning various sectors, including hospitals, retail, construction, and, for the past 11 years, the hospitality industry. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Florida in 1997 and became a Florida CPA in 2004.​

Richard’s career trajectory includes a significant nine-year tenure at M3, where he served as Director of Training and Implementation. In this role, he collaborated with hotel management companies ranging from single-property operations to expansive portfolios exceeding 200 hotels. This experience provided him with deep insights into the unique challenges and requirements of the hotel industry. ​

Richard joined Aquamarine Hospitality in 2022 as the Director of Accounting and has been able to bring his wealth of knowledge to the team and streamline the accounting process.

John Rodriguez, Director, Revenue Management has over 25 years’ experience in the Hospitality industry including Revenue Management, Sales and Front Office.
John joined Aquamarine in 2024 to provide hotels a robust Revenue Management solution that combines Sales and Front Office experience and develop winning Revenue strategies. John also worked with IHG where he held the position of Regional Revenue Director in which he supported hotels in various US markets as well as piloting services for Latin America while in RMH. Prior to IHG, John held the position of Regional Revenue Manager for Starwood Hotels and Resorts and was responsible for managing their West Region Specialty Select Brands. In addition to providing support to his region and mentoring their Centralized Revenue Management team, John was also selected to champion policies and procedures for their Centralized Revenue Management Service (CRMS). John also worked with Interstate Hotels in an Area Director of Revenue capacity managing Marriott and Hyatt Place hotels. During his tenure with Interstate Hotels, John was appointed to their Revenue Management Council, providing support and championing Marriott and Hyatt brands. John began his hospitality career in Portland, Oregon as a Reservations Agent at a full service Embassy Suites Hotel, and was quickly promoted to Revenue Manager. His experience with various hotel brands include Intercontinental Hotels, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Choice and Wyndham.

Marites Capalad is an accomplished hospitality sales leader with more than 18 years of experience in hotel sales, revenue strategy, and business development. As Sr Director of Sales, she leads and works with the hotel teams on strategic initiatives focused on driving corporate and group revenue, strengthening brand visibility, and building long-term partnerships with key clients and organizations.
In her role, Marites oversees all aspects of sales and business development and support, including corporate account acquisition, group and meeting sales, contract negotiations, and market strategy. She works closely with revenue management and hotel operations teams to maximize occupancy, optimize rate performance, and position the property as a preferred destination for corporate travelers, meetings, and group events.
Marites began her hospitality career in hotel operations as a Reservation Agent and Front Desk professional. Through strong leadership, relationship-building, and a results-driven approach, she advanced through several key roles including Senior Reservationist, Sales Coordinator, Sales Manager, and Senior Sales Manager.
Her diverse background in both operations and sales provides her with a comprehensive understanding of hotel performance, guest expectations, and market dynamics. Throughout her career, Marites has successfully secured high-value corporate accounts, expanded group business opportunities, negotiated strategic contracts, and developed partnerships with corporations, associations, and travel industry partners.
Known for her client-focused approach, strategic thinking, and deep knowledge of the hospitality market, Marites continues to lead initiatives that expand market share, strengthen client relationships, and drive sustainable revenue growth.

Nicholas graduated from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in 2016 with a degree in Finance. He has over 10 years of experience in payroll and bookkeeping and joined the hotel industry in early 2023.
Nicholas began his hospitality career working in Accounts Payable and Payroll. He has also gained operational experience at the Front Desk and Night Audit and regularly assists with reservations and other operational needs.
In his role as Controller, Nicholas supports each hotel with Payroll and HR functions to ensure all systems are properly set up and operating efficiently. He works to streamline the hotels’ property management systems with M3 to ensure daily reports are accurate and properly reflected. He also manages permit renewals and applications to help keep properties compliant with regulatory requirements.
Nicholas enjoys taking on new challenges and continuously learning, using each opportunity to expand his versatility and skill set. This adaptability allows him to provide well-rounded support to hotels, helping teams address a wide range of operational and administrative needs.

Aaron Correll is a digital marketing and eCommerce leader with over a decade of experience driving revenue growth across the hospitality, automotive, and retail industries. He oversees digital strategy for a multi-market portfolio of branded and independent hotels, leading initiatives in website optimization, paid media, SEO, and social media. Under his leadership, portfolios have achieved double-digit year-over-year revenue growth and advertising returns exceeding 18:1 ROAS. Previously, Aaron held senior eCommerce roles where he managed national hotel portfolios of up to 80 properties and played a key role in brand development, website merchandising, and cross-functional marketing strategy. Throughout his career, he has overseen more than $25 million in advertising spend and consistently delivered data-driven results.