IRVINE, CA—Pacifica Hotels, the largest owner and operator of independent hotels on the Pacific Coast, announced today the appointment of Stephen Medel as vice president of business development.

This is a new role for the company as Pacifica focuses more on 3rd party management contracts in its evolving business model. With a strong operations team already in place and over 30 years of success in managing a portfolio of independent and branded hotels, Pacifica looks forward to expanding these services to a broader audience.

Medel will also lead the expansion of The Wayfarer brand – a cutting-edge, millennial-focused lodging concept with targeted new locations throughout the Western United States. The Wayfarer, which was recently named to the Top 10 New Hotels in the US by Gayot for 2014, opened in August 2014 in Santa Barbara and has proven to be a guest favorite and a unique addition to the high-end Santa Barbara market. Medel plans on replicating The Wayfarer's success through strategic acquisitions of existing hotels, adaptive reuse conversions, and new developments.