Israël Benyaïr Appointed General Manager of Baccarat Hotel New York
Benyaïr will oversee day-to-day operations at the Midtown Manhattan flagship after holding senior leadership roles at Delamar, Auberge Resorts Collection, and Mandarin Oriental.
Photo: Courtesy of The Baccarat
Israël Benyaïr has been appointed general manager of Baccarat Hotel New York, overseeing day-to-day operations at the Midtown Manhattan flagship. Benyaïr assumed the role last month, joining the property nearly a decade after its opening in March 2015.
Located on West 53rd Street, Baccarat Hotel New York is the brand’s U.S. hospitality anchor, combining hotel operations with branded residential, dining, and event spaces. The property holds Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond designations.
Benyaïr joins Baccarat Hotel New York following a four-year tenure as vice president of operations for the Delamar Hotel Collection, where he oversaw six properties across the Northeast. His responsibilities included portfolio-wide operations, budgeting, forecasting, and performance oversight. During that period, the collection completed two new property openings in 2025.
Before Delamar, Benyaïr served as general manager of the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut, then part of the Auberge Resorts Collection. In that role, he managed an extensive renovation and repositioning of the property, including updates to the spa and food-and-beverage offerings, and oversaw operational performance during the transition.
Earlier in his career, Benyaïr held multiple senior leadership positions within Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group across the U.S. and Europe. These included hotel manager roles at Mandarin Oriental New York and Mandarin Oriental Geneva, as well as director of food and beverage positions in Boston and Geneva. His experience also includes leadership roles at Hotel Beau-Rivage Geneva and InterContinental Hotel Geneva. Collectively, his background spans hotel operations, food and beverage management, and large-scale urban luxury properties.
At Mandarin Oriental New York, Benyaïr managed operations for a hotel with more than 240 rooms and residences and led the opening of several food-and-beverage concepts during his tenure. In Geneva, he oversaw hotel operations for a 189-room property with a workforce of more than 200.
Benyaïr is a native of Rhône, France. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Institut Vatel Hotel School in Lyon, as well as additional academic credentials in sales, marketing, and hospitality management from institutions in the Rhône-Alpes region. He is fluent in English, French, and Hebrew.
