Hawks Cay Resort Appoints New Food & Beverage Director and Executive Chef to Lead Culinary Offerings

DUCK KEY, Fla. – Mar. 1, 2022  – Hawks Cay Resort has appointed Albert Bilotti as the food and beverage director and Patrick Cleary as the executive chef. Together, the duo will lead the resort’s food and beverage team and enhance the resort’s overall dining experiences for guests.

Prior to joining Hawks Cay, Director of Food & Beverage Albert Bilotti served as the general manager of restaurant operations for Morada Bay, a well-known seaside dining locale located in Islamorada, Florida. Originally from New York, Bilotti relocated to the Florida Keys following a long career in the hospitality industry having worked at several leading resorts across the country where he led food and beverage operations and programming including The Roosevelt Hotel, Waldorf Astoria, The Resort at Squaw Creek, and La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, just to name a few. At Hawks Cay, he will be working directly with the Executive Chef to ensure a world-class dining experience for guests at each outlet, representative of both the Florida Keys locale and the culinary brand the hotel has chartered.

Executive Chef Patrick Cleary comes to Hawks Cay from Morada Bay where he led a dual restaurant culinary team serving the notable Pierre’s Restaurant and The Beach Café in the Florida Keys. With more than 20 years of experience working in the hospitality industry at hotels such as Hilton Denver City, Destination Hotels’ Resort at Squaw Creek, and Waldorf Astoria Casa Marina Resort, Chef Patrick is no stranger to creating memorable culinary experiences for multiple dining outlets that come together to deliver one complete offering for guests. He has prided himself on fAt Hawks Cay, he will work directly with Bilotti to bring new and exciting culinary concepts to the menus at Angler & Ale, Sixty-One Prime, and Hawks Cay Marketplace, as well as the other fast-casual outlets throughout the resort.

“We warmly welcome this dynamic duo to invigorate new elements into Hawks Cay’s dining outlets,” said Sheldon Suga, vice president and managing director of the resort. “Individually, their expertise makes them both exceptional for their roles, now, with their combined visions, resort guests are set to delight in a completely refreshed culinary offering at the Hawks Cay.”

Hawks Cay is home to six dining outlets, including a fine-dining chop house - Sixty-One Prime, relaxed waterfront dining at Angler & Ale; Hawks Cay Marketplace, a fast, family-friendly outlet for on-the-go guests; Oasis Cay, an adults-only bar by its Tranquility Pool; poolside bar, Tiki Grill; and Coral Grill, a family-friendly hangout serving fare for all ages

About Hawks Cay Resort

Hawks Cay Resort is a one-of-a-kind destination resort on Duck Key in the middle Florida Keys, roughly halfway between Key Largo and Key West at mile marker 61. A recipient of the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award and a member of the Preferred Hotel Group Lifestyle Collection, this 60-acre, tropical destination is easily accessible by car, boat or plane yet feels worlds away from everyday life. Alongside the aquamarine water of the Atlantic Ocean, guests enjoy offshore, flats and backcountry fishing; diving; kayaking and standup paddle boarding programs; Cliff Drysdale tennis program, and the only resort-based Dolphin Connection program with complimentary daily viewings in the continental U.S.

The resort boasts 177 guestrooms and 250 two- and three-bedroom villas, a full-service marina, six restaurants, saltwater lagoon, five swimming pools, kids club and Calm Waters Spa. For groups and events, the resort offers multiple outdoor venues, plus 20,000 square feet of oceanfront meetings and event space. For more information, please visit www.hawkscay.com.

About Preferred Hotels

Hawks Cay Resort is a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Connect Collection, an international portfolio of hotels that connect people to friends and family, business associates, and interesting neighborhoods. Inspired by local culture, the smart, well-appointed, eclectic, and welcoming hotels within this collection seamlessly combine value with comfort and convenience to relax one’s busy, on-the-road life. All guests of Hawks Cay Resort are eligible to enroll in the iPrefer hotel rewards program, which extends points redeemable for cash-value Reward Certificates, elite status, and special benefits such as complimentary Internet to members upon every stay at more than 600 participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts locations worldwide.