Andres Jimenez

When you’ve lived two-thirds of your life abroad, “home sweet home” takes on new meaning. And yet, even being away from his native Costa Rica for more than 30 years, Andres Jimenez seems grounded in a way that few do.

His travels have already taken him to over 75 countries, from China to Egypt to Denmark. Along the way, he spent a notable seven-year stint studying at The Cordon Bleu in Paris, though he’ll tell you the most important lessons he learned immersed in the cultures and cuisines of his travels.

“I’ve come to realize that, as it relates to food, beverage, and hospitality, people are looking for comfort, quality, and memorable experiences. Those desires are universal and independent of background or price point.”

Beyond the endless amounts of inspiration that living and traveling abroad supplies, it also requires us to be flexible and open-minded. Furthermore, it has provided Andres with the perfect remote classroom to further develop his approach to leadership—to be adaptable and seek first to understand.

“There are always reasons things are done the way they are—for better or worse—and those reasons are not always obvious at first. So I try to dig deep when looking at a problematic situation and look for alternatives beyond what I see on the surface.”

As SVP of Food and Beverage, Andres is tasked with furthering the vision of Makeready in collaboration with the rest of the F&B team, with equal emphasis on operation effectiveness and future-forward ideation. He orchestrates our wonderful team of professionals in designing and delivering memorable F&B experiences throughout our properties, always ensuring that we enjoy what we do and where we are along the way.

If you spot him in his free time, he’ll likely be traveling with his wife Ana (and their dog Nikko when possible). They’re avid fans of a road trip—or any trip really—without a set itinerary, letting destiny and spontaneity take them to amazing places.

While Andres will be the first to admit that he doesn’t have all the answers. But what he never lacks is the confidence that, when we work as a team, we can always resolve the questions.