Valentin Castañeda has been named the new Chef de Cuisine for Rise Kitchen at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

A Texas native, Castañeda has over 20 years of culinary experience. He has worked for several world-class establishments including the Mobil Four Star Armani’s Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tampa Bay; the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort in Tucson; the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, also in Tucson; and the Hyatt Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio.

While at the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort, Castañeda participated in the first Hilton Worldwide culinary competition (Diamond Chef) and his team captured the gold medal.

Prior to arriving at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Castañeda was also the Director of Food & Beverage for McKibbon Hospitality in Tampa where he managed the front and back of the house. He was involved with many taskforce projects, which included new menu training, brand initiative rollouts and new property openings and acquisitions.

A fan of muscle cars and traveling to explore new places, Castañeda says his cooking style is a reflection of his management style.

“It’s all about focusing on what can be done better, while having fun,” said Castañeda. “I strive to instill passion and enthusiasm in my culinary team so that they are able to grow their skill set and further develop their talents.”

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is the premier entertainment destination of Central Florida. Owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the property is one of the most successful and largest casinos in the world. Located off I-4 at North Orient Road and Hillsborough Avenue, about 10 minutes east of downtown Tampa, the casino features high stakes table games, thousands of the hottest slot machines as well as a new smoke free slots area offering more than 850 popular games. Additionally, there is a state-of-the-art Poker Room featuring 46 tables and an art deco-inspired Mezzanine Level Casino with more than 500 premium and high limit slots. The hotel is AAA Four Diamond rated and the property proudly offers seven award-winning Zagat-rated restaurants, including the upscale dining venues Council Oak Steaks & Seafood and The Rez Grill. The only place to rock one’s body and soul, Rock Spa® & Salon, is also available along with a plethora of VIP services. For more information, please call 866-502-PLAY or visit us online and via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

About Hard Rock International

With venues in 75 countries, including 182 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, FL., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include St. Petersburg, Fortaleza, Casablanca and Chengdu. New Hard Rock hotel, casino or hotel-casino projects include Atlanta, Atlantic City, Berlin, Budapest, London, Los Cabos, Maldives, New York City, Ottawa, Dalian and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

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