The Plaza Hotel & Casino of Las Vegas last week announced the appointment of Christiaan van Buuren as director of table games, and the promotions of Ryan Rowland and Courtney Allen, two leaders on the resort’s food-and-beverage team.
A graduate of the University of Johannesburg, van Buuren has worked for Gold Reef Casino Resorts in his native South Africa and also managed casino operations aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He also previously led the casino gaming division at Kangwon Land Inc. in South Korea, and moved to Las Vegas to help open SLS, now the Sahara. At the Strat in Las Vegas, he oversaw the resort’s rebranding.
Ryan Rowland, who joined the property’s food and beverage team as director in 2019, has been appointed vice president of the F&B program. Rowland was formerly director of restaurants during the transition of the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino to Park MGM. He has also worked in management at Spago Las Vegas, Michael Mina Bellagio, StripSteak at Mandalay Bay and Jean-Georges Prime Steakhouse.
Courtney Allen succeeds Rowland as F&B director. Allen started at the Plaza as general manager of its rooftop pool operations in 2018, then joined the culinary management team. Prior to that, she worked at the Downtown Grand Las Vegas.
“Having a qualified and dedicated executive team enables the Plaza to provide guests with an unmatched experience in the heart of downtown Las Vegas,” said Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel. “I am excited to welcome Christiaan and am confident his diverse background will further enhance our casino operations. And I congratulate Ryan and Courtney on their success in elevating our food and beverage program. From delivering an authentic steakhouse experience at Oscar’s to developing a unique craft cocktail program at our new Carousel Bar, their creative vision and seamless execution will be critical as the Plaza continues to create new offerings for our guests.”
