Plaza Hotel & Casino hires new director of table games, promotes leaders of its food & beverage team

The Plaza Hotel & Casino has hired Christiaan van Buuren as its director of table games and promoted two leaders within its food & beverage team.

A graduate of the University of Johannesburg, van Buuren’s background in casino and hotel operations ranges from pre-opening planning and design with Gold Reef Casino Resorts in his native South Africa to traveling the world managing casino operations on board 6-star luxury cruise liners with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He was hand-picked to head up the casino gaming division of Kangwon Land Inc., a large-scale integrated casino resort in Korea where he innovated their casino and surveillance operations. He came to Las Vegas to be part of the SLS opening team and then moved to spearhead the rebranding of the casino at The STRAT.

The Plaza promoted Ryan Rowland to vice president of the property’s food & beverage program. Rowland joined the Plaza’s food & beverage team in 2019 as its director and has successfully elevated the property’s culinary offerings to create unmatched dining experiences in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. Prior to coming to the Plaza, Rowland was director of restaurants for the transition of the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino to Park MGM, and his career includes management positions at famed restaurants such as Spago Las Vegas, Michael Mina Bellagio, StripSteak at Mandalay Bay, and Jean-Georges Prime Steakhouse.

Courtney Allen will take over as director of food & beverage. Allen started at the Plaza as general manager of its rooftop pool operations in 2018 and then transitioned to property’s culinary management team. Prior to her tenure at the Plaza, Allen worked at Downtown Grand Las Vegas. She began her career in the San Francisco Bay area as a manager for Blue Mermaid and Puccini & Pinetti restaurants and then as food and beverage manager at Parc 55.

“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 Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “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 & 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.”