Meet the Team

Morty Valldejuli joins the Cincinnati collection of hotels as Area Managing Director & General Manager for The Lytle Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, The Phelps Cincinnati and the AC Hotel at the Banks, Cincinnati.

Morty boasts 25+ years of hotel leadership experience, most recently, Morty functioned as the Vice President/Managing Director of the Sheraton and Le Meridien Complex in Charlotte, NC. During his time in Charlotte. His 16-year tenure with Pyramid Global Hospitality began as Area Managing Director for two New Orleans properties, one, in which he and Daniel Bruce worked together to bring the French Quarter Wine Festival from 2010 to 2012. For 6 years Morty worked in Pyramid’s Luxury Resort Division as Vice President/Managing Director for The Westin Grand Cayman and Sunshine Suites, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Islands. Both properties, of which, he considers his greatest successes.

Morty is a wine collector and enthusiast which is the reason for bringing to Cincinnati the same level of wine & food attraction to the Lytle Park that has worked so well in New Orleans and Boston.  In collaboration with Chef Daniel Bruce, their hope is to engage the community in this annual marquee event.

Connect with him on LinkedIn or via email: morty.valldejuli@pyramidglobal.com

Joseph R. Helm joined Pyramid Hotel Group in August of 2019. Joe began with PHG as Chef de Cuisine, and was an instrumental part of the opening team of The Lytle Park Hotel., Autograph Collection.

In early 2021, Joe took over as Executive Chef of this prestigious hotel. Chef Helm earned the honor as “Manager of the Year” at The Lytle Park Hotel in 2020. Prior to joining Pyramid Hotel Group, Joe was Executive Chef & Co Owner at Panino, Executive Sous Chef at Marriott International, Execute Chef at Celestial Steakhouse & Executive Chef of Mt. Adams Fish House.

In addition to leading the Culinary Department at The Lytle Park Hotel since day one, Joe has been a team member on three other restaurant openings. Joe graduated from The Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in 2006.

Chef Daniel Bruce, known nationally and internationally for founding and running the Boston Wine Festival for thirty-two years, has taken his expertise in wine and food paring on the road, creating exclusive, intimate events, as well as larger, festive gatherings around the country. He established the Boston Wine Festival at the five-star, five-diamond, Boston Harbor Hotel, where he was the Executive Chef for thirty-two years.

As chef at the Boston Harbor Hotel, Daniel ran the entire culinary operation of the hotel, its restaurants and food outlets. Upon taking the reins, with his passion for pairing the flavors of food and wine, he launched the Festival, which over time featured more than 1,500 events and became the country’s longest running event of its kind, a world-renowned series featuring the best wineries from around the globe. Daniel expanded the wine festival model to other cities, including the French Quarter Wine Festival in New Orleans, LA at Le Maison Dupuy; the Berkeley Wine Festival in Berkeley, CA., at the Claremont Hotel; the Capital Wine Festival in Washington D.C at The Fairfax at Embassy Row; and the Viking Wine Festival in Newport, RI at the Viking Hotel.

As the manifestation of his passion for food and wine pairing, Daniel opened Meritage Restaurant in Boston. It featured an innovative menu organized like a wine list, which was designed to marry culinary ingredients to wine flavors. He opened two other Meritage Restaurants in New Orleans and Berkeley.

Born and raised in northern New England, Daniel graduated with honors from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, and then traveled to Italy and France for specialized training. Upon his return to the United States, he worked in New York City at Le Cirque under the tutelage of Alain Sailhac. At the age of just 26, Daniel became the youngest executive chef in the history of the legendary “21” Club. There, he created intimate wine dinners in the famed, hidden prohibition era wine cellar.

Daniel was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Johnson & Wales University. He has been honored twice as one of the “Best Hotel Chefs in America” by the James Beard House and has cooked there on several occasions. Daniel was awarded Chef of the Year by both Chefs in America and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. He was awarded the Professional Excellence Culinary Award by NYIT and the Quarterly Review of Wines. Daniel is also an honorary, lifetime member of Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an honor rarely bestowed. He has been awarded the title of Vice Consellier Culiniaire, Bailliage de Boston, by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.

Daniel has made numerous live television appearances on programs such as the Today Show, CBS Morning Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, PBS, and Chronicle, to name a few. He has been featured in Food and Wine, the Quarterly Review of Wine, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Santé, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, the Boston Globe, among many other publications.

Daniel released his first cookbook “Chef Daniel Bruce, Simply New England” a collection of easy-to-make recipes for the home cook, focused on seasonal ingredients. Daniel is also an avid mushroom and wild edible forager, fly fisherman and golfer. He lives in and old Victorian home in Boston with his wife, Julianna. They have two children and one grandchild.