Raffles Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of John Johnston as President, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, with effect from 10 August 2009.

John joins Raffles Hotels & Resorts at an exciting time as the group prepares to open 3 new properties in Tianjin, Paris and Makkah over the next 12 months. Raffles Hotels & Resorts presently has 15 properties under development.

John brings a wealth of global experience and in depth knowledge of the hospitality industry to Raffles Hotels & Resorts. An accomplished hotelier, he has devoted his career to the industry which has seen him take up senior positions with renowned hotel brands in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

For colleagues at Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, John is a familiar figure as he has been with the company since 1998. In recent years, he has been responsible for development efforts of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International in the Middle East. Within the company, John has held the appointments of President of Delta Hotels & Resorts, Chairman of Delta Hotels & Resorts and Executive Vice President, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts where he had oversight of the group’s portfolio and new developments in the region.

John has also spent 15 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, first as Vice President, Development, where he was based in Toronto and then Regional Vice President, Asia, where he helped establish Four Seasons’ initial presence in Asia.

Chris Cahill, Chief Operating Officer, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, said, “We are delighted to have John take on such an important role in the company. John has extensive experience in all aspects of the hospitality business and a keen understanding of the attributes that distinguish Raffles Hotels & Resorts. We are confident that he will provide both the leadership and vision to lead Raffles Hotels & Resorts into its next phase of growth.”

As President, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, John will be based in Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ brand office in Singapore.

ABOUT RAFFLES HOTELS & RESORTS

Raffles Hotels & Resorts epitomizes enchanting experiences, embodying global sophistication and residential charm, imbued with heartfelt service “like a gentle breeze”. At Raffles, guests arrive as residents, leave as friends and return as family.

Raffles’ relentless pursuit of service excellence has earned its hotels and resorts a legion of international accolades, including Condé Nast World’s Best Places to Stay and Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards. Its flagship Raffles Hotel Singapore was voted Best Hotel in Asia for three consecutive years by readers of Ultratravel magazine by The Daily Telegraph while Raffles Beijing Hotel was named Best Luxury Hotel in Beijing by Travel Trade Gazette China in 2008.

Raffles Dubai, the latest addition to its portfolio, is recognised among the world’s best new hotels by Conde Nast Traveler’s 2008 Hot List, and was named Best New Hotel Development in the Middle East at the 2008 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. Raffles Hotels & Resorts is consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 hotel brands in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Business Travel Awards.

Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 91 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information, please visit

Vivian Koh
Manager, PR & Communications
(65) 6430-1193
Raffles Hotels & Resorts