Xavier Halbi H04 has been promoted Director of Strategy of the Hyatt Regency Dubai & Galleria. He is in charge of the revenue and strategies of all departments of the hotel and apartments. He was previously the Director of Reservations of the Hyatt Global Contact Center - Dubai, whose replacement also reports to him now. Xavier is an NLP Master coach and he joined Hyatt hotels in Dubai in 2005.
The Dubai hotel market saw occupancy levels fall to 50.3 percent in July as overall demand within the city reduced due the summer heat and impact of Ramadan, according to the latest HotStats survey of full service four and five star hotels by TRI Consulting.
In 2013, after successfully opening Renaissance Tlemcen, Marriott's first property in Algeria, Andre Saade (IMHI 1995) has been appointed to the position of General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott Dubai Green Community, a position which also oversees the Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai Green Community. With over 18 years of experience extending from Sales and Marketing to Rooms Operations, Mr. Saade has been the perfect choice to lead the renovation of this spectacular Dubai hotel near Dubai World Central in Jebel Ali.
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has announced Sandra Farrero as the new Director of Marketing and Communications at Madinat Jumeirah, effective Sunday, 17 August 2014. Sandra joined Jumeirah three years ago in June 2011 to co-lead the pre-opening and launch phase of Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa in Mallorca. During this period and under Sandra’s commercial leadership, the team positioned the property among the top luxury hospitality leaders in Mallorca and secured the acceptance in American Express’ prestigious Fine Hotels & Resorts programme.
The British national began her career in sales working in various positions such as regional sales manager, sales and marketing manager, new business manager, conference and events sales manager, as well as acting general manager in the UK.
Vikram, has a post-graduate diploma from the Oberoi School of Hotel Management and a Masters of Business Administration degree in International hospitality from IMHI at Essec Business School in France. With a career spanning over 20 years in Hospitality and Consulting, Vikram has worked in both the Middle East and South Asian markets.
Haytham Aziz has been appointed as Executive Assistant Manager in charge of rooms at The Ajman Palace & Resort – managed by HMH-Hospitality Management Holdings – one of the new management team reinventing both services and operations at Ajman’s first five-star certified hotel and resort. Hailing from Egypt, Haytham began his career as a Guest Service Agent at the Sheraton El Gezirah Hotel in Cairo before moving to the renowned Jolie Ville Mövenpick Golf & Resort Hotel in Sharm-El-Sheikh where he trained as a Reservation Agent.
Laurent Barelier (ESSEC IMHI 1999) has been appointed Director of Operations & Support MEA at Wyndham Hotels Group. Prior to that Laurent worked 7 years for Accor in the United Arab Emirates as Regional Revenue & Support Manager. Laurent began his career after his MBA in Hospitality at ESSEC with Optims, specialized Revenue Management company.
Having been with the company since 1997, with senior roles in London, Brussels, Marseilles and Paris, he will be responsible for overseeing its operations and driving growth in the GCC.
Global hospitality management chain Swiss-Belhotel International has announced a key Middle East appointment to help steer the company through a 'watershed period' in its history as it eyes the launch of three hotels in the region this year. Mr. Noel Massoud, the Group's new Vice President Operations and Development in the Middle East, will oversee the opening of Swiss-Belhotel Seef in Bahrain, Swiss-Belinn Ghubrah Muscat in Oman, Swiss-Belhotel Erbil in Iraq, Swiss-Belboutique Tahliya and Swiss-Belhotel Riyadh in Saudi Arabia - with the company looking to operate seven Middle East hotels by 2015. Mr. Massoud previously worked for the Intercontinental Group for more than 25 years in senior management positions. He was General Manager of the Kempinski Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, developing the property into the No.1 luxury hotel in the Middle East. His most recent assignment was Paramount Hotels and Resorts' Vice President Development. The first and most imminent opening will be the 149-room Swiss-Belhotel Seef on 28 July 2014. Located in the new business district it will provide the area with a high quality four-star hotel, featuring a rooftop bar and restaurant, lobby café, an all-day dining restaurant (Swiss-Café) on the 10th floor with a terrace, an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, meeting facilities and a lavish ballroom for weddings which can take up to 250 people. Swiss-Belhotel is expanding its range of two- to five-star brands in the Middle East, where it operates the existing Swiss- Belhotel Plaza in Kuwait and Qatar's Swiss-Belhotel Doha. The Hong Kong-based company will unveil 20 hotels globally this year.
Middle East investment in Europe rose by 25 per cent year on year in the first half of 2014 to €5.9 billion, while the total cross border investment in Europe rose by nearly a third (32 per cent) to top €44 billion. Middle East capital accounted for approximately 13 per cent of cross border capital coming from outside of Europe and was the second largest investment group into Europe following North America (€18 billion).
Sweeping into the palm-lined drive after a remarkably brief ride fromDubai International Airport, the first thing guests will notice are eight ancient olive trees, evoking a Mediterranean vibe and perhaps hinting at the pleasures of the palate to come. Entering the palatial lobby with its dazzling view of the sea here in one of the world's most exciting cities, the moment all but says aloud, you have arrived.
The British national brings over 20 years of industry experience to his new role, where he will oversee the entire food and beverage operations of the hotel and its seven outlets.
With the recent brand revamp and digital overhaul, Coral Hotels & Resorts is looking at an all-time high. HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings CEO Laurent A. Voivenel believes the rebranding of Coral Hotels & Resorts has given it enormous potential for growth and is busy drawing up plans for expansion. He stated, "We are fully loaded for expansion having invested heavily in digital platforms including a dynamic new multi-lingual group website that has just gone live. It is technology that is driving growth today and underlines our strength with a highly integrated online presence. 2014 is a decisive year. Our objective is to be able to compete on equal terms with our rivals. The decisions taken this year will determine the shape of our business over the next three or four years. We are basically looking to expand our footprint in the GCC. By 2020 our aim is to have a hotel in every GCC country while doubling our portfolio in the UAE".
Georges Farhat has been promoted to general manager at Crowne Plaza Dubai. He brings with him over 25 years of industry experience. In his previous role, Farhat was the acting general manager. He has held various leadership roles in front office and sales before moving on to EAM, resident manager, hotel manager and acting general manager.
UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum endorsed the fifth phase of Jumeirah Beach Hotelexpansion plan, which is set for completion in 2018. This was in the presence of His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of Dubai Holding; Ahmad Bin Byat, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding; and, Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director- General of Protocol Department. The project will see the addition of a ultra-luxury resort to the existing Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which will comprise 350 hotel rooms with panoramic beachfront views of Burj Al Arab, dedicated new beach offering private beach experiences, recreational marine facilities that encompass spas, health clubs, elevated tennis courts, a world-class sports complex and a range of ocean-facing retail, food and beverage outlets. The new resort will see extensive expansion of the existing yacht marina doubling its current capacity. It will also offer a variety of vibrant leisure facilities, equipped with state-of-the-art entertainment amenities. The expansion project is in line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid's vision to strengthen Dubai as a global tourism hub and position the Emirate as the number one tourism destination worldwide. It supports the implementation of Dubai Vision 2020 to attract 20 million tourists by 2020.
A British national, Chris joined Jumeirah in 2005 working in Sports & Leisure for a number of our hotels and resorts in Dubai. In 2007, he was promoted to a Director’s role with our Development team, working on several development projects in Dubai.
Hilton Worldwide and DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai - Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Located on The Walk, a 1.7 kilometer/1 mile seaside strip in the Jumeirah Beach Residence area, the DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai - Jumeirah Beach is in a perfect location for relaxing, swimming, skydiving, shopping and socializing and only minutes away from Dubai Marina and Dubai Marina Mall. The 110-suites property is the second DoubleTree by Hilton hotel to open in the Emirate of Dubai after the recent opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Residences Dubai - Al Barsha and is the third to open in the United Arab Emirates in the past year.
Emmanuel VALLEE IMHI 2001 has been appointed Regional Director Sales & Marketing (Africa, Middle East and India) FRHI (Fairmont Raffles Hotels International),based in Dubai. Prior to that Emmanuel was Area Sales Director for Sofitel Burj Khalifa et Sofitel Moyen-Orient Sofitel Luxury Hotels and Resorts
Marion SURGET IMHI 2009 has been appointed Assistant Marketing manager for The Palm hotel, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, Dubai. Prior to that Marion was Business Development executive Groups/Events at Burj Al Arab.