The Palace hotel in Manchester – one of a group of iconic city centre properties currently undergoing significant investment from Starwood Capital – has hired Four Seasons stalwart Michael Purtill as general manager.
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group – one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups – has appointed Peter Montague as the new Regional Director of Park Inn by Radisson, UK and Ireland. Peter has broad experience spanning 25 years within the hospitality industry, having held positions in Conference & Banqueting, as a General Manager and in Operations during his career.
As Resident Manager, Chris will work closely with Mike Magrane, General Manager at The Midland, to secure The Midland’s position as the best hotel in the UK for overall service and guest experience.
The association is dedicated to championing the vibrant Manchester hotel scene and gives hotel managers a voice on important issues such as marketing and tourism activities.
Jens, who is Swedish, has broad experience spanning over 20 years within the hospitality industry, having held positions in Conference & Banqueting, Food & Beverage, and Sales. Jens joined Rezidor in 2002 as Sales Manager of the Radisson SAS Arlandia and subsequently held a number of Director of Sales roles in Scandinavia.
A 199 bedroom Holiday Inn Express hotel will open at Manchester Airport later this month, following an investment by owner, MAG Property. The former Travelodge hotel, located one mile from the UK's third largest airport, has undergone an extensive refurbishment, managed by leading UK hotel management firm, Redefine|BDL Hotels.
Yann joins with a wealth of experience, having spent ten years with the Novotel Group, and a range of four star hotels including Whittlebury Hall, Brandon Hall, and the Beaumont House in Windsor.
At FITUR yesterday afternoon, the CEO and Vice Chairman of Meliá Hotels International, Gabriel Escarrer, signed an agreement for what will become the third hotel for the company in the UK: the Innside Manchester Hotel. Construction will begin in the second half of the year in the new First Street North development, a major tourism development project for the City of Manchester creating a multi-purpose cultural space which is expected to attract over one million visitors a year.
Premier Hotels of the World Ltd. a Hotel Management and Operator Company of Luxury Hotels and Castles based in Manchester with Operations & Reservation Center in Bangkok and Regional Offices in Los Angeles, Yangon and Mauritius was formed out of a restructuring of longstanding CMB Hospitality Consultants. While in its Nature a Hotel Management Company with the Release of the Collection PHW will now represent itself on the market as an Independent Luxury Operator Brand.
American-born Ryan brings a wealth of culinary experience to the Lowry Hotel and the River Restaurant, having worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants in the US, Sweden and Austria.
Melanie Cash joins The Lowry Hotel as Director of Sales and Marketing, managing a team of eight people across sales, PR, conference, revenue, groups and VIPs. Ms Cash has extensive industry knowledge, gained over her 25 years of experience in the hospitality business.Previous roles include Director of Sales at The Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club; Training Manager for Marriott Hotels and UK and Ireland Sales Training Manager for The Hilton Group. In 2004 Ms Cash founded her own company providing consultancy and training for the hospitality industry. Key clients included The Grove, Hertfordshire; Millennium Copthorne; Alton Towers; Visit Cheshire and Chester and The Brewery in London. Most recently Melanie was working with The Belfry, where she maximised revenue and introduced new key accounts.
German-born Mr Kienast has an impressive 20 years experience in some of the most exclusive five star hotels across the world. Mr Kienast has held many varying roles within the hotel industry, beginning his career with the Kempinski Group with roles in Dallas, Munich, Budapest and Istanbul, focusing mainly on Food and Beverage. Following which he then held several senior roles across Western Europe including Food and Beverage Manager at The Langham in London; Food and Beverage Director of the renowned Reid’s Palace Hotel in Maderia and Executive Assistant of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St Moritz, where he oversaw a major renovation of the hotel and introduced new food and beverage concepts. In 2002, Mr Kienast took up his first General Manager position at the Grand Hotel Park, Gstaad where he repositioned the hotel in the Swiss market securing an award for best hotel in Switzerland in the Conde Nast Traveller Gold list. After the hotel was sold Peter moved to Portugal to manage the Le Meridien Hotel Dona Filipa & San Lorenzo Golf Course.In 2006 Mr Kienast was appointed General Manager of the luxurious and innovative Schloss Elmau in Germany. He led the pre-opening strategy and development of the hotel including planning, interior design and marketing. During his tenure at the hotel it won numerous awards and accolades including the Best Resort Hotel in Germany and winner of the best Spa in Europe.