The pre-opening team at Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar Kuwait is busy giving the final touches to the hotel in preparation for its opening in January 2020. The trendy 4-star lifestyle property is superbly located across the street on Kuwait City's beachfront promenade overlooking the beautiful Kuwait Bay merely 18 km from Kuwait International Airport.
Luxury hotel, The Regency, Kuwait has appointed Dirk Heinen as its new executive chef. Heinen brings over 34 years of professional culinary experience from hotels such as JW Marriott Hotel Ankara and Le Meridien Barbarons Seychelles. He also led the culinary operation at the Sheraton & Four Point Complex in Kuwait City for over six years. Originally from Germany, Heinen spent his early career working as a sous chef in Switzerland, Taiwan and Turkey. He earned his master chef diploma in 1996 and acquired the position of executive chef in 1997. Prior to joining The Regency, Heinen served as an executive chef at Cinnamon Grand Hotel Sri Lanka where he was overseeing the overall culinary experience of a range of 17 specialty restaurants. Covering the world-renowned cuisines, including in-room dining and amenities and banquet operations, he caters to Michelin Star events with Marco Piere White, Goerge Colombaris and Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinners. With taking on the leadership role for over 100 team members in the food production at The Regency, Dirk Heinen aims to infuse the culinary heritage of Kuwait and its luxury hotel with experience and knowledge from various cultures.
Safi has been working with Four Seasons since 2002, when he started as a management trainee at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris.In 2017, during the property's opening, Safi was on board as director of F&B. In his current role, Safi will handle the running of the hotel.Lebanese by birth, Safi was raised in a family of professionals and "should have been a doctor. However, he contemplated dentistry until a school job fair opened his mind to the hotel industry.He then moved on to hotel school in France, and then moved to the United States to learn English, and then back to France to earn an MBA, arriving around the time Four Seasons opened its first property in Paris.A few years later he left Four Seasons to get a better insight into F&B at other properties in Paris and Geneva.In 2016, he returned to the group in Bahrain Bay and then joined the opening team in Kuwait City.
Ayari has worked in several properties across the world including — Shangri-La Mauritius; Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson Yas Island; Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi; Le Méridien Etoile Paris; Hotel Concorde Lafayette, Paris; Hilton, Paris; Hyatt, Paris.Born and raised in Tunisia, Ayaru was always curious about new cultures, "That's really what drew me in. Gastronomy brings all cultures together. When we host in Mediterranean and Arabic cultures, we do it around the table. And when you travel, it's the common ground," he said.Ayari moved to Europe to study hospitality and then moved to Paris to work in the F&B industry. He later moved to Abu Dhabi and Mauritius to take up management roles.
Swiss-Belhotel International will offer its guests fascinating and engaging experiences and spaces with the opening of Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar Kuwait in the third quarter of 2019.
Marriott Kuwait Hotels has appointed Wael Makahleh as the multi property general manager for JW Marriott Kuwait City Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait City Hotel, Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City Hotel and Arraya Ballroom managed by Marriott International in Kuwait.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall, marking the reintroduction of the Hyatt Regency brand to Kuwait. The opening marks the first of two Hyatt properties in collaboration with Tamdeen Group, the second of which is Grand Hyatt Kuwait, set to open in 2020. The Hyatt Regency brand offers a seamless experience that connects guests to everything they need under one roof with a full range of services and amenities, including notable culinary experiences, technology-enabled facilities for collaboration, expert event planners with exceptional attention to detail, and flexible spaces to work, engage or relax.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with a Tamdeen Group subsidiary for Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall, which will reintroduce the Hyatt Regency brand into Kuwait, and further build Hyatt's growing portfolio in the Middle East. The announcement marks the second collaboration between Hyatt and Tamdeem Group, following the Grand Hyatt Kuwait, set to open in 2020. Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall is currently undergoing a major renovation and is set to debut in January 2019.
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has signed a management agreement with the Al Arabiya Real Estate Company, owned by the leading Kuwaiti conglomerate, The Bukhamseen Group to debut Staybridge Suites in Kuwait, with the development of Staybridge® Suites Kuwait Salmiya. The new hotel is due to open in January 2022 and will add to IHG's growing portfolio in the Middle East.
Copthorne Kuwait City Hotel has appointed Alaa Selim as its new general manager.He joins Copthorne Kuwait City Hotel with more than 20 years of experience in hotel operations and was most recently the general manager of Copthorne Al Jahra Hotel & Resort in Kuwait, also part of the Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East & Africa brand.In his new role, Selim will oversee the operations of the 169-room Copthorne Kuwait City Hotel and will lead his team in positioning it as the top preferred hotel in the city of Kuwait.With his extensive knowledge and experience of the Kuwait hotel market, Selim will be a great asset to Copthorne Kuwait City Hotel, which will be shortly celebrating its first anniversary as a Millennium hotel in January 2019.
Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has appointed Hakan Gencer as the Hotel Manager of its upcoming properties in Kuwait Swiss-Belhotel Bneid Al Gar, scheduled to open in Q4 2018 and Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq, scheduled to open in Q3 2019. Hakan's joining will establish the pre-opening office for Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar.
Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn Kuwait Al Thuraya City have appointed Raffi Torikian as executive assistant manager.
Bassil has a career spanning 23 years, working in the hospitality industry in Lebanon, UAE and Kuwait. In his new role, Bassil will be in charge of the Arraya Ballroom in addition to three restaurants, two lounges and a café at the Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait City hotel. Prior to his appointment at Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait Hotel, he was director of F&B at Le Gray Hotel Beirut and Movenpick Hotel and Resort Beirut. Bassil has spent close to a decade in Kuwait in various roles at different hotels and restaurants like the Marina Hotel, and subsequently moved to Movenpick Hotel & Resort Kuwait where he spent five years in a directorial position. He holds a bachelor degree in hotel management from Oxdell University in USA.
His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah was guest of honour on November 6, 2017 at the grand official opening ceremony of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, the leading luxury hospitality company"s first address in Kuwait.
Joining the Jumeirah Group for the first time, the French national previously served as the general manager of InterContinental Osaka, Japan. In addition to this, Leone held the position of general manager at the Crowne Plaza Doha – The Business Park in Qatar.
Well acquainted with the property, Zayoun previously managed the hotel from 2007 until 2014. Under his leadership, Al Manshar Rotana Kuwait scooped numerous accolades.
A Lebanese-Swedish national, Ali is responsible for overseeing the operational maintenance of the new Hotel. Ali has previously worked as Chief Engineer at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh followed by other engineering appointments at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre and Four Seasons Hotel Baku.
Mohamed started his journey with Four Seasons in 2002 as Assistant Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh and later moved to Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano and most recently at Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest.
Georges comes on board after serving in the same role as part of the pre-opening team for Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where he managed the Hotel’s extensive collection of eight restaurants and bars. Georges began his career at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, now the only palace hotel in Europe to offer three Michelin-starred dining experiences with a total of five stars. In his new role in Kuwait, Georges will oversee the Hotel’s five restaurants and lounges that combine modern design with diverse menus.
With a proven track record of driving occupancy levels and revenue growth, Mohamed joined the pre-opening team of the Hotel in 2016 from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts – Middle East Worldwide Sales Office. Previously, he has served in similar roles at Four Seasons properties in Jordan and Egypt.