Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait has welcomed Bassem Al Hajj, a Lebanese national with over 12 years of sales experience, who is to serve as the new director of sales and marketing.
Ahmed El Meligui has been appointed as the new cluster director of sales and marketing for JW Marriott Kuwait City, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait City, Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City and the Arraya Ballroom, all managed by Marriott International.
Prior to joining Al Manshar Rotana Hotel, Imad Zaboura was the general manager of Le Royal Hotel – Jordan, his home country. He was then assigned as the General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Riyad D. Q. and spearheaded the pre-opening of a newly constructed property with 286 rooms together with multiple food and beverage options and meeting spaces.
An Egyptian national, Ahmed Jarkass was a key member of the hotel’s pre-opening executive team when he joined in November 2009 as Director of Sales. He successfully supported the hotel’s planning, sales strategies and activities to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and stakeholders. He has also been a main contributor in hiring the Sales and Marketing team from the local and international markets.
Behiye Salk has a 26-year career in the hospitality industry and has held pre-opening managerial positions across luxury hotel brands including the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and the Swissotel in Europe, Northern America, Canada and the Middle East. With a degree in Tourism and Hotel Management from Turkey’s Uludağ University, Behiye has also attended training at Cornell University in New York and at Hunt Communication in Toronto. As the new Director of Rooms at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Behiye’s focus will be on enhancing the overall guest experience and promoting the hotel’s 316 rooms and suites, 80 residential suites and 12 private villas.
Mohammed Al-Khatib joins as the new Director of Food and Beverage with vast experience in the hospitality industry. His career includes roles in key food and beverage outlets at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts. Mohammed Al-Khatib holds a Master’s degree in Hotel Management and brings strong qualifications in operations, guest satisfaction, human resources, sales and revenue management and financial management. He also has extensive knowledge in restaurants, room service and kitchen operational procedures. These are further complemented by his expert knowledge in menu composition and food preparation.
Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait has welcomed Hakan Petek as the new General Manager. A Turkish British national, Hakan joined Jumeirah in June 2010 as Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms. He was a key player in the pre-opening period of the hotel as well as a member of the Executive Committee.
Hotel Missoni, Kuwait, has unveiled the promotion of Wassim Tarabay, formerly the director of sales and marketing, to executive assistant manager.
Before accepting this new position, Hassanein had held several key positions in different brands of Mövenpick hotels around the GCC. He has a long history of tasks as A General Manager of the Mövenpick Madinah and as Director of Sales and Marketing at Mövenpick Hotel and Residence Hajar Makkah and Mövenpick Hotel and Resort Al Bida'a, Kuwait.
Bangkok -- Best Western International - World's Largest Hotel Chain® - has launched its first hotel in Kuwait; the BEST WESTERN Mahboula. Located in the thriving Mahboula area of Kuwait City, home to a plethora of modern corporate and residential complexes, the new 18-story hotel will feature a superb selection of business and leisure facilities perfectly suited to this up-and-coming area.
Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, announces the soft opening of Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa as of 7 May 2013. Jumeirah's first hotel in the Gulf region outside the United Arab Emirates is situated along the shores of the Arabian Gulf, close to Kuwait City's business and financial centre and only 10 minutes drive from Kuwait International Airport. The hotel was designed by architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill from New York to create a truly luxurious destination in Kuwait that merges the latest in design and technology with the heritage and culture of the region.
The Marina Hotel Kuwait has appointed Elsa Lahoude as the new director of rooms, responsible for the front office, back office, transportation, housekeeping, laundry and uniform departments. Having been in the hospitality sector for more than 15 years, Lahoude started her career in 1996 at the Hotel Noga Hilton in Cannes and has since worked with companies such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, The Dorchester Group, Leading Hotels and Marriott. Lahoude moves to the Marina Hotel from her director of rooms role at Rezidor's Hotel Missoni Kuwait where she was a part of the pre-opening team. Originating from Lebanon, Lahoude holds a Master Degree in Strategic Tourism & Hospitality from Institute of Research and Higher Studies in Tourism (IREST) – Pantheon-Sorbonne University- France.
Dina Makouyan has 11 years of experience having worked in the hospitality and corporate industry in different regions covering Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. During her tenure in the UAE, Makouyan was exposed to brand management, catering and event management in various hotels that include Hotel Intercontinental Al Ain, Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai amongst others.
Kuwait Marriott Hotels is proud to announce and welcome Ahmad Shaban as its newly appointed Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing. Ahmad Shaban served as a former Director of Sales for two years for the Marriott Executive Apartments in Dubai Creek in 2007 before moving to Jordan to become Cluster Director of Sales for the Jordan portfolio of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, spearheading sales efforts for their four properties in the country. Shaban is renowned for his management and leadership skills where he has successfully grown the past teams from professional sales people to work with the understanding of real businessmen. His current ambitious plan involves building on the strengths of the Kuwait team to develop a solid platform that will serve the three units in Kuwait to its highest potential - The JW Marriott Kuwait City hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait City hotel and Arraya Ballroom.
Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait has announced the appointment of Stéphane de Robien as Director of Sales & Marketing. A French national, Stéphane has 20 years of sales and marketing experience for luxury hotels. He started his career with Forte Hotels in Paris then worked as Director of Sales and Marketing for several luxury resorts on the French Riviera, including the Negresco in Nice from 2004 until 2008. In 2009, he launched the Garrigae Resorts brand in Southern France; then was appointed Group Director of Sales & Marketing for Palmeraie Hotels & Resorts, a Moroccan luxury resort group based in Marrakech. Prior to joining Jumeirah, he was Director of Sales and Marketing for Melia Hotels International in charge of Opening Melia Zanzibar. He studied in École des Cadres Business School, and holds a degree in management of hotels and tourism companies from CEFSI/INFATH Paris. Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait is expected to open in Winter 2012/2013; the luxurious beachfront development features 408 rooms and suites, including 12 villas.
The international upscale hotel company, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has appointed Mr. Maged Gubr General Manager of Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida'a Kuwait.
British national, Mark Griffiths has been appointed general manager of Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait. He began his career in Hampshire, England, working as a management trainee at Tylney Hall Hotel before joining Le Meridien Piccadilly hotel in London in 1990, where he held various managerial positions with Le Meridien hotels and resorts over a 14-year period in the UK, Thailand and Indonesia, a statement from the company said.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world, has opened Hotel Missoni Kuwait in collaboration with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni. The unique property featuring 169 rooms is Rezidor's second Hotel Missoni – the very first member of this young and fashionable lifestyle brand opened in June 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world, has opened Hotel Missoni Kuwait in collaboration with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni. The unique property featuring 169 rooms is Rezidor's second Hotel Missoni – the very first member of this young and fashionable lifestyle brand opened in June 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In this article, we present an overview of the Kuwait hotel market. We address changes in macroeconomic factors, tourism visitation and hotel performance. From historical trends and our understanding of current developments and government initiatives, we present our opinions on the Kuwait market’s outlook and opportunities. The State of Kuwait (whose name is an Arabic diminutive for ‘fortress built near water’) is a sovereign Arab emirate covering an area of 17,818 km² on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Neighbouring countries include Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. In 2007, Kuwait had approximately 3,400,000 inhabitants. Most of the country’s population is concentrated around the capital, Kuwait City, and in 2008 roughly 60% of the population were expatriates. The population is expected to exceed 4 million by 2010 and to double to roughly 7 million by 2030.