Katia joins Fairmont Dubai from her most recent role as Director of Housekeeping at the Fairmont Marina Abu Dhabi, where she has been part of the pre-opening team since April 2018. Prior to this role, Katia was chosen to assist the housekeeping department at the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore to reopen the property after a two-year renovation.
Prior to his new capacity, Kourotsidis served as the general manager at The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa Bahrain, where he successfully managed an extensive 12-month refurbishment.
The 16th edition of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), being held from 14-16 April 2020 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, will explore how the Middle East's hospitality industry can harness the opportunities afforded by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in its bid to "transform tomorrow".
STR's preliminary September 2019 data for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, indicates significant growth in demand due to a strong events calendar. Based on daily data from September, Abu Dhabi reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Hilton announced that Jochem-Jan Sleiffer has been appointed to the position of Area President, Middle East, Africa & Turkey (MEA&T) in succession to Rudi Jagersbacher, who has chosen to step down following 40 years of service with Hilton. These changes, effective 1 January 2020, will see Jagersbacher assume a two-year advisory role, based in Dubai, to assist the transition. Over the last eight years, Jagersbacher has led Hilton through sustained growth in Middle East, Africa and Turkey by more than tripling the number of hotels in the region, by launching four new brands and by entering 12 new countries and territories. Furthermore, under his leadership, Hilton was crowned the #1 Best Place to Work for in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and #3 Best Workplace in the UAE. Sleiffer takes on his new position following a three-decade career at Hilton, where he most recently acted as Senior Vice President Operations, Continental Europe, overseeing a portfolio of 57 Hilton-managed hotels across 26 countries and territories. Prior to this, he held a number of leadership roles across Europe, including Belgium, UK, France and Greece. Sleiffer will relocate to Dubai in January 2020. Originally from the Netherlands, he is married with one daughter.
Savescu joins Fairmont Dubai following his recent position as executive assistant manager at Fairmont Beijing and prior to that was in charge of the rooms division operations at Raffles Beijing. He brings more than 15 years' of global experience within luxury hotel brands across Romania, United States and China. Under his supervision, Fairmont Beijing achieved admirable results in guest satisfaction, where he implemented a number of optimal practices to best position the property in capitalising on the growth in Chinese millennial travel. In his new role, Savescu will be responsible in overseeing hotel operations, whilst developing and implementing operational strategies in line with the hotel's business needs, by leveraging the strengths of the brand and existing resources at the company's flagship hotel located in the heart of Dubai, featuring 394 guest rooms and suites. Savescu has a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism and Commercial Management from D. Cantemir University, Romania and an MBA in International Management from the Institute of Lucerne, Switzerland.
Well acquainted with the Rotana brand, Sapre joined the company in 2013 as the food and beverage director of Park Rotana.
At the Retreat Palm Dubai - MGallery Hotel Collection, wellness is the core ambition of the General Manager, Samir Arora. Whether the objective is detox, fitness or mindfulness, his teams do everything possible to create memorable experiences. Exclusive decoding of this address's well-being strategy which reflects new trends and the exacting demands of its guests!
The prestigious association held its much awaited event themed as 'Be Inspired' at Rajmahal Theatre, located in Dubai Parks & Resorts. More than 350 hospitality professionals attended the Grand Educational Day filled with inspiring panel discussions by hospitality leaders sharing their insights alongside with high profile keynote speaker sessions.
Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai welcomes Anna Collier as the new General Manager, responsible for the overall hotel performance and operations. Bringing more than two decades-long of experience in the hospitality sector, Anna will continue to grow the hotel's prominent position within the local and international markets.
Kozhaya began his career in Beirut, Lebanon where he built his foundation in food and beverage operations working for luxurious brands such as Habtoor & Metropolitan by Hilton prior to relocating to the United Arab Emirates. In 2007, he joined the Armed Forces Officers and Hotels in Abu Dhabi as Banquet Manager, where he was exposed to grand events such as presidential meetings & Royal weddings.
Moving from The H Resort Seychelles to Dubai, El Mansoury will be responsible for leading the hotel's sales team and will play an integral role in the development and implementation of strategic sales plans and initiatives to maximise all revenue streams.He will also identify new business opportunities for The H Hotel Dubai and will represent the property at major events, conference and trade shows.Mansoury brings 19 years of luxury hospitality experience, having worked at international hotel chains in the GCC like Kempinski Soma Bay, The Ritz Carlton Sharm El Sheikh, Fairmont Nile City Hotel, and Mosaic Palais Aziza & Spa Hotel in Marrakesh and Rosewood Jeddah Hotel in Saudi Arabia.He was the regional director of sales & marketing at Hakkasan Group overseeing the Middle East & Asia markets before joining the H Hospitality Collection early this year.
Pommey is a seasoned chef who intends to "pioneer the term 'farm to table'" for the Middle East. He is working towards showcasing the hidden gems of the region by seeking out the best local seafood and shellfish and by partnering with local farms for organic vegetables, fruits and honey.
Rellini joins the Hilton Al Hamra Beach and Golf Resort team with more than 17 years of hospitality experience. With an extensive tenure with the internationally renowned Princess Cruises, he has worked around the globe offering world-class service to guests in a variety of roles including customer service & revenue director.
Gupta has over two decades of housekeeping experience, previously working with international and local hospitality chains such in the Middle East and Asia. Before The Retreat Palm Dubai, she was the Executive Housekeeper at Ramada Plaza Hotel. In her current role, Gupta oversees the day-to-day operations of the housekeeping department and maintains its recognized high standards of service.
With 23 years of experience spanning across hospitality management, healthcare and private banking, Gopal is set to build on the foundations at The Retreat to create further transformational and inspirational experiences for both residents and tourists.
Fairmont Ajman has appointed Konstantinos Kourotsidis as its general manager.
Swissôtel Al Ghurair has appointed Tunde Nagy as the director of sales and marketing.
Sayed Tayoun has been promoted to the position of hotel manager at Holiday Inn Dubai Festival City. Under his stewardship as the previous area director of sales and marketing, the IHG hotels at Dubai Festival City have continued to grow from strength to strength.
Singh has been appointed as the marketing and PR Manager of the hotel. Previously, she was heading the marketing and communications team at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Hotel, where she supported the launch of Marriott International's 100th property in India. With over nine years of experience in the hospitality industry in India, Singh will now be responsible for Marriott Al Jaddaf's marketing and communication strategies and campaigns of the hotel.