May 2006
THE LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD ADDS 37 MEMBERS
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd., the preeminent luxury hospitality company representing the finest hotels, resorts and spas in the world, has announced the newest members accepted into its organization.
REZIDOR SAS ANNOUNCES NEW HOTELS IN RUSSIA
As Rezidor SAS continues to move into Russia's hotel market, the company last week announced three new Radisson SAS hotels -- two in Moscow and one in St. Petersburg -- saying they are just a few of the projects it has in the works.
One property, to be called the Radisson SAS Belorusskaya, will be located minutes from the Belorusskaya metro station at 26 3rd Ulitsa Yamskogo Polya. With 264 rooms, it is scheduled to open in October 2007.
The other Moscow hotel, the Radisson SAS Riverside, is to be located 17 kilometers from the city center, at 81 Volokolamskoye Shosse. The 150-room hotel is scheduled to open in September 2007.
Rezidor president and CEO Kurt Ritter said a management contract had been signed for "a well-known existing hotel" in St. Petersburg, but he did not provide any further details.
Ritter said Russia had a lot of potential as a hotel market in part because many of its cities have no international-brand hotels.
"That is very uncommon," he said. "When these cities develop economically, I am sure they will need an international hotel brand."
The company is among several Western hotel operators -- with the others including Accor and Intercontinental Group -- that are trying to seize the opportunity to break into the Russian market.
IT'S HARD WORK IN FRANCE THESE DAYS BUT LIFE SURE IS GOOD
I arrived in Paris two days before the French government were due to make a decision on a new work law, which had sparked a nation-wide outcry among students and unions.
Media reports of the protests which had greeted the proposed law which would have allowed companies to fire young workers without showing cause had painted pictures of a city brought to a standstill – once again – by its disenchanted, frustrated citizens.
When I landed at Charles de Gaulle, all I saw was the same mess and chaos at an airport that has long lived its usefulness.
You could say this is pretty much true of the French government or France as a country in general, I suppose, but I wouldn’t dare in case it sparks another protest which this country seems to be very fond of.
Anyway, as always, what seemed to be a big thing, according to media reports, barely raised eyebrows among jaded Parisians to whom this was just another sign of the trouble they know their economy is in. They all know too what has to be done but no one seems prepared to actually do it.
And so Parisians barely choked on their escargots when oui, Chirac announced that they would be withdrawing the law after all.
It is ironic really, the world we live in.
In France, young people go on strike even before they start to work and when they are working, they fight for their right not to work anymore than they should.
In China, young people grab jobs as fast as they come up. And the only ones who protest are those who can’t get jobs.
In Germany recently, they went on strike because they had been asked to work one-and-a-half hours more each week – from 38.5 to 40 hours.
In Japan, they have to force people to take their holidays.
This is true of many countries in Asia. I remember during my working days in a corporate environment when my colleagues had to be forced to take their leave.
“Oh my gosh, I have two weeks to clear,” they would lament. “How can I go? All this work?”
But I think things are changing, even in France. I have met many young French people who can’t wait to leave their country because even though they know things have to change, they also know that won’t be happening anytime soon.
|
JOB OF THE MONTH
(small selection)
all jobs available here
Executive Chef, Mexico
General Manager Surrey, UK
Corporate Sales Manager, London
Training Manager, Lebanon
Executive Chef, London
SPA Director, Lebanon
Chef De Cuisine, London
Financial Controller, Middle East
Front Office Manager, Dubai
Revenue Manager, London
Restaurant Manager, Moscow
STAFF MOVEMENTS
Gabriele Galieni has been named General Manager at the Grand Hotel Rimini, following three years at the Hotel Principe di Savoia as Executive Assistant Manager.
Pascal Forotti is transferring as Hotel Manager from the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta to the InterContinental Chicago.
Yves Samake has been transferred to the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta as Executive Chef replacing Eric Damidot. He was most recently the Executive Sous Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay.
Michel Miserez has been named Regional Vice President Finance, Continental Europe for Marriott International. Miserez was most recently regional for Marriott in Asia.
Girly Fedilo will be transferred to the Trader Vic's Berlin as General Manager. Fedilo was most recently in the same position at Trader Vic's at the Hilton London Park Lane.
Nicole Sinclair is the Hotel Manager at the St. Regis Bora Bora slated to open in June 2006. Sinclair previously held various senior level positions at Westin and Sheraton hotels on Maui.
Raphael Guillien has been named General Manager of the Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort & Spa in Vietnam. He was most recently the Resident Manager of the InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Hotel & Resort, in Cyprus and was previously in the Maldives for Kurumba as Resident Manager, following eight years with Le Mèridien.
The InterContinental Dubai has appointed Anita Russell as Director of Human Resources. Russell transferred directly from the InterContinental Hotels Group Melbourne Australia where she held the position of Manager of Talent Management for four InterContinental properties.
Pascal Carrion has moved as Director of Engineering from the Habtoor Grand Hotel and Spa to the Bavaria Executive Suites both in Dubai. Carrion was previously the Chief Engineer at the Sheraton Brussels, Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort and La Belle Creole in St. Martin.
Samantha Spurgeon returns to Le Mèridien Hotels & Resorts handling French Polynesia as Director of Sales and Marketing. She was most recently in a similar position handling the Caribbean for Orient-Express, following eleven years in New York and London for Le Mèridien.
|
|
