August 2008
The largest Marriott hotel outside of USA opens in Beijing
Marriott International (NYSE:MAR) announced the opening of the 1,312-room Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall in the capital of the People's Republic of China. This is the largest Marriott hotel outside of USA.
The General Manager of the hotel is Rauf Malik, an international hotelier with some 30 years in the hospitality industry, 16 years of which have been with Marriott International. In Asia, he has managed the Renaissance Hotels Hong Kong, China Hotel Guangzhou by Marriott and Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel prior to his current assignment. Malik has also worked in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
Conveniently located in the central business district of Beijing with the embassy district nearby, the Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall is adjacent to the second ring road, Chang An Avenue, Jianguomen Subway Station and the Beijing Railway Station. The Beijing Capital International Airport is located 24 kilometers away.
A major architectural highlight of the hotel is that it is built on the renowned Ming Dynasty City Wall Relics Park. The Ming City Wall was built in 1419 and extended for about 40 kilometers. Today, it runs about 1.5 kilometers and once was part of the inner city way of the old Beijing city. In 2002, the Beijing Municipal Government turned the relics into a public park.
"China is highly regarded as one of the most important economies in the 21st century and Beijing is the heart of this powerhouse. The Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall, with its enormous size, quality amenities and services, is a strong addition to our portfolio in this city," said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of International Lodging for Marriott International.
The Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall offers an exciting array of restaurants and lounges serving an extensive range of local and international cuisines. Half of the outlets are now in service and all restaurants will be operational by mid August.
Mandarin Oriental Announces Luxury Hotel in Moscow
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will manage a luxurious hotel in the heart of Moscow, which will open in 2011.
The project gives the Group another unique opportunity to provide guests with Mandarin Oriental's legendary service and distinctive style of luxury in one of Europe's most important travel destinations.
Mandarin Oriental, Moscow will be perfectly located on Tverskaya Street, just a five minute walk from the famous Red Square, with its architectural attractions including the Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral. The property is well positioned within the city's prime financial and commercial district, and provides easy access to Moscow's numerous cultural attractions and its most prestigious shopping area, home to many exclusive retail brands.
The hotel will be housed in the redevelopment of a historic building that was originally constructed in the early 19th Century as a private manor house. Over the course of the century, the original building was extended to house additional apartments and galleries, and in 1911 it was converted to a luxury hotel. During the intervening period, the premises has lost much of its decorative beauty and the restoration of the period architecture will be an integral part of the building's transformation into a hotel featuring Mandarin Oriental's '21st century luxury with oriental charm'.
WORLDHOTELS welcomes 28 new hotels in the first half of 2008
In the first half of 2008, WORLDHOTELS added 28 new properties to its unique portfolio of almost 500 hotels around the globe. The new additions to the group are comprised of 13 hotels in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), four in the Americas and 11 in Asia-Pacific. In order to be part of WORLDHOTELS' portfolio, the hotels must meet the group's high quality standards. In addition, applicants have to fit the strategic objectives of WORLDHOTELS.
Among the new hotels of the Deluxe Collection in Europe is the Buddha-Bar Hotel Prague, which will open at the end of 2008 and which will be the first luxury hotel of the Buddha-Bar Hotels & Resorts group. Located centrally in the fashionable old town square of the Czech capital, it will feature 36 deluxe rooms and three exceptional suites in a modern design combining Asian and colonial French influences. Further Buddha-Bar hotels will follow in some of the world's most popular tourist destinations, including Dubai, Paris, Panama, Budapest and the Dominican Republic.
Italian eaterie to replace Brian Turner venture
London's Millennium Mayfair hotel is to launch a new Italian restaurant to replace Brian Turner's eponymous venture which closed last week.
Avista, due to open in October, will be a 75-seat restaurant with direct entrance from Grosvenor Square. It will include a main dining room, a bar and a 12-seat private dining room, with interiors designed by David d'Almada, whose previous restaurant projects include La Petite Maison and Zafferano.
Head chef will be Michele Granziera, who previously spent six years at the London Fine Dining Group's Zafferano under head chef Andy Needham.
The menu will focus on sharing platters with signature dishes such as octopus salad with pigna beans and sweet roast pepper, and Fiorentina with bone marrow and balsamico, as well as a range of pasta dishes.
Four Dubai openings for Rotana
Middle Eastern hotel group Rotana is to launch four new properties in Dubai in this year. The Rose Rotana comprises 480 luxurious suites and penthouses and will also feature meeting rooms, a fitness centre, an outdoor swimming pool and a sauna and steam room. Next it will launch the Media Rotana, a four star 467-room hotel in the heart of Dubai’s business hub. The third hotel to open will be the Arjaan featuring one, two and three-bedroom apartments. All of the above hotels will open in September. The fourth property, the Amwaj Rotana, will open in November and is the group’s first resort in Dubai.
Maybourne Group plans major international expansion plan
The owner of three of London’s top landmark five-star hotels is set to embark on a major international expansion programme,
Maybourne Hotel Group, owner of Claridge’s, the Berkeley and the Connaught, revealed that it is poised to announce its first overseas venture “very soon”. The move will kick start a phased roll-out of individually branded hotels in international gateway cities.
Stephen Alden, chief executive of Maybourne, “We’re planning to open one or two hotels a year every year for the next 10 years. We are already looking at New York, Milan, Dubai and Moscow. We’ll be taking a very individual approach to each property.”
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is deeply saddened to announce the death of Mr Stevan Porter, President Americas Region
IHG announced on 14 July that Steve Porter, President of IHG's Americas region, had relinquished his responsibilities due to medical reasons. IHG is now saddened to announce that Mr Porter passed away in Los Angeles, California, on 7 August, following a short illness, aged 53.
David Webster, Chairman, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, said:
"Steve Porter served as a Director of IHG with great distinction. He was an outstanding executive and a passionate supporter of the company. Steve commanded the fullest respect and affection of everyone in our industry. We are deeply saddened by his death and our sympathies are with his family."
As previously stated, IHG Finance Director, Richard Solomons, has been appointed President of the Americas region on an interim basis, in addition to his existing duties. |
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Laurent Branover has been appointed Executive Assistant Manager Food and Beverage at the Shangri-La Singapore, taking over from Jens Corder. For the past two years, Branover had been in Sydney, as Director of Food and Beverage for the Sofitel Wentworth. He previously oversaw food and beverage operations for the Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental in Shanghai.
Laurent Le Deu has taken the position of Food and Beverage Director with the Peninsula Manila. He was most recently the Food and Beverage Manager for the Repulse Bay Hotel in Hong Kong, a sister property. He previously held various management positions at the Al Bustan Palace in Oman, the Excelsior in Hong Kong and the Ritz-Carlton Doha.
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has appointed Steven Jones Vice President of Design and Construction for the Middle East and Africa. He was most recently Vice President of Middle East and Africa for InterContinental Hotels Group.
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has named Paul Nelson Regional Director of Brand Marketing for Europe, Africa and Middle East. Most recently, Nelson was Global Marketing Manager for Europe, Africa and Middle East at American Express.
Didier Picquot has joined La Mamounia after the completion of its lengthy multi-million dollar renovation. He takes the place of legendary General Manager Robert Bergé, who has retired. For the past three years, Picquot had been the Managing Director of the ultra-private Lyford Cay Club in the Bahamas. He previously served as General Manager of the Regent of Bangkok, the Pierre and the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong.
Olivier Masson has added the responsibilities of Regional Vice President in Cairo to his current duties as General Manager for the Four Seasons Nile Plaza. He joined the company in 1998 as General Manager of the Four Seasons Caracas. He has previously held various roles for the former Regent Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Jakarta and the Four Seasons Carmelo.
Jürgen Baumhoff has been named General Manager of the InterContinental Semiramis Cairo. He was previously a Regional General Manager in the UK for the InterContinental Hotel Group.
Laurent Rigaud returns to the Middle East as General Manager for the Crowne Plaza Dubai. He was most recently serving as the General Manager for the InterContinental Libreville in Gabon. He has previously held the General Manager post at the Holiday Inn Downtown in Kuwait City and Resident Manager at the InterContinental Abu Dhabi.
Patrick Robineau has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh. He succeeds Patrice Aira who has transferred to the Four Seasons Mauritius. Robineau was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage in Cambodia with Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Siem Reap. He previously held various food and beverage positions at the Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo and the Millennium Hotel in London.
Nick Chatzipetros has joined the Millennium Towers Hotel Dubai as Director of Food and Beverage. He previously held various positions with the Ramada Dubai and the Doubletree in Ventura, California.
Philippe Godefroit has joined the Caesar Park Rio de Janeiro Ipanema as General Manager. Godefroit had been with Accor since 1984, starting out in the kitchen at the Novotel Baghdad. He also served as General Manager of the Novotel Limeira, the Sofitel São Luis, the Sofitel Salvador and, most recently, the Sofitel Rio de Janeiro.
Didier Le Calvez is leaving Shangri-La to join Bernard Arnaud of LVMH to spearhead the creation of a new chain of small luxury properties named Cheval Blanc (the first property is already in operation in Courchevel). Before joining Shangri-La, Le Calvez spent eighteen years with Four Seasons, most recently as Vice President and General Manager for the Four Seasons George V in Paris. He previously served as General Manager of the Pierre in New York and the Regent Singapore.
Paolo Biscioni has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Italy’s Royal Demeure Hotel Group, which includes the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol in Florence, the Hotel d’Inghilterra in Rome and the Grand Hotel Continental in Siena.
Bernard Granier has returned to the Concorde Lafayette as General Manager. He had held that position from 1995 to 1997, and was most recently the Vice President, France and Africa, for Mövenpick. At Concorde, Granier is also in charge of the group's seven hotels in the greater Paris area.
Yannick Paturel is the General Manager of the Radisson SAS in Aix les Bains. He was previously the General Manager of sister property the Park Inn Lyon Ouest, and also served as General Manager of L’Espérance Marc Meneau and the Domaine du Roncemay.
Davide Barnes has been promoted to General Manager at the Four Seasons Prague. He joined the company in 2006 as Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Philadelphia. He previously served as General Manager at Chaminade Resort and Spa and was with Benchmark Hospitality for fifteen years.
Christian Clerc has returned to Washington, D.C. as Area General Manager for Four Seasons. Years ago, he had served in the city as Hotel Manager for the Hay Adams before moving over in the same position to the Four Seasons Washington, D.C. A Lausanne graduate, Clerc served as General Manager of the Four Seasons Punta Mita before moving into his most recent role as General Manager and Regional Vice President at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.
Michele Grosso has been promoted to General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. Since 2007 Grosso has held the position of Hotel Manager at the property. Previous stints included Hotel Manager for the Four Seasons Prague and Director of Food and Beverage for the Four Seasons Singapore, Four Seasons Toronto and the Four Seasons Aviara.
Philippe Cavory has joined Six Senses as General Manager of Sonevafushi in the Maldives. He was most recently the Hotel Manager for the Angsana Riads Collection in Morocco.
Christophe Mares will be the Chief Operating Officer of Dubai-based Emaar’s new hotel brand, dubbed The Address. He joins following ten years with Mandarin Oriental, most recently as General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London.
Alexandre Gaudelet has been promoted at the MGM Grand Las Vegas to Executive Director of Food and Beverage. He started at the hotel in 2005 as General Manager for Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak before moving into the position of Director of Food and Beverage for the hotel. Previously, he served as Restaurant Director for the Hotel Meurice in Paris for two years.
Peter Tischmann, Jr. has been promoted to Director of Food and Beverage for the Four Seasons Miami. He was most recently the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage for the Four Seasons Maui. A Cornell graduate, he has previously served in various food and beverage positions at Wynn Las Vegas, Aureole Restaurant and Le Cirque, all in Las Vegas.
Olivier Mencucci has transferred to the Sofitel Water Tower in Chicago as Food and Beverage Director. He was most recently in the same position at the Sofitel Marseille. Mencucci also served as Restaurant and Bars Manager at the Britannia in London, and as Restaurant Manager for the Conran Group.
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