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Khattar returns to Dubai as GM
Vipin Khattar joins Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights as general manager from his most recently held position, also as general manager, at Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort in Egypt. Khattar will oversee the strategic and financial performance of the property and he is committed to hospitality.
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Saccani joins Rocce Forte
Rocco Forte Hotels has appointed Maurizio Saccani as global director of operations, sales and marketing, and HR. He will also be a member of Rocco Forte Hotels’ executive committee, reporting to Karim Naffah, managing director. Most recently Saccani has served in a senior capacity at Belmond Hotels.
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Nourollahi heads Marriott Dubai Creek
Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai Creek has appointed Brian Nourollahi as general manager. Nourollahi joins from the Marriott Executive Apartments Addis Ababa, and has a strong background with Marriott International. Throughout his career, he has held key assignments in the rooms and F & B.
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Etihad appoints global managers
Etihad Airways has appointed three UAE nationals as airport managers. Fatima Al Hashemi has been appointed airport manager for Incheon, South Korea (ICN). Yousuf Mohammed has been selected as airport manager for Medina, Saudi Arabia (MED), and Mansour Hamad for Seychelles (SEZ), in Mahé.
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Six Senses appoints spa director
Six Senses Zighy Bay has appointed Singapore-born Rosalin Lau as the resort’s new director of spa and wellness. Lau has over 20 of combined experience in spas, fitness, wellness and hospitality around the world, and is a Master’s of Science in International Management graduate from the University of Liverpool.
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Amanda Hite is now CEO of STR
Amanda W. Hite, STR’s president since 2011, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer. Hite is in her 11th year with STR. STR’s data sample in the hotel industry has grown 185.5 per cent during Hite’s tenure as president to more than 7.2 million hotel rooms in 53,000 hotels around the globe.
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Fairmont The Palm appoints DOSM
Sue Wheatley has been appointed to the role of director of sales and marketing at Fairmont The Palm, Dubai. Wheatley joins the resort from FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) where she was executive director in charge of luxury sales across the company’s three luxury brands (Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel).
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Sabre appoints Jordan manager
Sabre Travel Network Middle East has appointed Yassar Al Majali as country manager of Jordan to drive new sales opportunities for Sabre’s business in Jordan and strengthen trusted relationships. Al Majali was GM of the Jordan Hotel Association as well as general manager of the Federation of Tourism Associations.
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GHA appoints executive chairman
Global Hotel Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has appointed Flo Lugli as executive chairman. Lugli will chair the GHA board, while bringing new experience and perspectives to the alliance during a period of rapid expansion, which has seen GHA grow to 34 member brands.
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Crowne Plaza Amman recruits DOSM
Oussama Massoud, IHG regional general manager for Jordan announced the appointment of Alaa Habashneh as the new director of sales and marketing for Crowne Plaza Amman Hotel. Habashneh, a Jordanian national, brings more than 18 years of experience in hospitality industry.
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Nurretin joins Rixos the Palm
Rixos The Palm, Dubai, has appointed Nurettin Celik as executive chef to lead the culinary experience at the hotel, giving primary importance to Turkish cuisine. Nurettin has more than 20 years of experience working with five-star hotels in Thailand, Egypt, Ukraine, Turkey and Russia.
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Al Maha Arjaan hires Al Masry
Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana is set to open a new go-to café and the hotel’s newly appointed food and beverage manager, Ahmed Al Masry has been hired for the opening. Al Masry has a considerable background in the food and beverage sector with numerous hotel chains in the region and internationally.
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Habazi to lead Golden Tulip Taj Sultan
Ridha Habazi has been appointed as the general manager of the newly opened, 250-key Golden Tulip Taj Sultan in Hammamet, Tunisia. Born in a family of hoteliers, Habazi is a Tunisian national with a degree in Hotel Trade and Tourism Management from Ecole Superieure de Commerece Tunis.
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Rohitha Pradeep joins as F&B director
Hyatt Regency Dubai has appointed Rohitha Pradeep as the director of food and beverage for the property, from his role as assistant director of food and beverage at Grand Hyatt Dubai. A Hospitality Management graduate from Ceylon Hotel School, he has also worked with Taj Samudra Colombo and Hilton Colombo.
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Graef joins as general manager
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh has appointed Gerrit Graef as the new general manager from his most recent position as hotel manager for The Ritz-Carlton Jeddah. Graef brings with him 30 years of experience, having begun his career in 1997 at Marriott International as director of food and beverage at Renaissance Cologne Hotel.
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Chef Canbolat joins The Westin Doha
Chef Bulent Canbolat has joined The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa as executive chef. His career in the Middle East spans 15 years and he now speaks fluent Arabic. The executive chef has worked for brands such as Le Meridien, Angsana, Shangri-La, Banyan Tree and Dusit International.
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Al Aziziyah welcomes Peter
Beat Peter joins as general manager of Mövenpick Hotel Al Aziziyah Doha, a Victorian-style, five-star property, situated in the heart of Doha’s inspiring Aspire Zone. A Swiss national with more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Peter has spent the last five years working for Mövenpick.
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The Ajman Palace appoints new EAM
The Ajman Palace Hotel has appointed Mahmoud Haggag as the new executive assistant manager. An Egyptian national with more than 27 years of industry experience, Haggag's most recent posting was at Mercure Center Hotel, Abu Dhabi where he was rooms’ division manager in-charge of the hotel operations since 2014.
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Hamade joins Arabian Park as GM
Arabian Park Hotel & Park Hotel Apartments, part of MKM Commercial Holdings (Wafi Group) in Dubai, has appointed Fouad Hamade as general manager. Hamade brings with him more than 15 years of experience, having headed operations for Intercontinental, Shangri-La and for the past five years, Rotana.
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Cuthbert is Mina A’Salam GM
Jumeirah Group has appointed Andy Cuthbert as the new general manager of the Jumeirah Mina A’Salam at Madinat Jumeirah – the Arabian Resort of Dubai. He will continue to be general manager of conference and events. An Australian national, Cuthbert has over 30 years’ experience in the industry.