Hoteliers On The Move, February 2017

Tragically, Eric Hilton, 83, died 10 December 2016, and Carlos Albertos Figueiras, founder of Brazil’s Emiliano group, was killed in a plane crash 18 January 2017). In: John Alexander chairs Crown Resorts – James Packer returns as director • Thomas Brosig is president Nikki Beach – founder Jack Penrod remains chairman/ceo • Didier Boidin is coo SBM • Jorge Giannattasio is coo sbe  • Ferghal Purcell is coo Hospitality Management • Marcus van der Wal, coo Kempinski, adds svp Europe • Brad Rahinsky is ceo Hotel Equities (Fred Cerrone now chairs) • Bernold Schroeder left Pan Pacific • At Aman, Olivier Jolivet and Lisa Bovio leave (is some decision-making moving to Switzerland?) • Chip Conley, 56, effectively stops heading hotels and strategy, Airbnb • Mark Kobayashi is vp marketing, Peninsula • Kenneth Hatton heads development, Belmond • Alejandro Bernabe is group director, Avani • Adam Knight is vp ops Woodside Hotels • At AccorHotels, Cédric Gobilliard heads lifestyle (25hours, Jo & Joe, Mama Shelter) and, in luxury, Foued El Mabrouk is vp ops Greater China, and Sami Nasser is vp Middle East • Renato Chizzola is vp Middle East-Asia, Cheval Blanc • Jochem-Jan Sleiffer is vp ops full-service continental Europe, Hilton • Asseghid Dinberu directs Leading, German-speaking and eastern Europe, Leading • Hyatt’s Stuart Deeson, heading Abu Dhabi, adds Egypt and Jordan.

Xavier Destribats opens 246-room Havana Gran Hotel Kempinski La Habana (he is also svp Americas, Kempinski) • Marc Brugger opens 398-room Hong Kong Rosewood • Vincent Guironnet opens 480-room Bali Kempinski Nusa Dua • Ahmed Khalaf opens 208-room Tunis Four Seasons Resort • Wouter De Graaf opens 221-room Singapore Sofitel City Centre • Markus Roeder opens 88-room Dubai La Ville, Autograph • Anne Ward opens Eleven Experience’s 11-room Bahamas Banana House Harbour Island • Silvia Irias opens 8-room Nandaime Nekupe Sporting Resort, on 700ha of nature reserve owned by Nicaragua’s top philanthropists, Alfredo and Theresita Pellas • Denis Mair opens 165-room Munich 25hours Hotel • Elli Jafari opens 120-room London The Curtain Shoreditch, by the Gansevoort group • Richard Bleakley opens 400-room Abu Dhabi Marriott Al Forsan Khalifa City • Scott Lypson opens 129-room Breckenridge CO Residence Inn • Canio Sabia opens 13-room Lecce Palazzo Ducale Venturi • Esra Parin opens Saraya’s 280-room Amman W Hotel • Panchaud opens 47-room Lombok Legian for the Djohan family’s LHM (Ralf Ohletz is consultant) • Richard Van Batenburg opens 57-room Barcelona Soho House • Hakan Oral opens 85-room Bodrum LUX* • Florian Leven opens GHM’s 54-room Sharjah Al Bait • Peggy Trott opens Trust Hospitality’s 176-room Bryan TX Stella • Ellen LeMaire opens 217-room New Orleans NOPSI (Preferred)  – a conversion of the city’s 1920’s public services headquarters • Mike Robinson opens 274-room Amsterdam Kimpton De Witt, a conversion, by designers Michaelis Boys and Kentie en Partners, of the former Crowne Plaza City Centre.

Other md/gms: Giovanni Beretta Miami EAST • Slim Zaiane Dubai Kempinski Mall of the Emirates • Aref Sayegh Guangzhou Kempinski Residences • Harald Fitzek Dalian Kempinski • Kees Heuveling Nairobi Kempinski Villa Rosa (and Masai Mara Olare Mare Kempinski) • Christophe Mercier Venice San Clemente Palace Kempinski (Benedikt Jaschke is vp corporate ops) • Christian Ruge Ajman Kempinski • Kai Schukowski Vilnius Kempinski Cathedral Square • Kai Behrens Chongqing Kempinski • Stephen Meredith Dubai Steigenberger Business Bay • Jason Harding Dubai Al Habtoor complex • Fred Findlen Maui Hyatt Regency • Allan Farwell La Jolly CA Hyatt Regency • Alain Berthelot Puerto Vallarta Grand Fiesta Americana • Larry Bundy Austin TX Granduca • John Cardona Ashland VA Henry Clay Inn • Jeremy Dougherty Fountain Hills AZ CopperWynd Resort • Alex Novo Beverly Hills CA Viceroy L’ Ermitage • Sabine Lamberts Bali Le Méridien Jimbaran • David Martens Hua Hin Centara Grand Beach Resort • Benny Chung Singapore PARKROYAL on Kitchener • Kostas Sfaltos London Bulgari.

Konrad Gstrein Toronto Four Seasons • Shadi Suleman Alexandria Four Seasons • Romeo Carlomusto Stresa Palazzo Aminta • Brian Gleeson Copenhagen Radisson Blu Royal • Tim Herrmann San Diego Marriott Marquis Marina • Michael Delargy Kuala Lumpur Le Méridien • Rudy Tauscher New York Sofitel • Gul Turkmenoglu New York Denihan Benjamin • Justin Simpson Huntington Beach LA Kimpton Shorebreak • Kate Grattan Vail CO Lodge at Vail • Zach Meyers Vail CO RockResorts Arrabelle • Bryan Austin Vail CO Sebastian • Travis Williams Salt Lake City UT Kimpton Monaco • Peter Simoncelli Chicago Ritz-Carlton • Peter Finamore Vancouver Fairmont Pacific Rim (and rvp Fairmont Pacific North West) • Laetitia Elmaleh Paris L’Hôtel de Sers • François Chopinet Geneva InterCon.

Provided by Mary Gostelow, owner-publisher of the monthly global-luxury Gostelow Report.