Hoteliers On The Move, November 2016

HOTELS’ annual hoteliers of the year are Sumba Nihiwatu’s James McBride, independent, and Jon Tisch, corporate – coincidentally, Jon Tisch, chairman of Loews, becomes CEO as well following president/CEO Kirk Kinsell’s resignation October 18, genuinely for family reasons.

Marriott’s executive leadership is now: JW Marriott Jr, executive chairman; Arne Sorensen, president/ceo; David Grissen, group president; Anthony Capuano, development; Carolyn Handlon, finance; David Rodrigues, HR; Bruce Hoffmeister, information; Stephanie Linnartz; marketing-commerce (Tricia Primrose, communications-PR): Hervé Humler, Ritz-Carlton; Don Cleary, Canada; Tim Sheldon, Caribbean-Latin America; Amy McPerson, Europe; Alex Kyriakidis, Middle East-Africa; Craig Smith, Asia-Pacific (Stephen Ho, Greater China)

Joseph Khairallah is president of Marcus.

New World founder Cheng Yu-Tung, 91, died September 29.

ReardonSmith principal Conrad Smith, 55, succumbed to a heart attack October 3.

Hilton and Marriott legend Steve Bollenbach, 74, died October 8.

Simon Barlow leaves MAF for Australia.

Hong Kong Disneyland’s Andrew Kam defects to Wanda.

Tony McHale left Dubai Burj Al Arab.

Who will be the next Mandarin Oriental gm to defect?

Mike Bonner heads marketing, One&.

Peter French is md MKM Commercial Holdings.

Katie Benson, md London Jumeirah Carlton Tower, adds rvp Europe, Jumeirah (Doris Greif is Dubai-based svp ops for the rest of the world).

Peter Wynne heads Asia, Hard Rock.

Michael Zager is vp ops Continental Europe, IHG.

Darren Darwin opens 115-room Anantara Al Jabal al Akhdar, Nizwa – top three-room villa is 7,000 sq. ft.

Heinrich Morio opens 260-room Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai (owner EPG’s Grant Ruddiman is asset manager).

Tom Blachere opens 35-room Bawah Island eco-resort, designer Trevor Hillier.

Peter Idoko opens 130-room Lagos Airport Legend (Curio), owned by Dangote’s business partner Sam Iwuajoku.

Sanne Emmborg opens Dubai Parks’ 504-room Polynesian-themed Lapita, Dubai.

Clay Sawyer opens Banyan Tree’s 516-room all-inclusive lifestyle Dhawa Santa Clara, 4.5 hours from Havana.

Norman Luxemburg opens 40-room Chablé Merida, a Small Luxury hotel.

Daniel Rafman opens the Dayan Group’s 40-room Poli House Tel Aviv, Karim Rashid design, rooftop pool.

Santiago Leon de la Vega opens Grupo Habita’s 69-room Robey Chicago, a Design Hotel, rooftop pool • Sanjeewa Ranasinghe opens designer George Cooper’s 4-room KK Beach Habaraduwa, sibling to his nearby Galle Kahanda Kanda.

Eleonore Petin opens Citystar Ream Holdco’s 63-room Alila Villas Koh Russey.

Sajiva Gautamadasa opens Malkabana Eco Resorts’ 45-room Alila Koggala Lake.

Stephanie Li opens Landmark Tourism Investment’s 127-room Alila Yangshuo, conversion of a former sugar mill.

Roberto Simone opens 373-room Roosevelt Macau – owner Gaw Capital also owns Commune’s Los Angeles Hollywood Roosevelt.

Andrew Coney de-flags Harilela-owned 85-room Belgraves London, now the Hari, a Preferred hotel. Dimitris Kontos, GM of 763-room Sani Resort Halkidiki complex, adds 136-room Dunes Sani newbuild. Anthony Gill flags 100-room Nam Hai Hoi An as Four Seasons.

Peter Schönenberger flags Alajial’s 501-room Eddahbi Mansour as Mövenpick.

Sandra Pérez Lozano turns a 1905-vintage building into the 30-room Habiramy Havana.

Israel Martinez Quintas re-opens, after a three-year sleep, what is now Gran Hotel Miramar Malaga (King Alfonso XIII opened it 1926, as Principe de Asturias).

Brice Borin de-flags architect Soo Chan’s 85-room Alila Villas Soori Kerambitan, now plain Soori Kerambitan.

Gertrud Schneider converts the childhood home of skiing legend Hannes Schneider, no relation, to six-room House Hannes Schneider Stuben.

Other mds/gms: Philip Barnes London Savoy • Philippe Réquin Dornoch Skibo Castle (Peter Crome retires) • Bill Liedholm Bedford PA Omni • Paulo Paias Anguilla Zemi Beach • Adam Della Rocca San Diego Keating • Jorge Gutierrez Tulum Maya • Tarek Mourad Istanbul Four Seasons Bosphorus • Marc Bromley Scottsdale AZ Four Seasons • Stefan Winkler Frankfurt Jumeirah • Trish Berry Boston MA Ames • Robert Festinger South Beach FL Mondrian • Amaury Piedra San Juan Wyndham Grand Rio Mar • Mazwi Mmango Pemba Avani • Thomas Schmitt-Glaeser Bangkok Sukhothai • Heidi Kleine-Moeller Bangkok Millennium Hilton • Magnus Olovson Bintan Sanchaya • Philippe Charraudeau Al Khobar Kempinski Al Othman • Ferry Warnke Yinchuan Kempinski • Kevin Furrer Zurich Swissôtel • Michael Fritz Hamburg Steigenberger Treudelberg • Michael Martin Singapore InterCon (and regional – Tash Tobias joins Virgin Australia) • Terry Buchholz San Diego L’Auberge Del Mar • Ivan Artolli Monte Carlo Hôtel de Paris • William Kirby Enniskillen Lough Erne.

Beat Klarer Guangzhou Sofitel • Andreas Kramer Sanya InterCon • Jim Haughney Boca Raton FL Waterstone (Curio) • Thomas Henseler Belmond Siem Reap and Residence D’Angkor (and Luang Prabang Residence Phou Vao) • Eddie Teh Yangon Belmond Governor’s Residence – and boats • Xavier Lablaude gm Cape Town Belmond Mount Nelson now also oversees southern Africa • Federico Echaiz gm Riviera Maya Belmond Maroma is also cluster manager Mexico • Karin Kopano New York Hotel 50 Bowery • Carlos Salazar Guacalito Mukul Beach • Harvey John Thompson Taipei W Hotel • Ellen Wouters Port-au-Prince Marriott • Randy Zupanski San Francisco Westin St Francis • Vincent Pimont Beijing Peninsula • Joseph Sampermans Bangkok Peninsula.