REVEALED: 2012 Hotelier MidEast Power 50 (50-41)
Over the course of this week (commencing today September 9) Hotelier Middle East will reveal the region's top 50 most influential hoteliers in the annual Hotelier Middle East Power 50, presented by Voglia. The first instalment of this five-part series of announcments names those ranking in positions 50 to 41 of the 2012 list.
In this fourth edition of the Hotelier Middle East Power 50, you will notice a few changes. This year for the first time, the list is entirely dedicated to hotel operators. Even those entrants who both own and operate hotels have been judged only on their managment merits. This has meant that we have had to omit the specialists in tourism and development as well as owners and investors, but rest assured, the Hotelier team is already hard at work planning a list to recognise these hotel industry partners.
As always, however, the rankings in the Hotelier Middle East Power 50 are subjective and the opinion of the editorial team. Decisions are made based upon portfolio and pipeline, activity over the past 12 months and plans for the coming year, along with the reputation of the individual among their peers and their dedication to developing the Middle East hospitality and tourism industry generally.
We are confident that each entrant deserves their place in the list and invite you to join with Hotelier in celebrating the achievements and accolades of so many hotel pioneers.
50: Daniele Vastolo, group director of operations,. Nikki Beach EAME Hotels and Resorts Ltd
Seasoned hotelier Daniele Vastolo made a bold move when he left the familiarity of Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts to join the Nikki Beach brand and deliver the group’s first ever hotel — planned for Qatar — in the Middle East.
The US $45 million property is located on The Pearl in Doha and, while the phase one summer opening of 24 Nikki Suites and most of the food and beverage offering has been pushed back, there is still plenty to keep Vastolo busy.
At the end of June, the company announced a second hotel for the region, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa and Nikki Beach Club in Beirut, Lebanon — which is where Vastolo is based — due to open in 2014.
Both hotels will feature interior design by Gatserelia design and the famed Nikki Beach combination of lavishness, lifestyle and luxury.
Seven more projects are slated to open within the next three to four years, in places such as Croatia, Greece and Abu Dhabi, although this one isn’t finalised. According to a statement from the company, 10 new projects totalling $400 million are now in the planning stages in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
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49: Russel Sharpe, chief operating officer, Citymax Hotels
As COO of Dubai-based Citymax Hotels, the hospitality division of Landmark Group, British-born Russel Sharpe is responsible for more than 1200 rooms in the UAE, 400 employees and is tasked with overseeing the group’s expansion in the emirates.
The business- and budget hotels group has three UAE properties open in Al Barsha, Bur Dubai and Sharjah, with two more in the pipeline including a second property in Al Barsha and Citymax Hotel Fujairah.
The past 12 months have been eventful for Sharpe who oversaw the opening of the group’s Sharjah property, and the signing of the second Al Barsha hotel, which is due to open within the next 12 months alongside the Fujairah property.
With 38 years of hospitality experience, including 30 years spent in the Middle East, Sharpe’s background as a senior partner in hospitality consultancy Mezze Associates, overseeing acquisitions, finance, project and asset management, means he is well placed to steer the group’s growth.
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48: Anders Dimblad, area general manager, Banyan Tree Al Wadi and Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah Beach
Anders Dimblad joined Banyan Tree’s Ras Al Khaimah, UAE resorts as area general manager in 2012. His role is to manage all 400 associates across two Banyan Tree resorts – Banyan Tree Al Wadi, in the desert and Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah, Beach, arguably Ras Al Khaimah’s most prominent hotels.
Dimblad began his career with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts in October 2003 and has seen a steady rise through the company, building strong expertise and guiding his departments to achieve great success.
The Swedish national holds a Bachelor Degree with Honours in International Business Administration from the European Business School in the UK and prior to joining Banyan Tree, worked for Shangri-La.
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47: Anton Bawab, regional president, Viceroy Hotel Group
Located in Viceroy’s Abu Dhabi office, Bawab oversees the operations and the growth of Viceroy Hotel Group in the Middle East and European markets. He has focused on strategy, business excellence and business development.
Bawab has spent the year taking over and rebranding the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi, opening the Viceroy Maldives and signing two properties in Istanbul and Bodrum.
He is spending the rest of the year looking at opportunities to add to the company’s portfolio in Western Europe and the GCC.
Currently responsible for one hotel, Bawab will oversee two more in the pipeline.
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46: Abdin Nasralla, vice president, Meydan Hotels & Resorts
Steering the expansion of the newly-created entity that operates the Bab Al Shams and Meydan luxury hotels in Dubai is Abdin Nasralla.
Earlier this year, Nasralla told Hotelier Middle East that Meydan Hotels & Resorts, which is part of master developer Meydan, was looking to open a third leisure offering in the emirate – on the beach.
True to Nasralla’s word, last month brought the launch of Meydan Beach. The standalone beach club includes two infinity pools, a chill-out lounge, and a boutique spa and gym. It will also host renowned Milanese restaurant Giannino, the first branch outside of Milan.
According to Nasralla, this is the first of many ventures as Meydan Hotels mulls overseas expansion plans.
Egyptian-born Nasralla has dedicated his entire career to the Middle East hospitality industry – for the most-part based in Dubai – and holds UAE citizenship, a testament to his influence on the emirate’s hospitality scene.
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45: Paul Arnold, vice president development - Europe, Middle East & Africa at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
Over the past year, Paul Arnold has continued to drive Rosewood Hotels and Resorts development in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Currently, the company operates three hotels in the Middle East – Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel and Hotel Al Khozama in Riyadh and Rosewood Corniche in Jeddah — but Arnold is focused on the brand’s growth in the region.
It is expected to debut in the capital Abu Dhabi before the year is out. The planned Rosewood Dubai, however, has been delayed with the operator unable to confirm an opening year.
Arnold joined Rosewood last year following 12 years working globally with Ernst & Young, five of which were spent in the United States before relocating to the Dubai office where he helped establish and eventually became responsible for leading the company’s real estate, hospitality and leisure advisory services practice across the Middle East and North Africa region.
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44: Samir Daqqaq, senior vice president, development, Middle East and Africa, The Oetker Collection
The Oetker Collection’s niche portfolio of individual, grand hotels — most famously Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden Baden and Le Bristol Paris — are known to luxury hoteliers worldwide, despite the fact that until April, the brand was only present in Europe.
This year marks a milestone for the company, with the opening of the first hotel outside the home continent, Palais Namaskar in Marrakech, Morocco developed under the direction of Samir Daqqaq.
And this is just the first step outside of Europe; the next location is Abu Dhabi, where National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCTH) is developing Le Bristol Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in the second half of 2013.
Daqqaq is now focused on searching for further locations to develop the group’s “masterpieces” with Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Cairo all on the radar.
Previously, Daqqaq worked for Marriott International for 30 years and despite announcing his retirement in 2009, has since returned to the industry he entered back in 1979.
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43: Jiri Kobos, vice president operations, Dusit International
In 2011 Jiri Kobos, previously managing director and general manager of the 440 room Dusit Thani LakeView Cairo, was promoted to the role of vice-president operations based in the corporate office in Bangkok.
He is responsible for the operations and performance of the group’s hotel portfolio taking a proactive role in the execution of quality standards, employee performance and guest satisfaction, and also helping secure leads for new properties as well as handling the concept, facilities and standards management of any new hotels.
In the Middle East, Kobos’ focus remains on the core Dusit Thani brand, which launched in Dubai 10 years ago and is now planned for Abu Dhabi, believed to be opening this year, Jeddah and Bahrain. Meanwhile, in Dubai, the hotel is undergoing a major guest room refurbishment expected to be completed by the end of 2012.
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42: Bernhard Haechler, vice president/general manager, Shangri-La Hotel Dubai
A dual Swiss/South African National, Haechler has 34 years of experience in the hospitality industry since graduating from the Hotel School in Lucerne, Switzerland.
He joined Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in 1993 as GM of the Aberdeen Marina Club in Hong Kong and was appointed GM of Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai in April 2002, prior to the Hotel opening in July 2003.
In May 2006, Haechler was promoted to the position of area manager and general manager, which included Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi, which soft-opened in August 2007. Traders Hotel, Dubai was included in his area manager responsibility in March 2007.
In August 2008, Haechler was promoted to VP/GM, responsible for Shangri-La Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the Traders Hotel in Dubai. The Traders Hotel in Abu Dhabi which opened in August 2009 also falls under his remit.
This year has been spent preparing for the opening of Shangri-La Hotel, Doha and Traders Hotel, Doha.
Currently responsible for four properties, Haechler is also overseeing the openings of Shangri-La Hotel, Doha, Qatar and Traders Hotel, Doha, both set to open in 2013.
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41: Shuja Zaidi, general manager at Makkah Hilton and Towers, and vice president of projects, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hilton Worldwide
Shuja Zaidi joined Hilton Worldwide almost 20 years ago, and has worked in places from Houston and Guam in the US to Northern China before moving to Mecca eight years ago, where Hilton was integrating an extra 800 rooms to its existing 600 at Makkah Hilton and Towers.
He is now heading up Hilton’s involvement in the mammoth Jabal Omar project in Mecca, where Hilton is to open six of the 26 branded hotels planned for the development. The first three of these hotels are due to open in 2013.
In addition, Zaidi is focused on the company’s growth in Riyadh, which will see Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Al Muroj, Hilton Riyadh King Saud University and Hilton Riyadh King Saud University Residence open within the next 12 months.