Grand Hyatt Muscat brings in new general manager

The Grand Hyatt Muscat has appointed Garry Friend as its new general manager.

Friend was previously the general manager for the Grand Hyatt Doha which he joined as a part of its opening team in 2007.

Born in Sydney and with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Friend graduated from the Australian School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Australia and in 1986 started his career as a restaurant manager in numerous five star hotels.

He first joined Hyatt International in 1988 as the Food and Beverage Team Leader and has spent a total of 22 years with the company.

Friend’s previous properties in Australia include the Hyatt Regency Coolum, Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Hyatt Regency Adelaide and Park Hyatt Canberra. He then moved overseas and was a part of the pre-opening team at Hyatt Regency Guatemala as well as the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki in Greece.

In 1999 he was appointed General Manager of Egypt’s Hyatt Regency Sharm El-Sheikh and in 2003 he moved to the Grand Hyatt Cairo. In 2006 he was then appointed as General Manager of the Park Hyatt Johannesburg, in South Africa.