A look back at the top ten most powerful hoteliers in 2011
10 MICHEL NOBLET
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS
French in style and international in substance, Michel Noblet has a long history in the hotel sector in the region, arriving in Dubai from Asia to take over as managing director for Le Méridien in the Middle East and West Asia.
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With experience in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, he opened 55 hotels during his three decades at Le Méridien, but then took his career in a new direction establishing Coral Hotels & Resorts with HE Sheikh Faisal bin Sultan Al Qassimi and HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi in 2004, aiming to launch 25 hotels within five years.
Having achieved that target within four years, Noblet was instrumental in launching HMH — Hospitality Management Holdings, rolling Coral in to a larger group that now offers four brands; Coral, Corp, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS.
As well as through the GCC and wider Middle East, HMH has expanded in to Africa and has Asia in its sights for the future, exploring opportunities in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Indian sub-continent.
Hotels in Ajman, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are set to open later this year, and with 10 properties under development, the group is expected to reach its mid-century by mid-2012 — offering 4783 rooms in 50 hotels.
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