Adam Nicholls new MD Middle East for Premier Inn

Adam Nicholls has taken over from Darroch Crawford as Middle East managing director of Premier Inn.

The UK hotelier, who has been with the Whitbread group since 2002, has relocated from the UK to Dubai, where he will be based.

Crawford, who held the role for nine years, has now retired.

Starting his career as a graduate with Forte Hotels, Nicholls went on to undertake a number of management positions in mid-market hotels, before being appointed resident manager of Heathrow Excelsior/ Mériden, an 850-key hotel.

Following a two-year stint in his first regional role with Compass Airport Retailing, Nicholls joined Whitbread in 2002 as GM of the 220-room Premier Inn Bristol Haymarket.

He progressed through regional positions before being appointed operations director (South) for Premier Inn UK, a role he held for six years before being appointed this year as the successor to Crawford.

Premier Inn currently owns and operates five hotels in the UAE, with the sixth hotel, the 168-room Premier Inn Sharjah King Faisal Street to open shortly.

The 166-room hotel, being developed with Action Hotels, was set to launch at the end of last year, however it has been delayed.

Speaking to Hotelier Middle East in September 2014, Crawford revealed that the company is currently working on deals for another five hotels in Saudi Arabia, the same number in Dubai and three in Oman, with 11 projects in total on the horizon for the region.