Guido De Wilde, Senior Vice President and Regional Director Middle East, Starwood Hotels And Resorts Worldwide Inc.
04. Guido De Wilde, Senior Vice President and Regional Director Middle East, Starwood Hotels And Resorts Worldwide Inc.
Guido de Wilde makes the top four in the hotelier qatar power list. Under his regional leadership, starwood hotels & resorts has made significant headway over the last 12 months.
Four new properties were signed this year, marking the launch of both the Aloft and Element brands in the region, the former of which will make its debut in Qatar with the recent signing of Aloft Doha. Other openings to come in late 2015 include the Westin Doha Resort & Spa, which marks a brand debut in Qatar.
De Wilde looks after 53 colleagues in his regional office, 15 general managers/area managers who directly report to him, and over 20,000 associates from more than 100 nationalities across hotels in the region.
The Middle East continues to be an important market for Starwood’s overall global strategy, and de Wilde’s focus remains on providing the highest service standards in the region.
“Our most important asset as a company is brand loyalty, so we continue to focus on strengthening relationships with our guests by offering more personalised experiences. In order to do this, we have to know our guests and truly understand what they look for when they stay with us,” he says.
“From a growth point of view, the team continues to look for opportunities to expand our portfolio of brands in the Middle East.”
Top inspiration
“On a personal note I am inspired by great athletes, especially in the world of cycling. I think in particular about my hero Eddy Merckx, the Belgian cyclist who won over 500 races during his career and who just turned 70. He was an incredible champion and is a great human being. He believed in himself, pushed his boundaries during every race, gave his utmost to achieve his objective and constantly revised his goals. Yet he remained humble and approachable. I am privileged to know him personally.”
By the numbers
Number of years in role: 10
Number of years with company: 28
Number of Middle East operating hotels: 50
Number of Middle East pipeline hotels: 42
Number of Qatar hotels: 3
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