New MENA head for Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Preferred Hotels & Resorts has appointed Claudio Roscigno as regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Roscigno will be based out of the group’s new regional headquarters in Dubai.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts' partners in the region include Nassima Royal Hotel in Dubai; Murwab Hotel Group (part of Katara Hospitality group); Palazzo Versace, Dubai; and Paramount Hotels & Resorts, which will open its first hotel in early 2017.

In his new role, Roscigno will be targeting Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Manama, Bahrain; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Cairo, Egypt and Beirut, Lebanon as part of the group’s development plan in the region.

Roscigno brings over 15 years of industry experience to the new role, having worked in senior executive roles with Rosewood Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.

Commenting on the appointment, Preferred Hotels & Resorts executive vice president Saurabh Rai said “Claudio’s well-rounded industry expertise and regional exposure in Beirut and Doha will add a new dimension to our business as we grow our Dubai-based team and MENA portfolio. 
The Middle East & North Africa region is pivotal in our growth strategy, which is already on its own fast-track growth trajectory, with a total of 91 hotels from 14 countries joining our portfolio in 2015.”

Commenting on his new position, Roscigno said: “The MENA region is one of the fastest-growing luxury hotel markets in the world today and my front office, sales and marketing experience will stand me in good stead, as Preferred Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its regional footprint.”