Rotana makes senior appointments to its leadership

Rotana has announced two key appointments to its executive team in the UAE and Southern Oman.

David Prince has been promoted to area vice president – Dubai & Northern Emirates. Prince previously held the position of area general manager for Rotana in Dubai & Northern Emirates.

He joined the company in April 2015 after spending more than 20 years at Hilton Hotels, where he held a variety of senior positions in diverse geographic markets including the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, China, and Thailand.

In his capacity as area vice president, Prince will oversee operations of 17 Rotana hotels in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and will be responsible for setting and implementing strategic plans to boost business growth and providing brand support for all hotels, while ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and standards.

Second of the two appointments is Christian Baudat, who will step in to Prince’s vacant position. He will take charge as area general manager – Abu Dhabi, Al Ain & Salalah for all Rotana properties there.

Baudat joins Rotana with an extensive background in hotel operations, development and management, having spent nearly two decades with Hilton Hotels, mainly in Japan and Switzerland.

Article continues on next page... 

In his new role, Baudat will drive Rotana’s strategic agenda for the Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Salalah markets.

He will be responsible for creating an operating environment that assures consistent guest satisfaction across all hotels, developing accurate long- and short-range financial objectives consistent with the company's mission statement.

Commenting on the appointments Rotana’s chief operating officer Guy Hutchinson said: “Both David and Christian bring a wealth of experience and knowledge. Involving them closely in key business and operational decisions will help Rotana leverage the growth opportunities in the UAE market.”

“We believe their combined experience and expertise will help us move towards greater innovation and business expansion in our home market of UAE, where we currently manage 35 hotels in the UAE, with four more hotels set to open by the end of 2017,” he added.