33. Siegfried Nierhaus, Vice President Middle East, Steigenberger Hotel Group
The German operator has grown its pipeline and operating portfolio
In the last year, Steigenberger Hotel Group vice president Middle East Siegfried Nierhaus has been kept on his toes. While the German hotel operator had operating properties in Egypt more than a year ago, the Middle East office opened the Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay in Dubai and InterCityHotel Salalah in Oman in 12 months.
Nierhaus, responsible for 350 people, opened the Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, Dubai within four months of signing the contract, and opened IntercityHotel Salalah, Oman two months after signing the contract — achieving the hotel openings in record time. The Omani hotel is also the first InterCity hotel brand outside of Europe.
His goal is to build a solid pipeline in the long-run, and has already signed contracts for the expansion of the brand in India and Iran. In an interview with Hotelier at Arabian Travel Market, Nierhaus said the brand has signed an InterCityHotel in Dubai’s Cultural Village, scheduled for the end of 2017. The group also has a Steigenberger Hotel in Doha lined up for 2018. Nierhaus said: “We are very much focusing on the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Iran, where we strongly believe we have a great market and a great product for the market as well.”
By the numbers
1.5 Number of years in the role
1.5 Number of years with company
9 Number of Middle East operating hotels : 9 (plus three Nile ships)
4 Number of Middle East pipeline hotels as of July 2016
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