5 minute read
Hotels
ON THE PULSE WITH KOSTA KOUROTSIDIS
BEN WOZNY'S LIFE-LONG JOURNEY WITH HYATT HOTELS
“Do small things in a great way” is Kosta Kourotsidis’s mantra. The seasoned hotelier, who has spent the past 25 years working in hotels across Germany, Ireland and the Middle East, gives us the lowdown on what he has planned for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts’s Dubai, Ajman and Fujairah as properties Cluster General Manager.
What does your new role as cluster general manager for Fairmont’s Dubai, Ajman and Fujairah properties entail?
I will be working closely with the commercial team to drive the successes of the three properties and create opportunities to cross-promote the destinations. What are the biggest challenges in overseeing these properties?
The biggest challenge is keeping pace with our success. To tackle the travel restrictions, we created a niche in the market for staycations and, with the rise in demand for new experiences, we enhanced the idea by creating “destinations” for domestic travelers.
How will you reposition Fairmont’s Sheikh Zayed Road property and refresh its offering?
Fairmont Dubai is an icon and is considered a landmark by many. By refurbishing the rooms, we were able to offer business travelers a fresh, new experience, catering to both their business and culinary needs. This can be seen in the extensive dining and lifestyle options available at the property.
Read the full interview on hospitalitynewsmag.com
Having joined Grand Hyatt Berlin in 2000, then fulfilling various roles for the brand across the globe, Ben Wozny has a longstanding relationship with Hyatt Hotels. In his latest appointment as GM of Grand Hyatt Amman, he reflects on his journey with the group and his plans for the future.
What is your vision for Grand Hyatt Amman?
Grand Hyatt Amman is a property imbued with history, stories and opportunities. Coming in with a fresh mindset and fully energized after my Covid-19 sabbatical, I aim to help all of our team members strive for excellence and, most importantly, experience joy and pride in their daily duties.
What added value does your experience as an operations lead of digital transformation bring to your current position?
The digital transformation within Hyatt is all about sparking new ideas and bringing together personnel from corporate, regions and hotel teams to see what it is we all want to do. Sometimes it is as easy as listening to everyone, finding the one goal everyone is after and helping the teams understand other points of view before going into piloting and testing. I have always been a strong believer in trying new things and testing out boundaries, so I guess the change management portion of my past assignments will help us bring even more creativity to life at Grand Hyatt Amman.
What is it about Hyatt Hotels that has instilled such loyalty in you?
I have been very lucky; Hyatt has offered me great opportunities around the globe over the past 20 years, and because of this, it has never felt as though I was with one company for too long. It has felt more like a life-long journey with never-ending discoveries. Hyatt has always been a very flexible and open company, and given Hyatt’s past growth and future growth plans, I am happy that we are still one big family and very approachable.
Read the full interview on hospitalitynewsmag.com
IHG APPOINTS GM FOR CROWNE PLAZA MUSCAT OCEC InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) appointed Adam Deverson as the general manager of Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC.
Before joining Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC, Deverson served as the director of food and beverage at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. He acquired several years of experience in the industry as the director of food & beverage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and surpassed topline GOP and RevPAR targets.
Deverson also completed task force positions at Voco Kirkton Park and InterContinental Haymon Island. ANTOINE FLOUTY MADE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR IHG MANAGED AND FRANCHISED ESTATES Antoine Flouty has been named the new director of operations for IHG managed and franchised estates in Russia, CIS, Georgia, Ukraine and the Baltics States.
Having held senior positions as operations manager and GM, Flouty has more than 26 years of experience in the industry, 24 of which have been spent with IHG in numerous locations such as Beirut, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Amman and Kuwait City.
ROTANA REAPPOINTS JOSEPH ABOU YAGHI AS CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN RESOURCES Rotana continues to add to its team to execute an ambitious development strategy in both local and international markets.
Joseph Abou Yaghi has been reappointed as corporate vice president human resources. He will be responsible for developing, delivering and promoting best practices in human resource management for the group and its diverse portfolio of brands. With a wealth of experience and deep industry knowledge, he is an accomplished people and culture leader with a proven track record in shaping and governing exceptional human capital and organizational culture. BHAVESH RAWAL BECOMES HOTEL MANAGER OF TWO NEW MARRIOTT PROPERTIES Hospitality veteran Bhavesh Rawal has been appointed hotel manager of the brand new Aloft Hotel Al Mina and Element Hotel Al Mina.
Rawal’s appointment plays a crucial role in supporting Marriot International’s continual growth and expansion strategy throughout the region. GRAND SWISS-BELHOTEL WATERFRONT, SEEF, BAHRAIN APPOINTS A NEW GM Swiss-Belhotel International announced the appointment of Fakhri Hindiyeh as GM for Grand Swiss-Belhotel Waterfront Seef. The newly opened property is the chain’s very first hotel under the high-end brand Grand Swiss-Belhotel.
During his tenure as GM, Hindiyeh was recognized as one of the top GMs and was awarded for his efforts.
MICHEL NADER APPOINTED AREA VP FOR THE UAE AT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Marriott International has appointed Michel Nader as its area vice president for the United Arab Emirates.
In his new role, Nader will oversee the company’s operations in the country, which is currently home to 60 operating hotels and over 16,000 rooms across 20 brands. He will take over from Sandeep Walia, who moves into his new role as COO for the Middle East on July 1, 2021.
Nader brings over 20 years of international experience in the hotel industry. Most recently, he was the market vice president for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt for Marriott International.
