Nominations

🏨 Paul Mulcahy appointed as Commercial Director at The Lux Collective in Mauritius, with over 20 years of hospitality experience, including leadership roles at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and Pierre & Vacances – CenterParcs Group. Mulcahy's expertise in commercial and digital transformation projects aims to drive global expansion. Previously, he was the General Manager for North America at RCI, part of Travel + Leisure Co, which boasts $3.88 billion in revenue, where he was part of the executive committee responsible for strategic and commercial leadership.

💰 Lesya Batsuk promoted to Group Finance Manager at Hotel Co 51, overseeing the financial department. With 17 years of strategic accounting expertise, Batsuk previously served over 8 years in senior financial management at Intertrust Group. Since joining Hotel Co 51 in 2021, she has been integral in creating a centralized financial structure for the company's portfolio, now spanning 42 properties across five Marriott International brands in eight countries. Batsuk leads a diverse team of 29 people from 15 nationalities, speaking 20 languages.

🏨 Minor Hotels has appointed Omar Romero as Chief Development and Luxury Officer, a new role aimed at furthering global expansion. Romero, a veteran with over two decades of experience, previously served as Chief Development Officer at Six Senses. Based in Bangkok, he will report to Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Minor International, leading global development strategy and managing key stakeholder relationships. Romero's focus will include identifying new business opportunities and supporting the creation of luxury brands for Minor Hotels.

🏨 Claudio Cadeddu, with over two decades of luxury hospitality experience, appointed as Chief Commercial Officer at Sereno Hotels. Sereno Hotels, renowned for luxury properties like the award-winning Il Sereno Lago di Como—voted the number one hotel in Lake Como by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2024—aims to enhance its brand legacy by offering authentic, elegant, and seamless experiences. Cadeddu's strategic appointment paves the way for exciting expansion into new markets.

🏨 Omar Romero, seasoned industry veteran, has been appointed as the new Chief Development and Luxury Officer at global hotel group Minor Hotels, marking the creation of this position amid the company's rapid global expansion. Romero, a graduate from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and Ecole de Management Hôtelier Les Roches, brings extensive knowledge and passion to the role. His responsibilities include driving Minor Hotels' global development strategy, identifying new business opportunities, overseeing project planning and execution, and managing stakeholder relationships. Romero is also key in shaping the future of Minor's luxury brand offerings.

🏦 Monica Eisen, with a career spanning nearly two decades at Four Seasons, is appointed General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Prague. Starting as an intern in 2006 at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, Eisen held key positions at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, and Four Seasons Hotel London at Canary Wharf. With expertise in food service, customer relations, sales, marketing, and room division, Eisen's comprehensive understanding of hotel operations makes her an exemplary leader. Educated in hospitality management at Les Roches Marbella and Cornell University, Eisen's multilingual abilities in Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and basic Italian have been pivotal in her career.

📌 Former AHLA Foundation President and EVP of Communications and Public Relations, Rosanna Maietta, with a deep understanding of AHLA's mission and strong stakeholder relationships, rejoins AHLA's experienced team including Carey, Chirag Shah, Troy Flanagan, Anna Blue, Kiersten Pearce, and Adrienne Weil. Maietta previously expanded her team at ACP, increasing event revenues and leading multi-million-dollar PR campaigns for the clean energy sector.

🏨 Mohamed El Aghoury, with over 30 years of hospitality experience, returns to oversee Sheraton Jumeirah Beach and Aloft Palm Jumeirah after previously managing them from 2020 to 2022. El Aghoury has held leadership roles in prestigious properties across the Middle East, including Dubai, Egypt, and the Maldives. He increased occupancy rates and revenues at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa through strategic renovations before leaving Dubai at the end of 2022. His expertise extends to hotel management, F&B, and rebranding, notably contributing to his tenure as General Manager of the Meydan Hotel & Hospitality cluster, which included Meydan Hotel, Bab Al Shams Resort & Spa, and the now re-operated Meydan Beach Club.

🏦 Amanda Hyndman, with over 30 years of experience in luxury hospitality, has worked for Mandarin Oriental Group for 18 years. She held management positions in the UK, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Washington DC, and was a Vice-President for regions including the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, and Switzerland, then Hong Kong, Macao, and South China. In 2020, she became the Group Director of Quality and Rooms, and in May 2023, she was appointed as Director of Human Resources and Culture to drive the group's HR evolution. Under General Manager Laurent Kleitman, Mandarin Oriental Group is pursuing a global growth strategy focusing on luxury hospitality leadership.

🏨 Minor Hotels appoints Omar Romero as Head of Development and Luxury Brands to propel its rapid global expansion. Romero, with over 20 years in the hospitality industry and a track record of leading Six Senses' global development team, will spearhead global development strategy and brand management from Bangkok, reporting to CEO Dillip Rajakarier. The company plans to open over 200 new properties by the end of 2026, adding more than 30,000 rooms. Puneet Dhawan and Gonzalo Aguilar have also joined the executive team, with Aguilar starting in January 2025.