Nominations

🏦 Nicolas Kipper has been appointed as the General Manager of the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels, bringing over 30 years of hospitality experience from the Americas to Central and Southeastern Europe. Starting his career at Hyatt International, Kipper honed his luxury hospitality skills and later held key management positions at Marriott International, including General Manager roles at the Ritz-Carlton Budapest in Hungary and the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul in Turkey. Most recently, he served as General Manager at the Fairmont Quasar Istanbul, Turkey, within Accor group. His appointment aims to strengthen the hotel's reputation for Belgian art and refined hospitality.

🏡 Layal Haddad became the General Manager of the five-star Hôtel Le Yaca in Saint-Tropez in March 2025, bringing a wealth of luxury hotel experience from her over seven years at Château de la Messardière, also in Saint-Tropez, where she worked her way up from senior headwaiter to hotel director. Prior to that, she served as assistant director with Machefert Group. Haddad's goal is to enhance client experience and establish the hotel's uniquely exclusive and personalized character.

🏡 Vincent Durier, with over 15 years of luxury hospitality experience, joins Alila Villas Uluwatu. Previously, he was the pre-opening General Manager at Nawa Hotels & Resorts in Indonesia and led COMO Cocoa Island Maldives for three years. His global career includes prestigious hotels in Thailand, China, Hong Kong, and Bora Bora, with notable positions at Sofitel, Hotel ICON, and The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort. Durier is known for his hotel management expertise, customer service, and commitment to sustainability and innovative leadership.

👑 Philippe Leboeuf was appointed CEO of Dorchester Collection, succeeding Eugenio Pirri in November 2024. Previously, Leboeuf oversaw the opening of Raffles London in September 2023. He will manage prestigious hotels like the Dorchester, Coworth Park, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Christopher Cowdray, president of Dorchester Collection, praised Leboeuf's commitment to excellence. Leboeuf's career spans over three decades, starting in the 80s with roles at Parker Meridien in New York, The Carlyle, and The Westbury Hotel. His significant career shift came in the 90s as director of Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, under the Concorde Group and the Taittinger family.

📌 Julia Selyukova has contributed a decade of service at Four Seasons, achieving remarkable milestones such as earning the Forbes Travel Guide five-star distinction for Four Seasons Hotel Moscow—the first in Russia—under her leadership as Hotel Director during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Her strategic vision and customer-centric approach led her to Four Seasons Hotel Doha post-FIFA World Cup 2022, overseeing 700 staff and ten acclaimed restaurants including the world's largest Nobu. Currently, Julia helms the Forbes five-star Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, an architectural gem committed to preserving its legacy of grandeur.

🏡 Beyond Places has taken over the management of the Courtyard By Marriott Montpellier 4*, owned by EODON. The hotel, located in Port Marianne, has 123 rooms and offers a 278m² event space. It received the Clef Verte label for sustainability in 2025. Beyond Places now operates nine hotels in France, reflecting growth after acquiring three hotels in the South-West last year.

🏠 Magora announced organizational changes with new appointments to support development in managed hosting and real estate services. Johanna Ambil becomes General Manager of Odalys Vacances, overseeing commercial activities and operations. Christian Letienne was appointed as Deputy General Manager of Odalys Vacances and General Manager for Africa, tasked with opening new establishments in Kigali and Abidjan. Aymeric Drujon has been with Magora since 2006 and is now General Manager of Flower Campings, focusing on network expansion and new acquisitions.

📌 Nicolas Kipper will officially start as the general manager of Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels on March 24, 2025. With French nationality, Kipper's career began at Hyatt International and progressed through key leadership roles including general manager positions at Ritz-Carlton Budapest, Ritz-Carlton Istanbul, and Fairmont Quasar Istanbul, accruing expertise in luxury hotel management. Kipper holds a degree in hotel management and a master's in hotel and restaurant management from École hôtelière de Strasbourg and the University of Strasbourg.

🏢 MAGORA announces strategic appointments, including Johanna AMBIL as the new General Manager of Odalys Vacances, tasked with overseeing commercial activities and operations of 105 European establishments, reflecting the company's goal to solidify its leading position in managed hosting and real estate services globally. AMBIL, with 20 years of experience and a master's degree from Sciences Po Paris, takes on this role to drive rapid expansion. Laurent DUSOLLIER, General Manager of MAGORA, emphasizes these changes as pivotal for growth.

📍 Starting May 1, Pinnacle's current hotel portfolio and development pipeline integrates with Hotel Equities' management platform. The portfolio includes establishments from brands like Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. The partnership strengthens the growth and expansion efforts of both companies and is a continuation of an existing collaboration with HE managing Pinnacle's AC Hotel by Marriott Kansas City Downtown. Pinnacle's founders, Chet Patel, Rocky Govind, Shawn Govind, and Nayan Nagin, have developed a strong reputation through effective hotel management and strategic market development.