Nominations

🏡 Hani Akkari leads The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort as General Manager in Doha, previously holding the position from May 2023 to February 2024. His career started post-2007 after graduating from La Rochelle hotel school, working at Relais & Châteaux in Vence, then Four Seasons, and at Hilton Paris Arc de Triomphe in 2008. Moving to the Middle East in 2011, Akkari progressed through Sofitel in the UAE and became General Manager of MGallery Doha in 2019. He joined Fairmont Doha in January 2022 before his recent return to The Chedi Katara.

🏡 Mathieu Sauvestre, with 16 years of hotel development experience, is appointed as the new Development Director at French ecological and lifestyle hotel group Eklo. Graduated from HEC in 2009, started at Club Med, restructuring its portfolio in Africa and the Middle East, then led North American development in 2015, focusing on mountain markets in the US and Canada, and beach resorts in the Caribbean. By 2019, he was driving Club Med's development in France and Switzerland and enhancing its upscale positioning. Sauvestre joins Eklo to drive its ambitious expansion, aligning with its concept of accessible lifestyle hospitality and strong environmental and societal integration.

👨 Stefan Reiter, with Hilton since 1993, returned in January as head of Hilton Sofia, which he previously led from 2012 to 2017. At 57, his notable career includes opening the Hilton Riyadh Olaya in May 2024 after a four-year preparation, making it a luxury symbol with 239 rooms and three restaurants. He also launched the Hilton Astana in 2017, achieving the country's best congress hotel in under two years, and opened the Hampton by Hilton Turkistan in 2020.

📖 The Oetker family, owners of the Bristol Paris, appoints a new chef with two Michelin stars and the title of MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France). The renowned Epicure restaurant at the Bristol, located on Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, offers a culinary journey through France under the new chef, previously known for serving at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume for the Aga Khan, and hosting Barack Obama and Bono at La Chèvre d’Or in Èze. This marks a significant move from his comfort zone in Nice, where he spent eight years and developed the "Rivyera" concept.

🏨 Tarek Beheiry, a hospitality industry veteran with over 20 years of experience across Asia, Africa, and Australasia, was appointed to lead INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit. The 208-room hotel spans 34 floors in Bangkok's trendy On Nut district, featuring a high-rise transparent infinity pool, a rooftop tapas bar, and integrated coworking spaces. Beheiry's role at Meliá Hotels International marks his first collaboration with the Spanish hotel group, known for its global presence and expanding footprint in Asia. Previously, he managed the Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in South Korea, W Koh Samui, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, Pullman Bangkok Hotel G in Thailand, and held operational roles at Sofitel in Egypt, Australia, and Singapore for a decade. Beheiry, a Helwan University Cairo graduate in tourism and hotel management, began his career at Sofitel and became General Manager of Hotel G Singapore in 2017.

📈 Jean-Jacques Morin, administrateur at AccorInvest, is tasked with selling Accor's 31% stake within a maximum of 18 months, as confirmed by Sébastien Bazin during a financial analysts' meeting. This move follows Accor's decision to discontinue its ownership in the real estate firm it established.

🚩 The Aqualud transformation project into a luxury hotel in Le Touquet, known as "Projet La Dune" (announced on March 4, 2023), is experiencing difficulties after NAOS's liquidation. Le Touquet revoked LB Investissements' management due to site security concerns, frequented by urban explorers and squatters. Vinci remains in charge of construction permits, but a new hotel group partner is needed to proceed.

🏦 EXTENDAM acquired the Mercure Den Haag Central's property and business in The Hague, Netherlands. The 4-star hotel will undergo an ambitious transformation to become a hybrid living space under the Accor group's Tribe Hotels brand, catering to a diverse clientele. This repositioning involves an enhanced F&B offer and flexible spaces, driven by Capital Hospitality Europe (CHE), to meet the changing demands of travelers and locals in a robust economic destination with a supportive regulatory framework.

🏡 Transaxio Hôtel finalized the sale of both property and business of the 3-star Hôtel des Châteaux, which has 27 comfortable rooms and a seasonal homemade cuisine restaurant. The hotel is strategically located near the UNESCO World Heritage-listed area and the famous Azay-le-Rideau castle. The buyer, Immovation group, led by Alain Fournier, owns about 15 mid-range hotels, mainly in western France. The acquisition was facilitated by Fabrice Le Mouroux of Transaxio Hôtel and Sissel Thorstensen of Fan Worldwide France. Immovation plans to extend and upgrade the hotel to enhance customer experience.

📢 Nada Sheshtawy now leads the commercial strategies of Rotana, targeting strategic revenue growth, market share and profitability expansion across its portfolio of 82 operational hotels. Sheshtawy's career spans key leadership roles in global hotel brands and managing her own enterprise twice, with a focus on sales, revenue, marketing, and brand strategies in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Rotana currently operates 82 hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey, with a strong pipeline of new projects in the MENAT region and the international market.