Guy Hutchinson, acting CEO, Rotana Hotels, has been promoted to serve as the group’s president & CEO.
Hutchinson joined Rotana as COO in January 2014 and replaced Omer Kaddouri, who stepped down as CEO at the end of 2018.
Hutchinson previously served various roles with Hilton Worldwide in Japan, Australia, China, India and the UAE.
Nasser Al Nowais, chairman, Rotana, said: “Leveraging his extensive industry experience, as well as his progressive and dynamic leadership skills, [Hutchinson] led the team at Rotana to deliver a remarkable year in 2019 despite challenging market conditions. I am confident that Rotana will continue to go from strength to strength under his tenure, as we continue to push ahead with our vision to be one of the leading hospitality management companies globally."
Hutchinson said: “I feel honoured to have been given this opportunity. It is truly exciting to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team, and together we look forward to leading Rotana's next phase of growth. Certainly exploring new avenues to deliver added value to our guests, partners and stakeholders will remain our top priority, and we will strive to realise the company's ambitious objectives while continuing to uphold the values and high standards for which Rotana is so well known.”
During 2019 Rotana took over the management of Baghdad's Babylon Hotel and agreed to operate the Palmeraie Resorts in Marrakech. Outside the Middle East and North Africa region, Rotana opened the Bosmal Arjaan by Rotana in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo in August, making its first foray into Southeast Europe. In October, the company opened the Johari Rotana in Dar es Salaam, which marked the brand's entry into the East African market.