GLOBAL UPDATE : THE GOSTELOW REPORT
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts , Hong Kong , is gradually spreading its wings around the world with Istanbul opening in March 2013 and London a couple of months later . With hotels already open in North America , the Middle East and throughout Asia and Australia , the gaps are getting fewer . CEO Greg Dogan did , however , say recently at a lunch in São Paulo that both that city and Rio de Janeiro are among his prime targets for expansion .
Eric Trump , executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization , is so pleased with the company ’ s presence in Panama that now he is looking not only at Mexico but also Costa Rica and south to Uruguay .
Al Gosling , CEO of The Extreme Sports Co ., London , is excited about the forthcoming launch of Extreme Hotels . The first hotels — aimed at sports-mad , younger-outlook guests — will be in greater Europe , from the Cape Verde Islands east to Sochi , Russia .
The Leela , Mumbai , is best known for its enormous and statement-making palace hotels throughout India . Is it now , as company Presient Rajiv Kaul hints , about to branch into luxury tented camps at safari parks throughout India ?
Jennifer Fox , president of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts , Toronto , says Hong Kong is her first priority , but a property must be in the right location . She would also like Paris and Australia , especially Sydney .
China is top of the list for Marriott International . Its Asia Pacific President and Managing Director Simon Cooper , who is based in Hong Kong , already has 60 properties in China , and he expects that number to more than double to about 125 across all brands by 2016 .
Until now , the Chinese — who in many instances are extremely keen followers of brands in the car ,
MARY GOSTELOW
jewelry , watch and wine sectors — have not been enticed by designer hotels . Is that about to be changed by Tonino Lamborghini , son of the eponymous car ’ s founder ? The first Tonino Lamborghini Hotel in Suzhou , China , is owned by developer David Yin , boss of Shanghaibased Join In Group . Lamborghini hopes to have about eight hotels in all . China is certainly “ low-hanging fruit ,” says Simon Barlow , Singaporebased president of Asia Pacific for Carlson Hotels . This year he has already added Radisson Blu hotels in Chongqing and Wuxi , and he has signed second hotels in both cities , plus hotels in Chengdu and Wuhan . Across the country , he now has 11 hotels , with a pipeline of 23 . Looking ahead , China remains at the top of his list , closely nudged by India , and Barlow adds that Indonesia is increasingly hot . His total all-area signings this year number 32 , of which six are franchised . He now has 83 hotels open and a pipeline of 75 .
Barlow likes such multiple-unit signings similar to his agreement with construction and real estate giant Bestech Hospitalities for properties in north and central India . Bestech is run by its founders , Dharmendra Bhandari and Sunil Satija , who already own five Radisson Blu hotels in India ’ s capital city of Delhi . Barlow is , however , also interested in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka . He says he is not yet ready for Myanmar .
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
� InterContinental Hua Hin Resort has appointed Britta Kutz general manager .
� Leroy Browne has been appointed general manager of the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre .
� Wanda Chan has been named general manager of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles .
� Richard Alexander has been named general manager of Viceroy Anguilla .
Kutz
� Todd Temperly has been named general manager of The Marquette in Minneapolis .
� The Regency Kuwait has appointed Aurelio Giraudo general manager .
� Darryl Jett has been named general manager of W Dallas – Victory .
� Agustin Maddocks has been named general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Tucuman in northern Argentina .
� Dolce Hotels and Resorts has appointed Jesse Luis vice Chagnon president of development for North America .
� Michael Chagnon has been named director of sales and marketing for Villas of Grand Cypress in Orlando , Florida .
� Loews Hotels & Resorts has promoted David Wiener to senior vice president , sales .
� The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa has appointed
Edward Connors executive chef .
� Alila Jakarta has appointed Tom Drange executive chef .
� Omni Amelia Island Plantation has named Daven Wardynski Connors executive chef .
� Hyatt Regency Aruba has appointed Vincent Pellegrini executive chef .
20 HOTELS December 2012 www . hotelsmag . com