GLOBAL UPDATE : THE GOSTELOW REPORT
New York City would be ideal for an Armani , says Aaron Kaupp , general manager of Armani Milan . He knows from his visitor base that sibling hotels in New York as well as London and Paris would help his brand .
Paris is also on the wish list of Luca Magni , stepson of Roberto Polito , founding chairman of Baglioni Hotels , Milan . As corporate head of branding and a member of the family that bought out Cogeta Group to own Baglioni Hotels 100 %, Magni is involved with every stage of its evolution . It would be so helpful , he says , to have Baglioni flags flying in Paris as well as Doha , Qatar .
Europe ’ s biggest development at the moment is the Qatar-funded rebuild and expansion of the historic Bürgenstock Resort , towering above the west end of Lake Lucerne , Switzerland . Qatar Investment Authority is spending a lot of money in creating a health-oriented all-around destination , complete with a funicular to take guests from the private landing stage on the lake . New roads have already been built for those who prefer more standard transport . The original 1906 Palace will be one of the signature hotels , all complemented by a massive wellness spa , a 160-bedroom medical spa designed by Matteo Thun , extensive conference facilities and some 30 food and beverage outlets , most of which will be outsourced .
Qatar ’ s eclectic interests in the lodging sector are shown , at one extreme , by the 23-room Villa Honegg , 10 minutes from Bürgenstock , which was purchased in 2007 . This year-round , century-old boutique hotel is already re-opened , but is run separately from Bürgenstock . At the other extreme , Qatar has bought the massive 13,000- acre ( 5,261-hectare ) Smeralda Holding s . r . l . at Costa Smeralda in northeast Sardinia . Here the main hotels are open May to October only , though the 96-room Hotel Cervo and Conference Centre has been year-round since 2009 .
MARY GOSTELOW
Speculation continues on what Qatar will buy next . There are others purchasing , too . Verny Capital , Astana , Kazakhstan , owns The Ritz-Carlton , Moscow , on the strength of which it bought the former Erste Bank headquarters on Vienna ’ s Schubertring that was already redeveloped as a 207-room hotel . This has now just opened as The Ritz-Carlton , Vienna . The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co . President Hervé Humler must be hoping Verny Capital will find other historic buildings in Europe that can promise viable hotel conversion . They have funds . Verny Capital is headed by Bulat Utemuratov , close advisor to the president of Kazakhstan , and sold Kazakhstan ’ s ATF Bank , majority owned by Utemuratov , to Italy ’ s UniCredit for US $ 2.1 billion .
More recently , it sold its shares in Kazakhstan ’ s largest gold and zinc mines to Glencore .
Mark DeCocinis , executive vice president of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts , Hong Kong , oversees the whole world except China . Shangri-La now has three mainstream brands : the signature Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts , plus more affordable Traders Hotels and more edgy Kerry Hotels . Shangri-La also has two individual clubs for members , Aberdeen Marina Club in Hong Kong and the XiLi Golf and Country Club in the Nam Shan area of Shenzhen , China . DeCocinis only has four “ non-Shangri-La ” hotels in his area , including Traders Hotels in Abu Dhabi , Dubai , the Maldives and Qatar . Surely this will change once Shangri-La enters Africa , where it has signed a project in Accra , Ghana . The rapidly expanding business community throughout sub-Saharan Africa could be ideal for the Traders brand .
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
■ Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has appointed Jan Goessing area vice president ( New York and Boston ) and general manager , serving as general manager of Mandarin Oriental , New York , and overseeing operations at Mandarin Oriental , Boston .
■ Chutima Kaewta-Fortescue has been named general manager of the Eastin Hotel Makkasan Bangkok .
■ The St . Regis Aspen Resort has appointed Heather Steenge- Hart general manager .
■ Peter Nowotny has been named general manager of The Somerset on Grace Bay in Providenciales , Turks & Caicos .
■ The Inn at Pocono Manor in Pocono Manor , Pennsylvania , has named Lisa Green general manager .
■ Claude Baltes has been appointed general manager of Beyond Resort Krabi , Thailand .
■ Interstate Hotels & Resorts , Arlington , Virginia , has named Christopher Ivy executive vice president , development and acquisitions .
■ Tilman Fuchs has been named director , brand marketing , at Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts , Zurich .
■ Domingo Velasco has been appointed area director of marketing for Rosewood Tucker ’ s Point , Bermuda .
■ The Chedi Muscat , Oman , has appointed Sébastien Cassagnol executive chef .
■ Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa in Rio Grande , Puerto Rico , has appointed Ramon Carillo executive chef .
Goessing
Fuchs
Cassagnol
18 HOTELS October 2012 www . hotelsmag . com