WHAT ’ S HOT
PEOPLE
FROM CONTINUAL NEWSMAKER STERNLICHT TO NEW NAMES IN THE HEADLINES SUCH AS CHENG , AL MULLA AND RAUTIO , HERE ARE 13 PEOPLE TO WATCH .
By Jeff Weinstein , editor in chief
HAMAD ABDULLA AL MULLA
CEO , KATARA HOSPITALITY , DOHA , QATAR
WHAT MAKES HIM HOT : The new company formerly known at Qatar National Hotels is one of the most acquisitive entities in the world right now , snapping up trophy assets including Raffles Hotel Singapore , Schweizerhof Hotel Bern and Le Royal Monceau , Raffles Paris . It is also rumored in deals ranging from the Aman portfolio to four iconic Starwood Capital assets in France .
WHAT HE IS WORKING ON NOW : A lot ! The biggest project is the soon-to-be iconic Twin Towers in Doha ’ s Marina district of Lusail . He is also behind the Peninsula in Paris , which is supposed to open in 2013 , as well as a boutique project in Paris .
In fact , Katara loves redeveloping historic assets around the world . In Switzerland , it is developing two historic hotels to be operated under the umbrella of Bürgenstock collection . The Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne , located 1,640 ft ( 500 m ) above Lake Lucerne , will reopen in 2015 . At the same time , it is redeveloping Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne , overlooking Lac Lèman .
In Milan , Katara is renovating the former Excelsior Gallia Hotel Milan . And in Morocco , it is converting a former royal residence into a 5-star Tazi Palace Hotel set for 2015 .
Last but not least , 2015 will mark the opening of the first internationally branded property in the paradise islands of Comoros .
BARRY STERNLICHT
CHAIRMAN AND CEO , STARWOOD CAPITAL GROUP , GREENWICH , CONNECTICUT
WHAT MAKES HIM HOT : When hasn ’ t Sternlicht been a hot ticket in the hotel business ? He has his hands in multiple pies and has big plans for his Baccarat and 1 brands . Since its inception in 1991 , SCG has raised US $ 14 billion of equity capital , and through its various funds has invested US $ 12 billion representing more than US $ 32 billion in assets .
WHAT HE IS WORKING ON NOW : Sternlicht finally has some traction with his mixed-use Baccarat and eco-upscale 1 brands with announced projects in New York City . He says he wants to expand Baccarat to markets such as Morocco , China and Dubai , among others . Sternlicht is also dabbling into U . S . -based portfolio plays such as an 11-hotel midmarket portfolio acquired in May from First Hospitality Group , Rosemont , Illinois . If that is not enough , SCG is investing to further develop the lifestyle Postcard Inn brand . The funky , colorful retro brand could grow to as many as 20 to 30 hotels via portfolio acquisition or one-off distressed resort acquisitions in markets from New Jersey to Hawaii .
WHAT ’ S NEXT : He has flirted with selling off his Concorde hotel as part of his Paris-based Louvre Hotel Group and is part of a joint venture that is planning a rebranding of the short-lived , mixed-use Gansevoort in South Miami Beach . Need more ? Sternlicht has engaged a firm to sell a minority stake in his company and is investing in newBrandAnalytics , a provider of social media business intelligence .
22 HOTELS October 2012 www . hotelsmag . com