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A Fairmont Managed Hotel , which reopened in May after nine months of renovation to what was South Africa ’ s celebrated Cape Grace hotel , situated on the V & A Waterfront and synonymous with the city .
Later this year features openings of Fairmont Breakers Long Beach , a restoration of
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the landmark Breakers Hotels , and the 600-room Fairmont Mumbai , which will be the brand ’ s second hotel in the country .
A pipeline of 34 hotels includes openings in Prague , Tokyo and a resort on Spain ’ s Costa del Sol . Recent signings include New Orleans and
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The Savoy Suite at The Savoy with a view of the London Eye .
Dubai — the “ right places ” as Acar put it .
STRUCTURED FOR SUCCESS Acar was undeniably the right choice by Accor Chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin to lead both storied brands . First announced in mid-2020 ,
The Fairmont Peace Hotel along the Bund in Shanghai was originally built by Sir Victor Sassoon of the noted Sassoon family .
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Accor began to restructure its organization , a sensible move based on the numerous brands and regions Accor operates in . Its decision to spin out a Luxury and Lifestyle division and a Premium , Midscale and Economy division and attaching different leaders to helm specific brands and regions has , in Acar ’ s opinion , paid off . Acar started with Raffles and Orient Express under his purview before taking on Fairmont in lieu of Orient Express in January 2024 . Now he leads two legacy brands , each more than a century old .
In Acar ’ s estimation , the organizational reshuffle was imperative and necessary for future success . “ It was absolutely critical in shoring up our ability to give dedicated attention to each brand ,” he said , while calling Bazin a visionary and attributing Fairmont ’ s robust pipeline to the organizational changes .
In a short time , Acar has asserted himself at Accor with aplomb , the result of years of work experience in the luxury hotel segment . His career , like many , started at the lower echelons of operations , but always within the luxury space , which rubbed off on him and , thus far , has informed his attitude and service drive . A hospitality education in Switzerland led him to his first job at the famed Hotel Halekulani , as an assistant restaurant manager , a hotel and position that he credits to this day in shaping his hostelry mentality . “ There , I learned
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September 2024 hotelsmag . com 61 |