Citymax Hotels appoints new COO, outlines expansion plans
Citymax Hotels, a part of the hospitality division of Landmark Group, has appointed Aly Shariff as chief operating officer.
Shariff, who has nearly 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, will be responsible for operations and development of the Citymax Hotel brand.
Prior to joining Citymax Hotels, Shariff spent 17 years at Whitbread plc, the UK’s largest hospitality company, including more than a decade developing and operating their Premier Inn brand in India and South East Asia.
Shariff has been mandated to cement Citymax Hotels as the leading mid-market hotel brand within the region. Citymax Hotels is set to grow from its current portfolio of four hotels and 1,384 keys to eight hotels and 2,333 keys. The last quarter of 2018 will see the opening of hotels in Ras Al Khaimah and two hotels in Dubai at Business Bay and Al Barsha.
With the opening of the new properties, Citymax Hotels is introducing its refreshed, vibrant and contemporary brand identity with new bedroom design, new food and beverage concepts and a fresh and bright logo. Citymax Hotels is also re-launching its website to match, bringing a much easier and intuitive feel to its online channel.
Citymax Hotels are the pioneers of the mid-market segment in the region – the new identity is set to redefine the segment by carving out a unique position of being guest-centric, market-appropriate, as well as adaptive to each location.
Known for providing guests with a fun and contemporary experience, the new product offering is in keeping with its personality, which is energetic and simple.
“We are thrilled about launching our new brand identity and product. We are confident that this will certainly enhance our guests’ experience. Our team are all genuinely excited about the evolution of the brand and our product and I am certain that their pride will continue to reflect in the outstanding service that they provide our guests.” said Shariff.
Plans for a second hotel in Egypt are also at an advanced stage after the launch of Citymax Aswan in late-2017 - their first managed hotel and first hotel outside of the UAE. Their second property, also a managed hotel, will be in Alexandria and is expected to be operational in 2019. According to Shariff, Citymax is in the process of defining itself not only as a strong local brand but as a genuine regional operator. - TradeArabia News Service