Karen Merrick has been appointed as the new general manager of multi award-winning JA Manafaru, the private island resort in the Maldives. Karen’s career spans 30 years across a variety of boutique hotels in the Indian Ocean and Europe. This will be her fifth leadership role in the Maldives.

Reef Clubhouse Bahrain announces two key hires ahead of its grand debut this month. British-Lebanese Antoine Assaad joins as the operations manager, with 26 years of experience in the UK, GCC, Panama and Lebanon. A strong leader and a skilled strategist, Assaad has a reputation for building and retaining highly motivated teams. Cynthia Narvaez Delena, with 16 years of marketing and communications experience, joins as the marketing manager. She has held key marketing and cluster marketing position with leading companies in Bahrain and hotel chains worldwide. Her main speciality in pre-opening of restaurants and hotels has won her several awards in Bahrain.

The H Hospitality Collection, a UAE based hospitality management company, has appointed Ute Saltenberger, a German national, as corporate human resources director. Prior to this position, Ute was regional HR manager for the Middle East for Radisson Hotel Group. She has over 20 years of experience.

InterContinental Hotels at Dubai Festival City announces the latest promotions and appointment across its hotels in the UAE. Sayed Tayoun has been promoted to hotel manager at Holiday Inn Dubai Festival City. Tayoun has been part of IHG for nearly 15 years across nine properties. Michael Borges has been appointed as area director of sales & marketing for InterContinental Hotels at Dubai Festival City. Borges has more than 19 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Juliana Khalife has been promoted as cluster director of sales for InterContinental Hotels Group at Dubai Festival City. Khalife’s journey with IHG Dubai Festival City started back in 2007.

Reef Clubhouse Bahrain announces two key hires ahead of its grand debut this month. British-Lebanese Antoine Assaad joins as the operations manager, with 26 years of experience in the UK, GCC, Panama and Lebanon. A strong leader and a skilled strategist, Assaad has a reputation for building and retaining highly motivated teams. Cynthia Narvaez Delena, with 16 years of marketing and communications experience, joins as the marketing manager. She has held key marketing and cluster marketing position with leading companies in Bahrain and hotel chains worldwide. Her main speciality in pre-opening of restaurants and hotels has won her several awards in Bahrain.

Amwaj Rotana has appointed Kozhaya Tannous, a 20-year industry veteran as the new executive assistant manager. Tannous started his career with Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi in 2008 as the assistant director of catering and events. In 2012, he was promoted to director of F&B at Towers Rotana, Dubai.

Swissôtel Al Ghurair has appointed Tunde Nagy, a 15-year industry veteran as director of sales and marketing. She joins Swissôtel Al Ghurair from the Dubai Commercial Cluster of Jumeirah Group where she held several roles from 2015 to 2019, most recently in the capacity of market director of sales.

Thomas Weber, an industry veteran, has been appointed as the new general manager of Dusit Thani Maldives. Prior to this, the Swiss national held the position of regional general manager Maldives for the five-star Diamonds Thudufushi Resort and Athuruga Resort, both under the Planhotel Hospitality Group.