Nestled on the trunk of Palm Jumeirah and overlooking Palm West Beach, the highly anticipated Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah has revealed its pre-opening Executive Team ahead of the hotel’s expected to launch in Q3 of 2022.
The selected Executive Team have both extensive knowledge and international experience in the hospitality industry.
Spearheading the opening of the new Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Dubai is seasoned hotelier Andreas Searty, Managing Director. Andreas, who brings over 35 years of international and regional experience in the hospitality industry, has been instrumental in driving his team to ensure the most effective pre-opening plans for the hotel.
Commenting on the up-and-coming launch, Andreas shared, “The awaited Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah will be an iconic property with its enviable beachfront location and ample lifestyle and business offerings. Together with our experienced Executive Team, I am extremely excited to launch this impressive property which will be a unique addition to the vibrant Palm West Beach destination”.
A dedicated and driven leader, Andreas, who speaks fluent English, Arabic and German, was most recently overseeing Hilton Dubai Jumeirah and Hilton Dubai The Walk where he won Hilton EMEA General Manager of the Year in 2020. He created and implemented several hotel initiatives that led to the cluster is one of the most profitable in the region.
Joining Andreas will be a team of experts in their field with extensive experience across multiple continents, including;
Cluster Commercial Director Amarinder Sadana, who has joined Hilton’s corporate office in Asia Pacific, brings over 19 years of international experience from both on-property and regional positions. Having worked across several countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India, Amarinder has a strong eye for understanding market trends and driving successful strategies in various countries. Overlooking the entire commercial function from sales, revenue, reservations, events and marketing, Amarinder will drive the commercial strategy for both rooms and food and beverage to ensure a quick and impactful ramp up of the hotel.
Ensuring the smooth running of all operations and focusing on delivering exceptional guest service at Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah is Shadi Refai, who joins as the Director of Operations. Most recently leading the operations for the launch of Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas in Qatar, Shadi comes with extensive hospitality experience in the region. He has worked on several pre-opening concepts, working across different properties in Asia and the GCC region.
Working in tandem to introduce and lead the culinary concepts at the new property are Executive Chef, Kasdi Dahari and Director of Food & Beverage, Marina Bohnert. Together, they will oversee all ten dining concepts and implement world-class food and beverage offerings for guests.
Chef Kasdi, with over 27 years of experience, led senior culinary positions in Brunei, Malaysia, Bali, Norway and Doha before becoming an integral part of Hilton in the UAE in 2019. With many accomplishments under his belt, he has cooked for many VIPs, including royalty.
Brimming with 15 years of F&B experience in the region, Marina’s most recent role on a resort property on the Palm Jumeriah gave her a deep insight and expertise in customer trends and expectations. In her new role, Marina will be launching and looking after the hotels exciting new dining outlets, developing the restaurant concepts, curating menus, and enhancing overall dining experiences for guests and visitors alike.
Madina Mohamed Osman is the hotel’s Cluster Director of Finance. She has been with Hilton in the United Arab Emirates for over 38 years where she has established herself as a strong and trusted leader. She is a highly respected advocate for women in hospitality and has supported and mentored many of them to thrive and grow within the industry. Regarded for her expertise in business planning, Madina will oversee the financial forecasting, implementation, and cost control activities for the property.
Cluster Director of Marketing and Communications, Marine Fabbricino, will be implementing the hotel’s marketing and public relations launch strategy. Marine, a shining star in her field, has been with Hilton since the beginning of her career, working in distinct roles both on-property and within corporate hospitality. Marine who has extensive knowledge of the brand has executed global, regional, and local marketing campaigns across offline and digital channels for over 168 hotels in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In her new role, Marine will be driving the marketing and public relations strategy for the opening of the property and its vast portfolio of restaurants.
Listed second in the Middle East’s Top 50 Power Leaders 2020 is Cluster Director of Human Resources, Feryal Haddon. Known for her open-door policy, over the past 24 years in the hospitality industry Feryal has empowered many colleagues to thrive in their professional and personal lives. A certified life coach and head of Women in Leadership training within the cluster, Feryal is responsible for talent acquisition, employee engagement and relations, training and development, rewards and recognition, and performance management amongst other various HR activities.
Cluster Commercial Director, Amarinder Sadana; Cluster Director of Finance, Madina Mohamed Osman; Cluster Director of Human Resources, Feryal Haddon; and Cluster Director of Marketing and Communications, Marine Fabbricino, will also oversee and manage Hilton Dubai Jumeirah and Hilton Dubai the Walk hotels.
Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeriah, a 608-room upscale property, promises to be a perfect holiday, business and staycation destination. The soon-to-launch property will offer contemporary rooms, ten distinct culinary outlets with exceptional menus and experiences, an exclusive private stretch of the Palm West Beach along with state-of-the-art facilities including the award-wining eforea Spa, meeting and events spaces, and a dedicated kids’ club.
