Steffen Opitz has been appointed as the new hotel manager for Kempinski Mall of the Emirates.
Opitz (pictured right) began his hospitality career with Kempinski Hotels 20 years ago and has since worked with the luxury brand in hotels across the world, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
“I’m delighted to join the team at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, a luxury, lifestyle and entertainment destination located at the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities,” he said.
“I’m excited to support the excellent team at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates and will be drawing upon my extensive F&B experience as we seek to further establish our signature restaurants – Olea, a Levantine dining destination, and Salero Tapas & Bodega – as must-visits on Dubai’s culinary map.”
Opitz began his career in 1998 at the Kempinski Hotel Adlon Berlin, Germany, located in his home city. From here, Steffen moved to work on the pre-opening of Kempinski Hotel Heiligendamm, Germany as Food & Beverage project manager, responsible for establishing eight new F&B venues.
His first role in the Middle East was at the Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi, managed by Kempinski, in 2004 as F&B assistant. He then moved to China with the Kempinski Hotel Dalian as restaurant manager.
In 2006, he returned to the UAE as deputy director Food & Beverage at Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, before returning to China to work for Kempinski Hotel Shenyang, where he was F&B manager during the 2008 Olympic Games.
Food and beverage manager roles followed at several prestigious hotels including Swissotel The Stamford Singapore and St. Regis Hotel Bangkok, before rejoining Kempinski Hotels in Asia as director of food & beverage at Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Centre in 2012.
Since then, Opitz has worked as executive assistant manager at The Stafford London by Kempinski and director of food & beverage at the historic Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul, Turkey, prior to returning to Dubai as hotel manager at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates.
