Marriott International has appointed Stuart Birkwood as cluster general manager for its upcoming properties in Dubai – Aloft Me’aisem, Element Me’aisem, and Aloft Dubai South.
Aloft Me’aisem is due to open at the end of the year; Element Me’aisem will mark the debut of the Element brand in the Middle East while the 145-room Aloft Dubai South is expected in the first half of 2018.
Birkwood said: “We are excited to introduce the Aloft and Element experiences to Dubai which are evolving the hospitality industry by delivering a modern, urban-style experience at an affordable price.
“I very much look forward to working alongside a wonderful team to successfully open and operate the three properties.”
Birkwood has more than 25 years of hospitality experience from across the UAE, Poland, Finland, UK and Saudi Arabia. He started his career with Hilton in the UK in 1991 before joining Marriott International in 1994 and has since worked in properties including the Sheraton Skyline Hotel & Conference Centre, Sheraton Warsaw Hotel & Towers and Hotel Kamp.
Birkwood accepted his first general manager role at the Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers in 2008 and achieved the position of the #1 hotel on TripAdvisor for Riyadh in 2012. He became CEO of Riyadh based FAS Hotels Company and then relocated to the UAE in 2015 as general manager at Le Meridien Abu Dhabi.
