The group has has appointed Hakan Gencer as the hotel manager of its upcoming properties in Kuwait.
Swiss-Belhotel Bneid Al Gar is scheduled to open in Q4 2018 and Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq is scheduled to open in Q3 2019 and Gencer will be responsible to establish the pre-opening office for Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar.
Making the announcement, Laurent A. Voivenel, Swiss-Belhotel International’s senior vice president, operations and development for the Middle East, Africa and India, said, “Hakan is an experienced and dynamic hospitality professional with extensive operations expertise in managing luxury resorts and city hotels. He has been with our group since 2016 as the general manager for Grand Swiss-Belhotel Celik Palas Thermal Spa and we are confident under his leadership Swiss-Belhotel Bneid Al Gar will achieve the highest level of performance and guest satisfaction. In addition, Hakan will also oversee the build-up of Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq, our second property in Kuwait.”
Gencer brings with him over two and a half decades of experience in the hospitality industry working in Turkey and London in various capacities. Prior to joining Swiss-Belhotel International group, Gencer was the complex director of food and beverage at two business hotels in Bursa, Turkey.
Gencer commented: “I am delighted to lead the team at this superb hotel and really grateful to Swiss-Belhotel International for having given me the opportunity to continue with the group. It is truly exciting to take up this challenge and be entrusted with the responsibility to open the brand’s first hotel in Kuwait.”
The steady growth of tourism in Kuwait, with a vision to welcome 440,000 visitors annually by 2024 is fuelling demand for quality hotels. Swiss-Belhotel Bneid Al Gar will be a comfortable address for both business and leisure. The facilities at the hotel include two restaurants, a lobby café, spa, health club and swimming pool.
The second property, Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq will serve as a base for corporate travellers being strategically located in the business district near Souq Sharq. It will offer guests a choice of one and two bedroom hotel apartments with fully-equipped kitchen facilities. The hotel will also feature an all-day-dining restaurant, a deli corner in the lobby, kids club and a swimming pool.
Kuwait is pressing ahead with multiple plans to boost tourism that will see billions of dollars being invested in projects such as the expansion of Kuwait International Airport, reaching 25 million passenger capacity annually by 2025.
According to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism investment in Kuwait is set to rise at 1.5% per annum over the next ten years to KWD135.6 million in 2027. Performance is forecast for strong recovery in 2018 with continued growth until 2026, reaching values of KWD501.3 million.
