Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group has appointed Simon Dell to the role of vice president and area general manager for Sri Lanka.

In his new role, Dell will oversee ONYX’s growing presence in Sri Lanka, and will be responsible for the operations of the three hotels managed by ONYX in Sri Lanka, including OZO Colombo, OZO Kandy, and Amari Galle, opening late 2016.

Prior to taking on this role, he held regional responsibility across Hong Kong and China as the vice president of operations for ONYX north Asia.

Having started his career in the front office, Dell has since held various management positions at well-known international hotels in the UK, Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Russia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

He has been with ONYX since 2008 and has held various positions within the group.

He first joined Amari Pattaya as the executive assistant manager, and was subsequently the pre-opening general manager for Amari Hua Hin, the first hotel to feature all the new Amari hallmarks following the brand’s relaunch in late 2009.

His expertise in hotel preopening and exposure to a broad range of international cultures will further support the long term expansion of ONYX in this growing market.

Commenting on the new role, Dell said: “The appeal of Sri Lanka as a travel destination for business and for leisure continues to rise and I look forward to the launch of the first Amari hotel and the third for ONYX Hospitality Group in this country.

“I am committed to establishing Amari Galle as the hotel of choice for travellers to this beautiful part of the island, and continuing the success of our two existing OZO hotels in Colombo and Kandy.”