W Hotels, part of Marriott International, has announced the appointment of Haldon Philp as general manager of the highly anticipated W Brisbane.

Slated to open in early 2018, W Brisbane marks the re-entry of W Hotels into Australia, bringing a new interpretation of modern luxury to the city.

Haldon is an experienced hotelier, with over 22 years’ experience working for premium hotels, predominantly with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which merged with Marriott International in 2016.

Most recently, Haldon managed the successful opening of Sheraton Melbourne Hotel, leading the team to win various awards, including the title of Australasia’s Leading New Hotel at the World Travel Awards in 2014.

Prior to this, Haldon was the deputy general manager for The St. Regis Doha, where he led the opening of the 336 room hotel.

The property was awarded trophies for Middle East’s Leading New Hotel, Qatar’s Leading New Hotel and the World’s Leading New Hotel at the 2012 World Travel Awards.

Haldon joined The St. Regis Doha team from China, where he was hotel manager for The St. Regis Shanghai and managed all 350 associates to ensure the smooth operation of the 328 room hotel.