Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has expanded its management team in the Middle East & Africa and Asia regions, with the appointment of Marc Descrozaille to the position of vice president, operations, MEA, and the promotion of Gerard Hotelier to the role of vice president, operations, Asia.

Descrozaille joins Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts from Carlson Rezidor where he was area vice president for the firm’s Africa & Indian Ocean operations.

He has significant experience working in the Middle East, having also been employed as regional director, UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Oman for the hotel group.

He has also held key executive positions at several major hospitality companies including Hilton, Compass Group and London’s Claridge’s Hotel.

Originally from France, Descrozaille is a graduate of Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne where he received a degree in hotel and restaurant management.

“I would like to welcome Marc, who is a highly-experienced hospitality professional, to our team,” said Olivier Chavy, president, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

“Marc has significant regional and international expertise – a valued combination that will help take our operations in the MEA region to the next level.”
Meanwhile, Gerard Hotelier has been appointed vice president, operations, Asia.

A long-term and valued executive, Hotelier joined the company in 2003 as general manager of the Mövenpick Hotel & Casino Geneva and in 2010, was promoted to his present position as Vice President Operations Middle East, based in Dubai.

Hotelier boasts more than three decades of industry experience having worked in key roles for some of the world’s leading hospitality firms across four continents including Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Raised in France where he learned about the hospitality business from an early age, he went on to study at the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland where he obtained a degree in hotel management before launching his international career in Canada in 1978.

“Gerard is a passionate hotelier whose unrivalled experience and enthusiasm for the industry have been instrumental in driving our success in the Middle East,” said Chavy.

“I have every confidence he will help us realise our ambitions in Asia, which is shaping up as one of our most important global markets.”

In their new roles, Descrozaille and Hotelier will oversee Mövenpick’s hotel operations in their respective regions, supporting new openings and rebrands, while guiding their teams in meeting commercial, financial and service quality targets.

They will also provide leadership and support to the company’s team of general managers working at current and upcoming properties in MEA and Asia.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is currently pursuing rapid expansion across the globe.

It currently operates 83 hotels and resorts, with plans to increase its portfolio to 125 properties by 2020.

The new appointments will support this accelerated growth plan, ensuring operations run flawlessly across the MEA and Asia regions where major developments are planned.