Wharf Hotels has announced the appointment of Mr Thomas Salg as President.  He previously served as Vice President Operations of the hotel management company for four years, and succeeds Dr Jennifer Cronin who returned to Australia after more than six years in the position.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Salg said, “I am extremely honoured to have worked alongside Dr Cronin where her commercial acumen defined a clear strategy for Marco Polo Hotels and Niccolo Hotels, and guided the hotels through an especially challenging few years.  Like many businesses that have navigated the pandemic, we have identified opportunities to reimagine our products and spaces to better accommodate the shift in work and social lifestyles.”

Mr Salg’s focus areas include pursuing the group’s growth through extending the Niccolo brand to new destinations.  He will also steer the refresh of Marco Polo Hotels – that has grown to encompass eleven hotels in Hong Kong, mainland China and the Philippines – to ensure the brand and its value-adds reflect the current marketplace, while addressing current and new audiences, as well as owner-relations.

In parallel, and with his in-depth understanding of operations, Mr Salg will optimise operational and service efficiencies with continued investment in technology, as well as enhance guest offerings and touchpoints to ensure healthy financial performances and deliver sustainable group growth.

Building on Wharf Hotels’ affiliation and accomplishments with Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), who operates GHA DISCOVERY – a loyalty programme for independent hotel brands such as Marco Polo Hotels and Niccolo Hotels – Mr Salg intends to capitalise on the long-term relationship to acquire additional customer centric and profitable business streams, following the programme’s recent revamp for its 11 million members.

As talent retention and recruitment have become a critical issue globally for the hotel and tourism industry sector, Mr Salg, together with the newly appointed Vice President Human Resources, will refresh the group’s learning and development activities for the digital environment.

Mr Salg joined Marco Polo Hotels in 2013 and subsequently became General Manager of the three Marco Polo hotels in Hong Kong.  In late 2017, he assumed the role of Vice President Operations at Wharf Hotels, and has since spearheaded a review of foundational brand standards and standard operating procedures to future proof the hotels for the expected travel rebound in 2022 and 2023.