Rotana, a top hotel management company in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Türkiye (MENAT) region, is pleased to announce Philip Barnes as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) starting from March 1, 2024.
Commenting on the announcement, Selim El Zyr, Vice-Chairman of Rotana, mentioned, “We are proud to welcome Philip Barnes as the new CEO of Rotana. With a rich history of leadership and a deep understanding of the global hospitality landscape, Barnes is poised to elevate our brand delivery and levels of excellence. We eagerly anticipate his innovative direction and vision that will shape Rotana’s next chapter and build on our growing pipeline across key markets.”
After nearly 25 years with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Barnes has served in various senior leadership roles across the globe, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. His recent position was as Regional Vice President of Southern California from 2020 to 2022. Prior to that, he gained experience with renowned hospitality brands like Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Shangri La Hotels & Resorts, among others.
During his time in the Middle East, Barnes served as the Regional Vice President for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in the United Arab Emirates from 2009 to 2011. In this capacity, he managed operations for Fairmont Palm Dubai, Fairmont Bab al Bahr Abu Dhabi, Fairmont Ajman, Fairmont Fujairah, and the pre-opening of Fairmont Abu Dhabi. Before that, he was the Vice President for the Middle East from 2007 to 2009, where he supervised developments and upcoming openings in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Oman.
Barnes added, “I am privileged to join Rotana – a homegrown brand synonymous with providing guests with the highest service levels across the region. I look forward to working closely with the wider team to grow Rotana’s legacy and firmly position it as one of the leading hospitality players in the region. Together, we will embark on a journey to redefine hospitality, creating Treasured Time for our guests and setting new benchmarks for the industry.”
Rotana currently has a portfolio of 19,602 keys and six exceptional brands. This includes 10,159 keys spread across 36 hotels in the UAE and 2,183 keys across eight hotels in Saudi Arabia.
