New regional director for Fairmont
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has appointed Kent Cooper as regional director, sales and marketing in the Middle East and Africa. Cooper will continue to be based in Dubai, where he has been director of sales and marketing for Fairmont’s flagship property, the Fairmont Dubai hotel.

The Hilton Burbank Airport sold for $125m
The Hilton Burbank Airport in Burbank, California has been sold for $125m (£66m). Strategic Hotel & Resorts, agreed to sell the 488-room property to Pyramid Hotel Opportunity Venture II LLC, for $256,000 per room (£135,000) last week.

Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts opens in Djerba
Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts is to open its first resort in Djerba, North Africa. The hotel, situated on an island off the south-east coast of Tunisia, will include a spa and fitness area and will offer 276 guest rooms.

Kowloon gets new luxury hotel
The Luxe Manor, a new luxury hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, is to open this autumn. The 14-floor, 159-room property has been designed by Aedas Interior’s designer David Buffery and is located in the Knutsford Terrace district of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Vietnam to open first luxury hotel in Hue
Celadon International Hotels, Vietnam’s first international hotel management group, has signed an agreement to manage a new luxury property in Hue, the ancient Vietnamese capital. The five-star Celadon Hotel Hue is due to open later this year, and will offer 271 rooms and conference facilities.

Il Mulino resturant brand opens in San Juan
The Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel will open an Il Mulino restaurant this September. The restaurant brand, which started in New York, has locations in five US cities as well as Tokyo at present.

Regent signs first property in United Arab Emirates
Regent Hotels has signed its first property in the United Arab Emirates. The Regent Dubai Canal Point is set for completion in 2010 and will feature 250 guestrooms, 255 service apartments and 105 residential apartments.

McDonald's presidentresigns
Fast-food chain McDonald's has lost its president and chief operating officer Mike Roberts in a shock resignation. No reason has been given for the resignation last week of Roberts, who is credited for the firm’s profit recovery. He has been replaced by Ralph Alvarez, the former president of McDonald's North America unit, with immediate effect. Alverez will have to maintain McDonald’s sales momentum as its restaurants have recently suffered their worst downturn since the early 1990s.

By Tom Vaughan

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