Fairmont appoints vice-president of its spas - and other international hotel news

Fairmont appoints vice-president of its spas
Fairmont Raffles Hotels International has appointed Anne McCall Wilson to the role of vice-president of its spas. McCall Wilson, who takes on the role with immediate effect, will be responsible for all Willow Stream, Amrita, unbranded and new spas across all four of the company’s brands including Fairmont, Raffles, Swissôtel and Delta. She has been working with Fairmont since 1992 when she joined the company as regional sales and marketing director at Fairmont Royal York. She has held a number of senior roles within the company with her most recent position being general manager of spas.

Holiday Inn Nashville under new management
Driftwood Hospitality Management and the Carlyle Group have acquired the 206-room Holiday Inn Express in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The hotel, which recently underwent a $1.6m (£800,000) revamp, is located in close proximity to the city’s airport. It includes a fitness centre and outdoor swimming pool as well as a business centre with four conference rooms totalling 2,421sq ft. The hotel’s new general manager is Chris Hannahan.

InterContinental to open in Maldives
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to make a market entry into Maldives through the Holiday Inn Male. The property, which will begin construction in the second quarter of this year, is scheduled to open in late 2008. IHG, which will be managing the hotel as a non-equity partner, has teamed up with partners from Male Hotel Associates Sourcing. According to the Maldive Tourism Promotion Board, the archipelago is experiencing a development boom with 35 new islands released for tourism at an estimated budget of US$600m (£290m).

Iberostar upgrades its flagship hotel
Spanish hotel group Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has upgraded its flagship Spanish hotel, Iberostar Grand Hotel Anthelia in Tenerife, to a five-star property, following a €7m (£4.7m) revamp.  The hotel, which will reopen in April, will mark the company’s first five-star property in Spain. Following the revamp, the hotel also launches a new butler service for guests staying in the suites, offering them a dedicated butler.  It will also have a water spa with a thermal activity pool including jacuzzis, fountains and underwater shoots.  Iberostar has 36 four-star Spanish hotels including four properties in Tenerife. It has 98 hotels currently in operation worldwide and will celebrate the opening of its 100th hotel in May with the Iberostar Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.