IHG Owners Association names MEAA representative
Hospitality and tourism specialist Rodger Powell has been appointed as the Middle East, Africa and Asia (MEAA) representative of IHG Owners Association, joining its Global Board of Directors.
Powell brings four decades of experience as an owner, operator and executive-level manager of a range of hospitality and tourism businesses, and in 2005 established Tourism and Hospitality Services Australasia (THSA) to maximise the potential of tourism assets.
He joins experienced hotel industry executives including Navroz Saju as Chair and John Muehlbauer as CEO.
“Owners have had an incredibly challenging time over the past three years of travel disruption, and our goals at both the IHG Owners Association and THSA are to ensure that owners’ significant investments in the industry deliver market-leading returns,” Powell said.
“To be really successful, our industry must work in a collegiate fashion bringing owners, managers, tourism bodies and governments together to deliver the best possible results for the sector.
“I will be working with some of the world’s most respected hospitality experts on this new Board and look forward to making a contribution on behalf of the MEAA region.”
The MEAA region is one of the fastest-growing regions for IHG. Powell currently represents a range of IHG hotels across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, and represents the interest of hotel owners for other leading branded hotels.
Nesuto Docklands welcomes new General Manager
Daiwa Living Nesuto has announced Damon Lunardello as General Manager of the new Nesuto Docklands Apartment Hotel, which is due to open this month.
Lunardello has worked in hospitality and sales roles for over 25 years, with management experience across accommodation, food and beverage, gaming and sales. He has also previously worked in real estate as a business broker specialising in hotel leaseholds and freeholds.
“I’m very excited to be part of the Nesuto Hotels team to launch the group’s first Victorian property, in my home state and a market I know well,” he said.
“Nesuto Docklands will be a flagship hotel for Nesuto, showcasing the latest and best of the Australasian brand, and we can’t wait to open the doors to guests.”
Lunardello has worked with local and international hotel brands including Radisson, Park Plaza International, Bayview International, Quest Apartment Hotels, and TFE Hotels, where he was awarded ‘Best in People Development’ and ‘Hotel Manager of the Year’ across more than 50 hotels.
Savills appoints Hotel Capital Markets MD
Savills Australia and New Zealand has appointed Mark Durran to the position of Managing Director, Hotel Capital Markets.
He will be responsible for the brokerage of major international hotel assets across Australasia.
“Hotels have always been core to the Savills brand, globally,” Durran said.
“I’m excited to be working alongside both the global and national hotels teams to strengthen that capability here in Australasia as the market opens up and owner and investor confidence grows around the incredible opportunities available in our market.”
Durran brings over two decades of experience having negotiated over 140 major hotel and resort transactions across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, worth in excess of AU$6 billion in combined value.
He has brokered five of the last seven major hotel transactions in Sydney’s CBD including the landmark sale of the Hilton Hotel Sydney ($530 million) to BPEA; Sir Stamford Circular Quay Sydney ($212.5 million) to JDH Capital; M Gallery Harbour Rocks Hotel Sydney ($39.415 million), Four Points by Sheraton Central Park Sydney ($146 million) and Primus Sydney (now Kimpton) ($131.5 million).
Durran previously held senior roles with JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group, Ramada/Renaissance Hotels, Radisson Hotel Group and KPMG.
“Mark’s experience leading some of the country’s most significant hotel deals, together with the deep owner and developer relationships within the Asia / Pacific region he has built and nurtured over decades in the industry will be an invaluable asset to the team as market momentum builds and transaction volumes across the sector begin increasing with travel now firmly back on the agenda,” said Savills Australia and New Zealand CEO, Paul Craig.