Tourism & Hospitality | Wednesday 22 April, 2015 4:10 pm |

Le Méridien Abu Dhabi - owned by Abu Dhabi National Hotels - is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Stuart Birkwood to the position of General Manager. Stuart will be responsible to operate this iconic hotel alongside his dynamic team to continue delivering the best possible guest experiences.
With over 2 decades of valuable hospitality experience across Poland, Finland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Stuart Birkwood started his career 24 years ago in the UK.
He is joining Le Méridien Abu Dhabi from the Hotels & Entertainment Division of the Fawaz Alhokair Group where as CEO, he was responsible for developing and leading hotel & entertainment projects KSA. Previously, Stuart was in the position of General Manager at Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers. He gained fabulous experience whilst driving guest satisfaction, increasing overall hotel profitability and developing a strong team of hospitality individuals. Prior to the 7 years spent in Saudi Arabia Stuart held various executive positions in Europe within Starwood including “Team Leader for EAME Profit Improvement Engagement”, “Director of Six Sigma” Central London Hotels and “Executive Assistant Manager” at the famed Sheraton Skyline London, Heathrow.
“I am thrilled to join Le Méridien Abu Dhabi hotel. It’s a property that has huge history and character. I look forward to being a part of a team that has proven success behind them and we will continue together on that path going forward. Abu Dhabi is a fascinating location with an exciting hospitality market that I am looking forward to embracing with my family. Being a GM committed to social media it’s exhilarating to see such a vibrant social media scene here in Abu Dhabi. Working alongside the already market-leading team at Le Méridien I’m sure we can take social media to another level “said Stuart.
“After 7 wonderful years in Riyadh my wife Claire and two boys – Josh and Zach – are pleased to have a new and stimulating city to explore and to become a part of both the local and expat community. My eldest son Josh and I started Biathlons and Triathlons in Riyadh so we look forward to competing against Abu Dhabi’s finest soon!”
Le Méridien Abu Dhabi was inaugurated over 35 years ago by H.H Sheikh Zayed and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, a landmark that has evolved with the bustling metropolis.
Cuisine is the centrepiece of Le Méridien Abu Dhabi experience, with the unique ‘village’ setting being home to 13 Food & Beverage outlets. Le Méridien has also developed a reputation as a cultural hub in a metropolis that is home to residents of many nationalities and cultures, with well-known food festivals and National Days regularly celebrated at the resort.

About Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts
Le Méridien , the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by nearly 100 properties in more than 35 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005. With more than 75 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien provided a strong international complement to Starwood’s then primarily North American holdings at the time of purchase. Since then, Le Méridien has gone through a brand re-launch, which included a large scale hotels product consolidation and redefined brand strategy. Through partnerships with some of the world’s most creative minds, Le Méridien has transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique, interactive and curated experiences to its guests. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien Hotels and Resorts within the next five years, concentrating on markets in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Columbus (Ohio, USA), Charlotte (North Carolina, USA), Indianapolis (Indiana, USA), New Orleans, Chicago, Tampa (Florida, USA), Cairo, Bahrain, Bali, Atlanta, Oran (Algeria), and Zhengzhou (China), and will open in the next 12 months in Bangkok, Gurgaon (India), Mahabaleshwar (India), Thimphu (Bhutan), Paro (Bhutan), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Qingdao (China), Leshan (China), and Putrajaya (Malaysia). For more information, please visit www.leméridien .com or www.facebook.com/leMéridien . Follow @LeMéridien Hotels on Instagram and Twitter.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in some 100 countries and over 180,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About Abu Dhabi National Hotels PJSC
Founded over 30 years ago, Abu Dhabi National Hotels is a publicly listed company which owns, broad-based hotel, retail, transport, and catering group.
Today, ADNH’s operations cover the ownership and representation of 5-star hotels in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai, such as Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort and Towers, Le Meridien Abu Dhabi, Hilton Al Ain, Sofitel Jumeirah Beach Resort, in addition to the Al Diar Hotels division, which has ten executive hotels. ADNH in partnership with major Abu Dhabi institutions also has investment interests in hotels and resorts overseas.
In January 2001, ADNH created a joint venture with Compass Group, the UK based catering group for its catering interests. Compass Group is the world’s largest catering and services company, operating in over 94 countries.
In addition, ADNH also owns and manages Al Ghazal Transport and Sunshine Travel & Tours. The Government of Abu Dhabi, is a major shareholder of the capital while the rest is held by various UAE Institutions and Nationals.

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