60 SECONDS WITH NICOLAS VILLEMIN, PREFERRED HOTELS & RESORTS

Preferred Hotels & Resorts have recently appointed Nicolas Villemin as regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. Hospitality News ME had the opportunity to chat with him about the chain’s upcoming development strategy and future openings.

What new projects and developments will you bring to Preferred Hotels?

In my new position as regional director, I will work to expand the brand’s Middle Eastern and North African portfolio in burgeoning markets such as Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, the U.N. World Tourism Organisation Barometer reported a 13 percent increase in North African tourist arrivals and a five percent rise for the Middle East, and we intend to take advantage of this spike in visitor numbers by providing our loyal guests and ‘I Prefer’ members with a wider selection of independent hotels in these emerging destinations. This year, we have also focused on enhancing the Preferred Residences Collection, a curated global portfolio of luxury villas, apartments and other residential style units, and this will continue to be part of my expansion blueprint. As well as focusing on expansion, I will continue to prioritize our existing hotel members’ needs to ensure that we are delivering strong results for them.