Antonio Saponara, who is an experienced luxury hospitality management professional, and master of resort operations is now the captain at the wheel of Patina Maldives. 

After having celebrated their first anniversary, Patina Maldives confirmed the appointment of Antonio as their new general manager. Having managed multiple hotels for big brands such as Aman, Jumeirah, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts and Ritz-Carlton, Antonio will be using his reliable experience, vision, and guaranteed mastery of hotel operations to shape Patina Maldives forwards. 

Antonio Saponara has stated that, “It is a tremendous privilege to have been entrusted with the stewardship of one of the most inspiring, forward-thinking pioneers of next-gen Maldives hospitality; I am excited to bring fresh impetus as Patina Maldives embraces the next stage of its perpetual journey to positively impact people and place.”

Antonio first started in food and beverage operations, and then moved to Thailand for executive assistant manager of Aman flagship Amanpuri, Phuket, where he oversaw operations and launched a new restaurant in partnership with a 2 Michelin star chef, before becoming the hotel manager in 2008. Antonio then went on to become the general manager of The Surin Phuket, where he renovated the resort with the famous architect Ed Tuttle and relaunched it with a complete rebranding and repositioning exercise. 

After spending his time in Thailand, Antonio went on to China’s Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong and later became the opening general manager of the Bulgari Hotel Beijing. Before joining Capella Hotel Group, Antonio was the pre-opening general manager of Bulgari Hotel & Residences Moscow, which is set to open its doors in December 2022.

Antonio Saponara appointed as the new general manager of Patina Maldives, Fari Islands

Mohamed Shuhail is appointed as the Director of Human Resources in the new and upcoming island resort of Brennia Kottefaru in Raa Atoll, Maldives. Holding a bachelor’s degree from University of Sunderland in International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Shuhail has held significant posts before joining the Brennia Family.

Always with a passion for the Tourism industry but due to stipulations Shuhail earlier served at the National Services of the Maldives, reflecting on his earlier days he shares “Just after school, I joined Hotel School to build my career in this field. But because of my height, I was forced to join MNDF since there was a mandatory bond to serve the government. So, I had to leave Hotel school. But after I completed 21 years in the National Service, I thought again of joining this field, because I always had the interest to work in the hospitality industry”.

One may recall Shuhail for delivering numerous nostalgic tunes while his tenure at the Maldives National Services, Shuhail is a true artist who has made the best out of many situations, when asked about his greatest personal success, Shuhail responded saying,” My greatest personal success I would say is being able to use the experience and training that I gained during my time in the National Service in this industry. Even during my studies, I learned that it is not only the qualification but experience that allows us to apply what we study. Within a short period of time, since I entered the industry, I have achieved the milestone in my carrier and have been holding the highest position in HR throughout my career”.

As an eminent Human Resources personnel, he shared his view about the local talents working in senior roles in the Tourism Industry, “If we look at Brennia itself, 8 out of the 10 senior management positions are Maldivians. We have well-educated and experienced locals in the country waiting for an opportunity in the tourism industry. Some of the leading establishments in the industry are now opening this opportunity. This trend of appointing locals to the senior positions is growing very fast among many resorts that I know”. Furthermore, he added about Brennia Kottefaru “We have almost all the facilities that someone will look forward to when joining a resort. On top of that, we are upgrading our staff gym facilities and will be starting on the staff futsal ground shortly. With this new futsal ground, we will also have a new staff recreational hall with a lot of games and a bar that our staff can enjoy”.

Concluding he also highlighted his advice to the younger generation looking forward to working in the Maldives Tourism Industry “I will advise them to join resorts that have predominantly local management like Brennia Kottefaru. My experience is that in resorts where Senior Team that includes more locals creates aspirations for the young and role model for younger locals. Even now, we are looking for young, energetic, and trained local staff to give them a touch of Brennia that they will always cherish in their whole hospitality career. We have started to build a strong local team that can start a new chapter in this industry. We also encourage more female to join Brennia to create an environment where female empowerment is as equal as males. Brennia Kottefaru is going to be the best choice for locals in the coming future. By looking at the experience, we have set our future goals for increasing locals working in the resort and have already started working towards achieving this goal. We will never look back, Insha Allah”.

Mohamed Shuhail appointed as the human resources director at Brennia Kottefaru

Villa Group has appointed Mr. Hassan Shamaam as the Group Director of Learning and Development at Villa Group to lead learning and development actions and design training programs that align with the Group’s vision and value. 

Shamaam’s new duties will be to carry out fully united learning and development actions by creating and applying high-impact training programs that will help Villa Group to develop and recruit team members. He will also be leading the merging of the Learning Management System (LMS) within all the functions of Villa and play an essential role in the transformation process concerning the Blue Ocean Project and beyond. 

Furthermore, Shamaam will be evaluating and performing new learning and development standards, all the while driving the quality of learning and aligning across all of Villa Resorts. He will also collaborate with several stakeholders from Villa’s business units, come up with programmatically concerning business needs, and L&D solutions with a spirited and forward-thinking approach. 

Shamaam has over 10 years of experience in human resources management and prospers on delivering carefully executed guidance, training, and development. He has expanded his experience by working at big-name international chains operating in the Maldives, apart from his extensive department and leadership expertise. 

Finally, Mr. Hassan Shamaam has achieved ‘Talent Champion of Marriott International, Maldives region’, during his time at JW Marriott Maldives. His recent addition to the Villa family coincides with their mission, which is to enhance talented Maldivian locals who positively impact the group and Maldivian society. 

Mr. Hassan Shamaam appointed as Villa Group director of learning and development

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa has announced Mouner Abou Alnour as the assistant director of e-commerce, and Elizabeth Dass-Brown as the cluster director of marketing communications.

Both the appointments started their roles in August 2022, and are based in Bangkok, Thailand. Mouner is responsible for managing digital marketing activities for Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, Park Hyatt Siem Reap and Hyatt Regency Phuket. However, Elizabeth is responsible for managing Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa and Park Hyatt Siem Reap. 

Elizabeth, who is from Malaysia, has previously worked in various leadership roles at five-star hotels and resorts spanning a hospitality career of more than 20 years. She has worked in luxury properties under the E&O Brand, HPL Singapore, Minor Hotels, Marriott Hotels Luxury Collection, and most recently as the group director of marketing and communications for SALA Hospitality Group. 

On the other hand, Mouner is a Syrian-born digital marketer who achieved a bachelor’s degree in information technology engineering from Damascus University, Syria, in 2010. He also achieved a professional degree in digital marketing hospitality and pricing strategy from Cornell University, United Stated, in 2018. 

Following the completion of his studies, he started his career as a sales and marketing executive and was subsequently promoted to cluster role digital marketing for various hotels in Bangkok, Thailand, which included Compass Hospitality, The Westin, and Sheraton Hotels. Mouner has handled the Regency in Phuket and Park Hyatt Siem Reap before, so he is familiar with Hyatt Hotels. 

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa announces new appointments

One&Only Reethi Rah, the ultra-luxury all-villa resort in the Maldives, is pleased to announce the appointment of Andreas Porias as General Manager, effective 19 August 2022. With over 20 years of hospitality experience, Andreas has held key operational roles in numerous iconic properties in New York and the United Kingdom, including The Lanesborough Hotel, The Dorchester, and The Gleneagles Hotel, where he was Hotel Manager.

Andreas joined One&Only Reethi Rah in 2019 as the property’s Resort Manager and has since played an instrumental role in leading the resort to achieve commendable recognition including Gold certification for 3 consecutive years from EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking advisory group for travel and tourism, and in July the resort was ranked #5 in the World’s Best Hotels by Travel + Leisure’s annual esteemed World’s Best Awards in 2022.

In his new position, as well as overseeing the resort’s entire operations, Andreas will ensure the multi-award winning One&Only Reethi Rah continues to create unrivalled guest experiences and groundbreaking culinary and wellness concepts, while maintaining its coveted status as a well-loved, industry-leading destination.

Commenting on the appointment, Andreas said: “I am delighted and honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading a property as iconic as One&Only Reethi Rah, highly distinguished in the destination, and well-loved amongst our repeat guests. It is with excitement that our dedicated team and I look forward to continuing the legacy of curating spectacular experiences that our guests truly love and want to return to.”

Surrounded by the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean, One&Only Reethi Rah is located on one of the largest private islands in the North Malé Atoll and is home to 118 exceptional and spacious villas, boasting an abundance of space, freedom, and activities for all ages to discover.

Andreas porias appointed general manager of one&only reethi rah

JA Resorts & Hotels has appointed Nasrulla ‘Nasru’ Adam as Director of Business Development for the Indian Ocean overlooking JA Manafaru in the Maldives, JA Enchanted Waterfront & JA Enchanted Island Resort in Seychelles.

Nasru is an industry maestro with over 19 years of experience in the Maldives tourism industry leading sales teams and specializing in pre-openings. With the newly appointed role, he will be spearheading sales and marketing for 3 properties, 1 in Maldives and 2 in Seychelles on a cluster role.

Before this appointment, Nasru was the director of sales at Patina Maldives, Fari Islands, and was instrumental in launching a lifestyle luxury brand in the Maldives. To this day, Patina Maldives is known for its innovation and creativity. Previously, he has had stints as the sales director of Amilla Maldives, Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi, and Baros Maldives.

His illustrious CV includes experience at Sun Island Resort and Spa, Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Huvafen Fushi Maldives, and Niyama Private Island Maldives. Nasru holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Birmingham College of Food Tourism and Creative Studies.

JA Manafaru is a 5* Luxury resort situated on Haa Alif, where couples & families can enjoy the spacious multi-bedroom beach villas with 7 types to choose from. Your taste buds will be seduced at seven different restaurants by the special cuisine created from locally produced ingredients. Your soul will be revived with relaxing treatments at the spa, traditional cultural experiences, attractive seaside activities, and underwater discoveries designed to create unforgettable memories.

JA Enchanted Waterfront is Ideally situated on the East Coast & close to Eden Plaza, JA Enchanted Waterfront is only 5 km away from Seychelles International Airport. With 6 luxurious Waterfront Villas equipped with 3 ensuite bedrooms and a fully serviced kitchen, 3 Lodge Rooms, and an all-day dining bistro, you will feel right at home at JA Enchanted Waterfront.

The JA Enchanted Island Resort is an exclusive island hideaway in the Sainte Anne National Marine Park in Seychelles. Located just a 15-minute motorboat ride from Mahé, this exclusive resort built in a Creole architectural style and blended into its natural surroundings is the ideal Seychelles holiday to get away from it all. With just ten secluded private villas with pools ranging from 130 to 243 square meters, a JA Enchanted Island Resort Holiday is an unforgettable island escape.

Given his background and extensive experience in the field, Nasru is uniquely positioned to lead the sales team for these 3 properties while pushing the JA resorts brand.

Information has been retrieved from Linkedin. You can view his profile here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasrulla-adam-nasru-55665444/

#New Appointments

Stories