Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened a new development office in London and appointed experienced hotel development professional Amir Lababedi to spearhead its expansion strategy in Europe – including the UK – and North Africa.
The move signals the company’s ambitious growth plans for these core markets.
In his previous role as vice president development, Middle East & Africa, Lababedi lead Mövenpick through a period of exceptional growth in the Middle East and Africa, with 47 properties across ten Arab countries.
He has now assumed the newly-created position of vice president development Europe & North Africa, heading up Movenpick’s first ever development office based in the UK’s capital.
In his new role, Lababedi will be responsible for fast-tracking the hospitality group’s plans to expand its European footprint, which will not only involve identifying opportunities to manage and lease new hotels, but to also introduce the Mövenpick Residences model that has proven successful in other global markets.
Actively targeting opportunities within the UK is a key part of Movenpick’s development strategy.
He will also be instrumental in cultivating Mövenpick’s portfolio in North Africa, where the company has more than 20 properties and Nile cruisers and several more projects in the pipeline.
He will lead the development strategy for this high-growth potential region.
“Our ambition is to accelerate our growth in Europe through a combination of leases and management agreements for our well-established upscale Mövenpick brand and by rolling out our extended stay/long-stay product offering, Mövenpick Residences, in the region for the first time,” explained Mövenpick chief development officer, Andrew Langdon.
“We are fortunate that Amir, an experienced hotel developer, will be driving our strategy in Europe and North Africa – one that is underpinned by our dynamism, flexibility, reinvigorated design philosophy, true owner-centric management values and of course, the exceptional hospitality and pioneering food and beverage concepts for which Mövenpick is globally renowned.”
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts currently operates 20 properties in Europe in countries including Switzerland, where the company is headquartered, as well as Germany, The Netherlands and Turkey.
The group recently signed leases for two more properties — the 262-key Mövenpick Congress Hotel Stuttgart in Germany and the 264-room Mövenpick Hotel Basel, both of which are due to open in 2019.
The company is poised to announce more hotels soon as its European growth strategy gains momentum – including an exciting new addition in The Netherlands that will illustrate its new approach to interior design.