A specialist in luxury hospitality, Acar will be bringing his expertise to Accor as well as his overall passion for brands and will help Raffles and Orient Express to further expand around the world.
American oversight
He will be based in New York, reporting directly to Sébastien Bazin on the luxury and lifestyle executive committee and will work closely alongside the other brand CEOs of the division.
To enhance the group’s reach and recognition in the United States, Acar will also assume responsibility for representing Accor on the North American market.
Extensive career
He holds degrees from Hotel Institute Montreux and Hawaii Pacific University, and a certificate from Cornell University. Starting his career at Four Seasons, he held various operational positions at several hotels in the United States and Egypt.
Acar moved to Harrods in England as group director of food and beverage in 2005, was appointed general manager of the Ritz in Paris in 2006, then moved to Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris in the same capacity in 2011.
He joined Katara Hospitality in 2014 as MD for Europe and the Americas, where he supervised 18 hotels including The Plaza in New York, Peninsula in Paris, Carlton in Cannes, Excelsior in Rome, Grosvenor House and The Savoy in London.
Luxury pipeline
In the US, Raffles will welcome Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences in Q2 this year, comprising 147 rooms in a 33-storey building. Elsewhere, Raffles Red Sea is taking shape on Shaura Island, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Red Sea Development Project. The 200-key site is due to complete by the end of this year.
Orient Express’ pipeline encompasses Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli Venice, a 41-key site coming to Italy’s floating city in Q1 2024, and Orient Express Hotel London, a 200-room property in the UK capital.
