The US-headquartered group’s new base will be helmed by Robert Koren, who joins the company as senior vice president and area MD of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
European expansion
SH Hotels & Resorts operates the 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels and Baccarat Hotels & Resorts lines. Koren’s appointment highlights the firm’s accelerated growth and focus on expanding each brand’s footprint across the region.
In this role, he will look after all aspects of the company’s operations, development, and owner relationships in the region, ensuring the best guest experience and results for partners and owners. He will spearhead the European corporate team for SH Hotels & Resorts, based out of London, UK, to create a strong infrastructure for the existing portfolio and future growth.
Doubling portfolio
Koren will oversee operations for Treehouse Hotel London and Skt Petri Copenhagen (converting to 1 Hotel Copenhagen in 2025) in Denmark; the soon-to-open 1 Hotel Mayfair and Treehouse Manchester in the UK, as well as spearhead openings for the company’s pipeline of new properties including Baccarat Rome, Baccarat Florence, 1 Hotel Elounda Hills, 1 Hotel Paris and all three brands’ newbuilds in Riyadh: Baccarat Diriyah Gate, 1 Hotel Diriyah Gate and treehouse Diriyah Gate.
The company will be doubling its portfolio over the next 3-5 years with several new projects to be announced shortly.
Experienced manager
Koren started working at Belmond in February 2017, overseeing properties in Europe, the Middle East and Africa after many years of experience with managing over 60 Starwood Hotel properties in locations including Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Israel.
His extensive international experience was built on his position of responsibility in the finance and operations sectors. In his career, he boasts the opening of establishments, such as the St. Regis in New York, Florence and Rome as well as Hotel Cala di Volpe in Costa Smeralda, Italy.
Timely arrival
Raul Leal, CEO, SH Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the company. His background in luxury and lifestyle speaks for itself and his arrival could not be more timely given our growth in the region with several exciting announcements forthcoming.
“It is key to SH Hotels & Resorts continued expansion, especially throughout EMEA, to establish a solid infrastructure to support our brands across key disciplines. Robert will be leading an experienced team based in London that will provide operational and design support to the EMEA projects.”
