InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has made three key appointments as part of its plans to further strengthen its presence in the Near East.

Guzman Muela has been named as general manager InterContinental Resort Aqaba, Georg Weinlaender as general manager InterContinental and Guy Bertaud as general manager InterContinental Le Vendome Beirut.

Muela will be moving from his current role as Interim general manager at the InterContinental Lusaka and Crowne Plaza Amman. He has been with the group for almost 16 years.

With over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Weinlaender joins IHG from Croatia where he was cluster general manager and president of the management board for a luxury hotel brand.

Having previously worked as deputy general manager for a 5-star hotel in Paris, Bertaud brings 20 years of experience in operations management in luxury hotels.

Commenting on the new appointments, John Bamsey, chief operations officer, IHG, Middle East and Africa said, 'The near east has great growth potential and plays a key role in the development of inter-region travel.'

'The new appointments are a move on the group’s part to further strengthen operations in the area. They will play a vital role in the streamlining of hotel functions and processes and work closely with the regional office to implement strategies that will continue to strengthen the brands and maintain growth in the Near East,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service