The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel groups worldwide, has appointed Ian Rydin as the new general manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown.

Rydin, a Swedish national, has a solid background in the hospitality industry with over 20 years experience. He began his career with various F&B positions in Sweden, Malaysia and Cyprus. In 1993 he took on the position of F&B manager at Stoten Ski Resort in Salen, Sweden before becoming assistant manager at The Montcalm Hotel in London in 1998.

Rydin joined Rezidor Hotel Group in August 2000 as operations manager responsible for hotel conversions, pre-openings and takeover’s before being promoted to director of Future Openings in 2003, a role which saw him actively involved in the opening of over a 150 hotels across 30 countries.

He was most recently a general manager at Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel in Istanbul.

“We’re delighted to welcome Ian to the UAE. His proven track record and vast experience in opening new hotels will be invaluable to us as we launch this important property, our fourth Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai,' said Marko Hytonen, area vice president.

Rydin holds a BSc of Hotel and Restaurant Management from Oxford Brookes University and a Strategic General Management certificate from Cranfield University, School of Management both of which are in the UK. He has also gained diplomas from Cornell School of Hotel Administration, IMHI Essec Business School and Gothenburg International Hospitality College.-TradeArabia News Service