The chief executive officer of Cristal Hotels and Resorts was honoured for his lifelong commitment to hospitality management at the recent Hotelier Middle East Power 50 Annual Awards in Dubai.

Peter Blackburn was recognised for his dedication to raising the level of public awareness about sustainability being one of the group core objectives.

Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi was the first hotel in the UAE capital to submit, report and implement the Environment, Health and Safety Management System as per guidelines issued by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).

“This prize endorses all the hard work put into developing and launching Cristal Hotel & Resorts," said Blackburn. "Winning the Hotelier Award is a tribute to the team who helped me manage this outstanding work. I'm very honoured and very grateful."

“I think the great challenge of our recent development and takeovers has been to establish not just a singularity of purpose and identity and process to establish and maintaining the steady growth of our company but also, and at the same time, to combine the different teams with their diverse qualities and experience to produce a hotel brand that is different,” he added.

“And that is beginning to pay off. In areas such as the Middle East and Asia — our areas of focus for the future  we couldn't have made the progress we have in the last year without the combination not just of assets but of the team talents which came from various parts of the world.”

“We have developed and established Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi, a fully serviced hotel with plans to increase our portfolio to 25 properties within the next five to 10 years and we continue to evaluate new development and acquisition opportunities throughout the region. Pakistan growing travel market for example makes the country an excellent strategic fit as we further our global reach,” said Blackburn.

“With more than 10 years of hospitality and management experience in the Middle East, Cristal Hotels & Resorts is a respected and proven leader within the industry now, and a well-suited partner to many hotel developers,” he added.

Following a successful career with several international hotel chains, Peter Blackburn made the bold move in 2006 to set up Cristal Hotels & Resorts, where he racked up numerous milestones with the group, which currently operates Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi and will open Cristal Salam Hotel, also in Abu Dhabi, in September this year.

The Hotelier Middle East Power 50 seeks to recognize the 50 individuals driving the growth of the hotel industry in the region and shaping the face of the Middle East hospitality business for years to come. – TradeArabia News Service