Mövenpick Hotel Doha has welcomed Sami Aawar, a professional hotelier with 20 years’ experience in the region, as the property's new general manager.

His solid career with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts started in 2002 as front office duty manager in Beirut. First he was promoted to assistant front office manager and later filled the front office manager position at Mövenpick Resort Al Bidaa Kuwait in 2007, where he gained extensive exposure in the housekeeping department. In 2011, Aawar was appointed as rooms division manager at Mövenpick Hotel West Bay Doha.

The role of director of operations at Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach Dubai followed in 2014. This was a catalyst for his rise to the role of Task Force general manager of Mövenpick Hotel Al Aziziyah and Mövenpick Hotel Doha in 2016. The formal appointment to general manager is a result of his successful six-month Task Force assignment in Doha.

“My main goal is to target outstanding guest satisfaction and great relationships among team members,” said Aawar. “It is an extraordinary time to be based in Doha and there is a tangible feel of excitement in the air with future events like the Football World Cup to plan for and look forward to.”

The appointment is a doubly proud moment for the company as Aawar was part of Mövenpick Talent Development Centre – a programme committed to identifying and building a pipeline of future general managers from within the company. The Talent Development Centre combines in-depth assessments, simulations and self-reflection that helps pinpoint development opportunities. As part of the process, each participant is partnered with a General Manager who acts as a mentor, facilities learning and assists with progression.

Aawar holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Business Management and is fluent in English, Arabic and French. He started his hospitality career in his native Lebanon, where he joined the food and beverage department of the Al Bustan Hotel in 1997. In the following years, he transferred to front office and worked in independent boutique hotels before joining Mövenpick 15 years ago. - TradeArabia News Service