Seasoned US hotelier to manage Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg

Malta-based CHI Hotels & Resorts (CHI) announced the appointment of US National Asaad M. Farag as the new general manager of its renovated and upgraded five-star Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg, Russia. Assad M. Farag joins CHI following a long and impressive international career in senior hotel management positions.

Asaad’s most recent appointment was that of general manager of the 770-room IHG Hotel in Times Square, New York where he successfully managed a multi-million renovation and re-branding project. Prior to that, Asaad was the general manager of the Conrad Hotel & Conference Centre in Istanbul, Turkey. He also managed the Regent Hotel & Spa – Wall Street New York, operated by Carlson Hospitality, The Turnberry Place Resort – Las Vegas, and The St. Regis Hotel – Los Angeles, California.

In his earlier career Asaad was a vice president at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, director of food and beverage at the Beverly Hills Hotel California, and executive director of food and beverage at the Plaza Hotel New York. In addition, he held various senior management positions with Ritz Carlton and Walt Disney Groups. Asaad M. Farag is a trustee of the Five Star Diamond American Hospitality of Science and a member of the esteemed Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. He is a graduate of the Helwan University in Cairo, Egypt.

“Asaad brings considerable experience, flair, and acumen to our senior general management team,” said CHI Hotels & Resorts CEO and managing director Tony Potter. “He has an excellent pedigree that will ensure a professional and strong opening and operation of our new hotel and facilities in St. Petersburg. With the renovation phase now nearing completion, Asaad’s immediate task will be to develop the hotel’s key marketing strategy and to establish the property as one of the finest examples of hospitality and service in the gateway city of St. Petersburg.”

The five-star Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg, which first opened its doors in July 1993 after the renovation of two historic 19th century buildings in the heart of St. Petersburg, was acquired by International Hotel Investments (IHI) in 2002 and joined the prestigious Corinthia Hotels brand of upscale properties throughout Europe and the Mediterranean basin. The hotel is operated by CHI Hotels & Resorts and features in the Wyndham Grand Collection, an exquisite collection of artfully-appointed hotels representing one-of-a-kind experiences in unique destinations around the world.

The second phase of the project now nearing completion will see the extension and integration of the main building into the adjoining building at 59, Nevskij Prospect. This extension will add another 107 deluxe executive guestrooms to the hotel, together with a 250 square-meter Presidential Suite, bringing the hotel’s total inventory to 390 rooms, together with a new Executive Lounge. In addition, the extension will feature the city’s finest hotel conference center, with 14 state-of-the-art meeting rooms including a Grand Ballroom, with a total capacity for over 700 guests. This will enable Corinthia to market St. Petersburg internationally as a top-class destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and events.

The project also envisages the development of the Nevskij Plaza, an elite commercial center, with two floors of exclusive and upscale retail outlets and five floors of premium office rental space. Both facades will be rebuilt as exact replicas of the imposing original facades, thus recreating the splendor of their historic past.

About CHI Hotels & Resorts

Based in Malta, CHI Hotels & Resorts (CHI) is a leading hands-on hotel management company that provides the full range of technical assistance and management services to hotel owners worldwide. CHI is the exclusive operator and developer for the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand, as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The company draws on a heritage of over 45 years in delivering high-quality services to hotel guests and an optimum rate of return to owners and investors in diverse business environments. Our experience across our three brands extends to management of luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations and products ranging from boutique to conference and Spa hotels. CHI also operates various restaurants under brands such as ‘Rickshaw’ and has its own spa division.

About Corinthia Hotels

Corinthia Hotels is an internationally-acclaimed brand of luxury hotels in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Libya, Malta, Portugal, and Russia. Founded by the Pisani family of Malta in the 1960s, the Corinthia brand stands in that proud tradition of Mediterranean hospitality and its signature services communicate the ‘warm smiles, inspired flavors, and pleasant surprises’ of its Maltese heritage. All Corinthia hotels feature state-of-the art conference areas, extensive leisure and business traveler facilities, and are each renowned for their uniqueness of character.

Corinthia Hotels’ portfolio features award-winning properties that include the Corinthia Hotel Budapest, Hungary and the Corinthia Hotel Prague in the Czech Republic. The Corinthia Hotels portfolio also features the elegant Corinthia Hotel San Anton and Corinthia Hotel St. Georges Bay in Malta; the superior five-star Corinthia Hotel Tripoli, Libya; the modern Corinthia Hotel Lisbon in Portugal; and the renowned Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg, Russia. The Corinthia Hotels brand is associated with the ‘Wyndham Grand Collection’ tier of upscale hotels worldwide. For more information visit www.corinthia.com .

About Wyndham Grand Collection

The Wyndham Grand Collection is an ensemble of elegant, one-of-a-kind hotels within the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand aimed at guests looking for unique experiences in distinctive destinations around the world including London, St. Petersburg, Prague, Budapest, and Malta.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, offers upscale hotel and resort accommodations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean. All hotels are either franchised or managed by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts or an affiliate. For more information, visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com .