Tag Archives: Alex Kyriakidis

St. Regis Hotels and Resorts announced the opening of The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. Owned by the Al Habtoor Group, the resort is feted as the first St. Regis property of its kind, promising exhilarating polo experiences combined with the brand’s iconic personalized service across 136 rooms and suites, 25 St. Regis branded villas and six culinary venues. The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club is set around four lush polo fields, approximately 25 minutes from Dubai’s Downtown area. The association between St. Regis and polo emerged at the turn of the 20th century, as both polo and The St. Regis New York were essential to New York’s vibrant summer social scene. Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, said: “The Al Habtoor Group creates luxury lifestyle destinations in Dubai. We are committed to growing with the UAE and promoting it as a tourism destination. The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club is a unique destination that will attract equestrian enthusiasts locally, regionally and internationally.” “Today we are proud to debut the first St. Regis polo resort in the brand’s history with the opening of The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, featuring the bespoke service delivery for which the St. Regis brand is known,” said Alex Kyriakidis, President And Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. “This opening not only strengthens our collaboration with the Al Habtoor Group, but it also reinforces our leadership position in the United Arab Emirates and brand’s commitment to the ‘sport of kings’.”  

Key players in Dubai’s tourism industry came together to mark the city’s milestone achievement of reaching 100,000 rooms across its expanding hotel and hotel apartment inventory following the soft opening of The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City. In attendance were His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), and Mohammed Khalaf Al Habtoor, Vice Chairman and CEO of Al Habtoor Group, together with Marriott International’s Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director Middle East and Africa, and Guido de Wilde, Chief Operating Officer Middle East. Commenting on the occasion, His Excellency Almarri said that for the hotel sector, high demand from international travellers, and the consequent growth in tourism volumes, has been the cornerstone of fostering continued investment in supply enhancement, which has seen us cross this historic 100,000 rooms threshold. This has been a journey undertaken collaboratively and achieved through the enduring strength of our public and private partnerships that underscore Dubai’s maturing prominence on the world stage.