After announcing a new management company in July, veteran hotelier Reto Wittwer and partner Ulrich Eckhardt have announced the management takeover of the former Kempinski Hotel Ajman in the United Arab Emirates.
The property is now known as the luxury Blazon hotel and is operated by the duo’s Smart Hospitality Solutions (SHS). Wittwer and Eckhardt have opened and operated more than 200 hotels across the world with several major hotel brands, including Kempinski where Wittwer was CEO from 1995 to 2014.
Wittwer left Kempinski Hotels abruptly, was then sued for fraud in 2015 and a year later reached an out-of-court settlement.
George Ganchev was named as GM of the Ajman hotel and will lead enhancements to the hotel, which includes 168 guest rooms and 14 suites, 10 restaurants and cafes, and extensive wellness and leisure facilities.
Based in Dubai, SHS reported last summer that it had signed 15 preliminary contracts and will focus on opportunities in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In Germany, three projects were in progress and there was talk of a project in Rome. In addition to the Blazon brand, it also planned to develop the 4-star Contempera Hotels brand.
“We are confident in the continued growth of the UAE hospitality market, which is why we are delighted to be part of the re-birth of the very hotel in Ajman that helped put the Emirate of Ajman on the map back in the 1990’s,” Eckhardt said.