MUSCAT, Oman — GHM has installed Markus Iseli as general manager of the acclaimed Chedi Muscat on the Gulf of Oman.
Iseli most recently managed the pre-opening and soft-opening of the Palazzo Parigi, a Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) member in Milan, Italy.
The Muscat posting marks the Swiss native's third stint in the Middle East. He was hotel manager of the Four Seasons in Istanbul from 2000 to 2004, and general manager of the Four Seasons in Damascus from 2004 to 2008.
Earlier in his career, he’d worked in the United Arab Emirates and for InterContinental in Turkey. He spent four years in the Sudan at the Hilton, and two more at safari lodges in Kenya.
In Oman, Iseli takes over a property that Conde Nast Traveller (UK) readers voted among the 'Top 20 Overseas Holiday Hotels in the Middle East, Africa & the Indian Ocean' in 2013.
“The Chedi Muscat is one of those rare hotels that is both inspired and inspiring. From its visually appealing design to the standards of management and service, this resort is a celebrated icon; I am privileged to be a part of it and even more so, to continue its legacy,” said Iseli.
Opened in January of 2003, The Chedi Muscat is Oman's first contemporary hotel, a seamless blend of Omani architecture and Asian Zen-style on 21 shore-lined acres 20 minutes from Muscat's old city.
The stunning design features 158 high-ceilinged rooms with ocean and Al Hajar Mountain views, six sophisticated restaurants, a 350-metre private beach on the Boushar beachfront and an 800-square-metre spa – the largest in Muscat. Its 103-metre outdoor pool is the longest in the Sultanate.
Iseli replaces York Brandes, who is moving to Singapore to take on a senior management position with GHM in the second half of the year.
Last month, GHM opened The Chedi Andermatt in Switzerland, a 104-room property situated among the Lepontine Alps. And next month, after a soft opening last autumn, the luxury hotel group will celebrate the grand opening of the 261-room Chedi Sakala on the TanjungBenoa peninsula in Bali.
