The Galle Face Hotel, opened in 1864 and as one of the oldest hotels east of the Suez, is gearing up for a strong future with the announcement of key appointments.
“This is such an exciting time, both in the country and in the Hotel. Lonely Planet has rated Sri Lanka the “Top Country for Travel in 2019”, meaning a new era of growth for the destination. We want to ensure we have the team to take the Hotel on that journey, creating new and authentic experiences for our guests in the years to come,” said Galle Face Hotel Chairman, Sanjeev Gardiner, the Hotel’s owner.
The new team has a combined total of 100 years of local and international experience in hospitality – experience they are now bringing to the Galle Face Hotel (GFH).
Mubarak Gaffoor the Hotel’s new Resident Manager, overseeing operational departments including the rooms division and food and beverage. After many years in the UK, “Muba” has been a part of GFH family since 2014 when he joined as a Director of Sales, and later promoted to the role of Director of Group Sales and Marketing.
Narelle McDougall is the new Head of Sales and Marketing for GFH and Ceylon Hotel Corporation (CHC), overseeing sales and marketing, revenue and reservations, catering sales and public relations.
Narelle has many years of experience in the region including Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Maldives with leading brands such as InterContinental, Le Méridien and Anantara. Chef Saman Jayawardene is now Corporate Chef of Sri Lankan Cuisine for the Ceylon Hotel Group and EKHO Hotels. An acclaimed Sri Lankan chef with almost 30 years experience, he moves from Executive Chef at GFH, having previously worked with leading hotels across Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.
Nalaka Dissanayake has come on board as Cluster Director of Human Resources, with a responsibility for identifying and nurturing talent for GFH and Ceylon Hotel Group. Nalaka has worked with major brands in the Middle East, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, including Radisson Blu, Millennium and Copthorne, and Habtoor, a leading Emirati hotel group. Jay Kay Govind joins as GFH’s new Executive Chef, on board and is excited to create culinary experiences for guests and events. Chef Jay is an award-winning chef with a career spanning 25 years in five different countries. Prior to joining GFH, he worked for top hotel brands including JW Marriott, Anantara, Banyan Tree and InterContinental.
“Although from different disciplines, our new team members are leaders in their fields and are dedicated to success. I am personally excited to have them on board and look forward to creating new experiences together in this incredible destination,” said Robert C. Hauck, the Hotel’s General Manager and Area Vice President.
(PR)