Omer Acar appointed chief executive of Raffles and Orient Express

Omer Acar has been appointed as chief executive of the Raffles and Orient Express brands.

From 1 March 2023, he will be tasked with representing the brands' parent company, French hotel giant Accor, on the North American market.

Acar will be based in New York, where he will report directly to Sébastien Bazin, chairman and chief executive of Accor, who sits on the luxury and lifestyle executive committee.

Acar holds degrees from Hotel Institute Montreux and Hawaii Pacific University, as well as a certificate from Cornell University. He began his career at Four Seasons in various operational positions across hotels in the United States and Egypt.

In 2005, he moved to Harrods in London as group director of food and beverage. A year later, he was appointed as general manager of the Ritz in Paris.

In 2011, he joined Royal Monceau Raffles in Paris as general manager, then in 2014, he became managing director for Europe and the Americas for Katara Hospitality. There, he oversaw 18 hotels, including Peninsula in Paris, Carlton in Cannes, Grosvenor House and Savoy in London and Plaza in New York.

His appointment comes as Raffles prepares to launch its debut UK hotel, Raffles London at the OWO in Whitehall, which will open in the Grade II-listed former Old War Office building this year.

Raffles operates 20 hotels across 14 countries.

Image above right: morfeo / Shutterstock