The appointment of top executive José Canals as the new Managing Director for the Middle East and Asia confirms Barceló’s growth strategy to expand the company footprint across the region over the next years
United Arab Emirates – : Barceló Hotel Group, the leading international hotel chain, has appointed José Canals as the new Managing Director for the Middle East and Asia. With an extensive tenure and hospitality knowledge, José Canals was already responsible for the Mediterranean and north Africa regions and will now spearhead the expansion of the Spanish group’s presence in the Middle East, East Africa and Asia.
José Canals has been one of the top executives at Barceló Hotel Group for over 25 years, and has a wealth of experience in leading expansion plans for the Spanish hotel chain internationally. The hotelier’s leadership and contribution has resulted in Barceló Hotel Group becoming the largest Spanish hotel chain in the MENA region.
“We are seeing that Barceló Hotel Group is being widely welcomed along with its four brands thanks to the group’s values, its flexible and personalized approach to the goals it sets”, said Canals.
Barceló Hotel Group brings a legacy of 90 years of expertise in the hospitality industry, currently operating 262 hotels in 22 countries worldwide. The group recently celebrated the opening of a new 4* property in Dubai. Guests were welcomed in to a unique and perfect blend between Spanish hospitality and Arabic heritage during the opening of Occidental Al Jaddaf two weeks ago.
“We continue to grow in the UAE and we are adapting our strategy to suit the unique needs of the local residents as well as international business and leisure travellers. There is a strong demand for Barceló in the Middle East and a desire for the distinctive design, prime locations and all-around top-quality service that we are known for worldwide” added José Canals.
Barceló’s current UAE portfolio showcases 5 hotels and 1,600 keys, consisting of Dukes The Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, Barceló Residences Dubai Marina, Occidental Dubai Production City, Occidental Sharjah Grand and Occidental Al Jaddaf, with several project developments in the GCC region in the pipeline.
“Barceló Hotel Group is at the forefront of the hospitality sector in the Middle East. As a group we acknowledge there is potential for growth in the leisure segment and we believe that José Canals, with his extensive skillset and extensive know-how, will be the right person to spearhead this growth,” said Raúl González, CEO EMEA Barceló Hotel Group.
Furthermore, 2021 will also see the launch of 5 hotels and 720 keys in the Indian Ocean. Barceló Hotel Group will be opening 2 resorts in Sri Lanka -Occidental Paradise Dambulla 4* in June and Occidental Eden Beruwala 4*in October- plus two hotels in the Maldives and one resort in Bali (Indonesia) before the end of 2021.