Kiaran MacDonald leaves MD role at the Savoy for position in Bermuda
Kiaran MacDonald has left the Savoy hotel in London after 10 years as managing director to move to a position with a sister Fairmont property in Bermuda.
He started his new role as regional vice-president, Bermuda & Caribbean, and general manager, Fairmont Southampton, on 1 October.
Located on a 100-acre estate, the 593-bedroom Fairmont Southampton is a beach resort with nine food and beverage outlets and a spa.
Macdonald arrives in Bermuda having overseen the management of the five-red-AA-star, 267-bedroom Savoy hotel during one of the most challenging periods of its 128-year history. An intended 16-month closure for a total refurbishment of the hotel was extended to two years and 10 months, following delays caused by major structural difficulties at the property. By the time the hotel eventually reopened in October 2010, the bill for its transformation had more than doubled from £100m to £220m.
In 2004, Qatari government-controlled Katara Hospitality acquired a 50% stake in the Savoy from Lloyds Banking Group, a year after a number of redundancies took place at the hotel. The other half of the business is owned by the Savoy's management company, Fairmont Raffles Hotel International (FRHI), which itself was sold earlier this year to AccorHotels.
Macdonald's history with Fairmont hotels goes back to 1998 when he was appointed general manager at the Waterfront hotel in Vancouver, Canada, before moving four years later to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona, USA, where he remained until he joined the Savoy in 2006.
MacDonald's replacement at the Savoy is yet to be announced.
Katara Hospitality takes 50% stake in the Savoy Hotel >>
