CHI Hotels & Resorts (CHI) announced the appointment of Maltese national SALVINU FARRELL as the Regional Vice President for all its operations in Africa and the Middle East, reporting directly to Company CEO and Managing Director Tony Potter.

Salvinu Farrell will be based in Tunisia and will be fully involved in the development function to extend CHI’s presence in Africa and the Middle East. He has a strong track record very suited to operate and oversee this important region, having held senior general management positions including those in Libya and the Gambia.

Congratulating Salvinu on his appointment, CEO Tony Potter said “We are particularly pleased that we have been able to make this internal senior appointment, which confirms the strong talent available in CHI Hotels & Resorts and Corinthia Hotels, and which acknowledges the successful work of a long-term Corinthia Executive. This key strategic appointment for Africa and the Middle East, together with the recent appointment of Stefan Buchs as Regional Vice President for Western & Central Europe, completes our senior management restructure, which we have been carefully implementing over the last 12 months. We strongly believe in promoting from within whenever possible, as this ensures that Corinthia’s renowned hospitality values and traditions, honed over the last 45 years, remain very much alive and are embraced by all our properties and team members in the various destinations. This is crucial to a company like ours that has huge ambitions and high aspirations of becoming a leading multi- brand hotel operator worldwide”.

As well as being a competent operator, Salvinu’s early career began on a solid footing in finance and he held numerous senior financial positions with CHI and the Corinthia Group over the last 20 years. These included key roles at the CHI Headquarters in Floriana, Malta, where he was an Operations Analyst and Financial Controller for Corinthia Hotels. He holds a BA (Hons) in Accountancy from the University Of Malta, is a certified public accountant and a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants.

Commenting on his new role Salvinu said “I am extremely honoured to have been chosen as CHI's first Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, as these regions are becoming increasingly important to all hotel groups and in particular to CHI. I have been working in Africa for the past ten years now and this appointment comes at a time when my experience and understanding of local issues will be very helpful to CHI as we seek to face the immediate challenges posed by the current global economic climate. I will also be looking for opportunities to expand CHI Hotels & Resorts' portfolio of hotels in these areas.”

CHI’s portfolio in Africa and the Middle East includes the five-star Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, the Ramada Plaza Tunis in Tunisia and the Atlantic Hotel in The Gambia. Other hotels currently under development include the 820-room, twin property, Corinthia Beach Resort in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; the 250-room Ramada Abu Dhabi Mafraq Hotel in Abu Dhabi; the 274-room Corinthia Hotel Algiers in Algeria; the 371 all suite Ramada Hotel Jumeirah Beach in Dubai; the 360-room Corinthia Hotel Benghazi in Libya and the 418-room Wyndham Port Lixus Resort in Morocco.

About CHI Hotels & Resorts
Based in Malta, CHI Hotels & Resorts (CHI) is a leading hands-on hotel management company that provides the full range of technical assistance and management services to hotel owners worldwide. CHI is the exclusive operator and developer for the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa and The Middle East. The Company draws on a heritage of over 45 years in delivering high quality services to hotel guests and an optimum rate of return to owners and investors in diverse business environments. Our experience across our three brands extends to management of luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations and products ranging from boutique to conference and Spa hotels. CHI also operates various restaurants under brands such as ‘Rickshaw’ and has its own Spa division. CHI has won the coveted title of ‘Leading Provider of Travel Deals, Europe’ at the ‘Travelzoo Awards 2008’ gala ceremony held recently in Chicago, USA. CHI Hotels & Resorts is a joint venture between International Hotel Investments plc (IHI) – 70% and The Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) – 30%.