GHM lures Kretschmann back to lead Chedi in Maldives
One of the ‘first generation’ of general managers to open GHM properties from the Far East to the Middle East is flying the Chedi flag again as he prepares to introduce a new resort on Kudavillingili Island in the Maldives later this year. |
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GHM lures Kretschmann back to lead Chedi in Maldives
One of the ‘first generation’ of general managers to open GHM properties from the Far East to the Middle East is flying the Chedi flag again as he prepares to introduce a new resort on Kudavillingili Island in the Maldives later this year. |
Category: Asia Pacific - Maldives - Careers
- Appointments
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2020-03-03
Filed by Balcony Media Group
André Kretschmann, who started with GHM in 1995, has assumed pre-opening responsibilities at The Chedi Kudavillingili, the group’s first property in the Maldives. Located within a half-hour speed boat ride of Malé International Airport, the new 99-villa resort will feature 36 overwater villas, a 150-metre long pool and a spa with eight overwater treatment rooms.
The Kudavillingili appointment closes the loop on a remarkable 25-year run in Asia that began with Kretschmann’s work as general manager at The Financial Club Jakarta, then a GHM property.
“As part of that first generation, André really helped to define the image of a GHM manager,” said GHM President Hans R. Jenni, who co-founded the group with hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1992. “The precedents he established then proved to be the substance of a foundation we’ve been building on ever since, and we’re thrilled to have him back.”
After Kretschmann’s two-year run with GHM in Indonesia, he took charge of The Chedi Phuket in Thailand, then opened The Chedi Muscat in 2003 before moving on to Sri Lanka for another two-year assignment on a GHM interest in Colombo.
He parted company with GHM in 2005 for stints as general manager at a Leading Hotel of the World on Koh Samui in Thailand and at a Shangri-La resort on Boracay in the Philippines before he settled into a 6-year stop as director for hotel openings at LVMH – Hotel Management, Maison Cheval Blanc where he managed the debuts of properties in the Maldives, Oman and Egypt.
He returned briefly to GHM in 2015 for a one-year assignment on Bali and has worked since 2016 as the director of resort and villa operator, TempleTree International, in Bangkok.
A German national, Kretschmann received his diploma in hotel management in Heidelberg in 1981 and spent his first years in the hospitality industry at hotels in Germany and the UK, as well as a two-year term, 1989-1991, at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong.
In 2019, he was elected to membership in London’s Institute of Hospitality as a fellow.
ABOUT GHM Established in 1992, GHM (General Hotel Management Ltd.) is known for conceptualising, developing and operating an exclusive group of hotels and resorts. With an intimate portfolio and more projects in the pipeline, GHM prides itself in providing guests with an unrivalled lifestyle experience.
Each GHM property is an original. A symbiotic relationship between the hotel and the local culture enables GHM to provide guests with a genuine, close-up experience of the best each destination has to offer. The signature GHM style melds contemporary interpretations of Asian designs and distinctive local touches to create inspired, memorable spaces.
GHM’s portfolio includes:
The Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah, UAE
The Chedi Muscat, Oman
The Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland
The Chedi Luštica Bay, Montenegro
GHM properties currently under development:
The Chedi Kudavillingili, Maldives
The Chedi Mumbai, India
The Chedi Khorfakkan, Sharjah, UAE
The Chedi Zhudong, Hsinchu, Taiwan
The Chedi Club Zhudong, Hsinchu, Taiwan
The Chedi Residences Zhudong, Hsinchu, Taiwan
In addition to these, GHM has joined with like-minded partners and entered into meaningful collaborations to deliver innovative brands, continuing its legacy of setting new benchmarks of excellence in the hospitality industry.
Ahn LuhAhn Luh is a joint venture partnership forged among Duan Qiang, the first Chairman of Beijing Tourism Group (1998-2019), the present president of China Tourism Association and chairman of the Union of World tourism, Adrian Zecha, the visionary behind Amanresorts, along with Hans R. Jenni, President and Director of GHM.
It is a brand that combines the essence of Old World Chinese hospitality in today’s context of contemporary elegance, reflecting in its service, architectural design and interior décor, how tradition and modernity can intertwine to present an original, urban resort concept.
The Ahn Luh portfolio includes:
• Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao, Shanghai
• Ahn Luh Lanting, Shaoxing
• Ahn Luh Qiandao Lake, Hangzhou
• Ahn Luh Nanjing, Jiangsu (2021)
• Ahn Luh Zhuhai, Guangdong (2022)
Tin HotelsTIN Hotels is the new artisanal brand by GHM focusing on lifestyle experiences. By pushing the boundaries of what a new generation of hotels can be to a global traveller, our goal is to provide guests with social spaces that deliver unrivalled communal experiences, great style and wholesome nutrition at a more accessible price point without compromising the standards that our world-class luxury brands are known for.
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