Dive Brief:
- Ace Group International named Chris Penn CEO, the company, which operates Ace Hotels, announced Friday.
- Penn, a 25-year industry veteran, is rejoining the company, having previously worked as a managing director for Ace Hotels, opening the Ace Hotel London in 2013.
- The hotel group also appointed Mostafa Abdella chief operating officer and Meriem Soliman chief brand officer. The company said it is strengthening its leadership team to accelerate growth as it expands internationally.
Dive Insight:
After his first stint at Ace, Penn founded the U.K. lifestyle brand Birch in 2020. He also worked as a consultant for a variety of hospitality projects, including longer-stay accommodations, eco-tourism and urban lifestyle hotels, according to Ace. As CEO, Penn will be responsible for driving growth across Ace’s portfolio.
Abdella, who took over as managing director of Ace Hotel London after Penn, has 25 years of hospitality experience, including consulting on projects across the U.K., Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Greece, according to Ace.
In his new role, Abdella will oversee finance, revenue, operations, food and beverage, IT and human resources “with a focus on delivering consistently high guest experience and increasing profitability,” the announcement said.
“Chris and Mostafa are both seasoned, highly regarded operators with global experience and an intimate understanding of the Ace brand,” said Ace Group International Managing Partner Brad Wilson, in a statement. “Their long history of successful partnership will be a major advantage as we continue to seek development opportunities both domestically and internationally.”
Soliman joined Ace in 2012 as general counsel. In 2021, she was named president in addition to her general counsel role. Per Wilson, the newest role “will allow Meriem to apply her enormous amount of knowledge about the commercial side of the business to the brand side, developing strategies that will drive audience acquisition and market share.”
Founded in 1999, Ace has locations in Seattle; New York City; Palm Springs, California; Kyoto, Japan; Sydney, Australia; Toronto, Canada; and Athens, Greece. A second Japan location, Ace Hotel Fukuoka, will open in 2027.
The lifestyle hotel segment is increasingly crowded, with experts telling Hotel Dive that operators will have to fight competitors for resources in the future.
