Philip M. Barnes appointed Regional Vice President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Middle East and General Manager, Palm Island

Barnes' responsibilities will include overseeing the performance of all existing Fairmont Hotels in the Middle East and also the successful opening of the numerous Fairmont Hotels & Resorts properties under development, including properties in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Oman. Barnes will also assume the position of General Manager, Palm Island which will be home to two Fairmont Resorts and several Fairmont branded residential developments, including a Fairmont Heritage Place.

A seasoned hotelier, Barnes brings a wealth of experience to this position with a career spanning over 30 years in four continents where he has held executive positions in several leading hotel companies, including over ten years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

Barnes first joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in 1998 as Regional Vice President, Operations for British Columbia for Delta Hotels & Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fairmont Hotels, where he also held General Manager positions and oversaw the successful openings of three new Delta hotels. In 2001, his responsibilities were enlarged to encompass all the Delta Hotels & Resorts in Western Canada.

In 2004, Barnes was appointed Regional Vice President and General Manager, Pacific Northwest for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a role that encompassed six iconic Fairmont Hotels & Resorts properties in the region in addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Married to wife Heidi and with three very active children entering their teen years, Barnes is delighted to be moving to this exciting and vibrant part of the world where Fairmont's reputation is already so well established and respected.