Stephan Interthal, General Manager of the renowned Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin for the past three years, will be taking up a new challenge in his appointment to General Manager of Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center, while Gianni van Daalen will return to Berlin from his position as General Manager ad interim in Moscow. Both appointments are to come into effect at the end of 2009.
Interthal’s transfer to Beijing is a strategic move which has been in the making for some time, one that has regrettably become necessary now after the much too soon and tragic death of Matthias Kann. Having led the legendary Hotel Adlon Kempinski through its ten-year anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the last two years being the most successful years in the hotel’s history, Interthal will soon move house to Beijing. His future position there calls for a highly experienced general manager, for Kempinski’s flagship hotel in China is set to receive comprehensive renovations and market repositioning. This will be one of a number of managing positions that Interthal has held so far within the Kempinski group, including those of General Manager of Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich, Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest and Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich.
Gianni van Daalen, Kempinski Group Regional President Europe, will be taking up the interim management of Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. This move will allow Kempinski to search for a lasting successor to Interthal while ensuring a successful interim management of Germany’s very first hotel. This is the second time for van Daalen to be appointed General Manager of Hotel Adlon Kempinski – the hotel was opened under his leadership in 1997.
Kempinski’s regional office Europe will remain based in Moscow. From there, van Daalen will continue to oversee Kempinski’s development and expansion within Europe. After putting a strong focus on Eastern Europe, where he oversaw the successful openings of Kempinski properties in Prague, the High Tatra, Slovenia and Croatia during the past 12 months, van Daalen will now target Western Europe, with a main focus on extraordinary capital city properties that fit the spirit of the Kempinski group. In his 40-year career in the hospitality industry, van Daalen has worked for Hilton, Steigenberger and Nassauer Hof, among others, residing in Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, on Malta and in Montreal in the meantime.
The Kempinski brand is represented globally by a growing collection of signature hotels. Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, Kempinski has built its reputation on the belief that exclusivity and individuality are key elements of true luxury. Each year, an increasing number of guests come to appreciate these qualities, as Kempinski adds new hotels and resorts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. While this growth reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand, the collection will remain a limited one, where exclusivity can be nurtured and individuality can flourish.
