Alan Thomas has been promoted to the position of Managing Director, Maldives and Sri Lanka, from his previous role as General Manager of Six Senses Hideaway and Evason Hua Hin, Thailand.

In his new role he will oversee the Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Soneva Gili by Six Senses, and Six Senses Latitude Laamu - which is scheduled to open early 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ — Recognized as a leading expert in the fractional   real estate industry, Sarah Rezak has been retained as director of business development for ResortCom Elite and LaTour Signature Group.

Rezak will help promote and expand ResortCom Elite, a joint-venture with LaTour Signature Group that provides management services for fractional market properties that meet 3.5 to four Diamond or Star status, as well as the
private label brand of LaTour Signature for private residence club properties with a five Diamond or Star rating. Read the rest of this entry »

Francisca Rocha Antunes has been appointed spa director of the Six Senses Spa at Sharq Village & Spa in Doha.

She will be responsible for daily spa operations and management of staff to ensure outstanding customer service.

Prior to joining Six Senses, Antunes was general manager of the Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa in French Polynesia where she was responsible for the four-month transition of the Starwood brand to a Hilton Worldwide Resort. Details: sixsenses.com

Melbourne based journalist Greg Irvine has joined the Magic Millions team in the position of Media Manager.
Irvine, a long time media representative for Magic Millions, officially joins the team today on a full time basis.

“Greg will be a great asset to the company,” Magic Millions Managing Director David Chester said.
Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese administrator Dr Koji Sato will take the reins of the powerful Asian Racing Federation (ARF) after Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges stepped down as chairman.

The federation confirmed Engelbrecht-Bresges had resigned on Monday. Read the rest of this entry »

Galaxy Entertainment Group has appointed Michael Mecca as its new president and chief operating officer.The new COO, who replaces David Banks, developed his career in gaming and hospatality brands and most recently was president and CEO of Planet Hollywood. Las Vegas.As president and COO with the group Mecca will have overall responsibility for the performance and growth of StarWolrd Hotel and Casino. Galaxy Macau resort and the Waldo, Rio President and Grand Waldo casinos.

Six Senses has appointed Samir Patel as managing director of its Spas division. His appointment supports the planned global expansion of Six Senses Spas throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

Samir has specific responsibility for overseeing financial and operational performance and reports directly to the chief operating officer of Six Senses. Read the rest of this entry »

SENIOR TAB employees are under investigation over allegations they used community money to bribe publicans to secure poker machine money for horse racing.

In an extraordinary move, the Department of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into New Zealand Racing Board figures - which means that the government department charged with policing the pokie industry could prosecute employees of a quasi-government agency. Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal & Ancient has appointed Dominic Wall as its Asia Pacific Director effective 1st January 2009. His predecessor, Colin Philips, is retiring following three successful years as The R&A’s first director for the Asia Pacific region.

Wall, who will relocate to Hong Kong, is the first R&A employee to be based in Asaia, underlining The R&A’s commitment to stimulate growth of golf in the region.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Troon Golf,® the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing has further strengthened its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMA) team with several new additions, key promotions and strategic relocations. To keep pace with its aggressive growth, Troon Golf has strengthened its divisional resources to efficiently manage the expansion and to continue to deliver superior service to its entire portfolio of courses. Stephen Follet has joined Troon Golf EMA and relocates to Geneva as director of operations. His impressive resume includes 15 years of golf management and operations experience as director of golf at several high profile Marriott resorts. In his most recent role as director of golf operations for Marriott UK, he acquired extensive experience in managing European Tour events including the English Open and British Masters. Stephen will work closely with Bruce Glasco, senior vice president and managing director, EMA, to deliver the renowned Troon Golf customer experience across the portfolio.

Declan McCollam has recently been appointed as director of golf at The Grove, London, England. Declan brings a wealth of experience to what has become one of the finest resorts in Europe. With strong management experience, Declan served in several roles including director of golf at the acclaimed Brookwater Golf Club in Queensland. He joins the team at The Grove following his time as operations manager at the corporate office in Geneva. Gill Shannon has assumed the sales and marketing manager’s position at The Montgomerie Dubai, rated one of the top golf courses in Dubai. Gill has a solid background in the travel industry and possesses a wide array of skills that will increase The Montgomerie’s already strong success in the Middle East. Gill’s experience also includes time with well-established companies such as Elegant Resorts and ITC Classics.

As a result of Troon Golf’s growing influence in the emerging Russian market, Svetlana Gounkina has been appointed as membership and sales director at Agalarov Estate, Moscow’s first fully integrated private golf community. Svetlana joins the Troon Golf team with a proven pedigree in golf course marketing and operations. Svetlana is fluent in both Russian and English and will be a valued asset in establishing operations and sales in one of Troon Golf’s newest markets. “Troon Golf has always been committed to employing the very best in the industry,” stated Bruce Glasco. “These new appointments will add strength and depth to the division’s operational expertise as the company continues its aggressive expansion across the globe.” Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Troon Golf EMA is committed to developing Troon Golf’s presence in Europe, Middle East and Africa. This rapidly expanding division now oversees operations at 38 courses in 12 countries including Dubai, Portugal, Spain and England with further expansion planned across all regions. With global headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon Golf is the world’s largest golf management company, overseeing operations at more than 200 courses located in 31 states and 31 countries.

Additionally, 36 Troon Golf facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon Golf properties include Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany, Italy; Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland; Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif; Brookwater Golf Club, Queensland, Australia; Monte Rei Golf & Cou