Preferred Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s largest global providers of sales, marketing and distribution services to independent luxury hotels, announced the appointment of Nicolas Villemin as regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. In this role Villemin, based in the company’s Dubai office, is tasked with the retention and expansion of the brand’s Middle Eastern and North African portfolio.

He joins Preferred Hotels & Resorts with 20 years’ industry experience and has spent more than ten years working in the Middle East. He brings a wealth of expertise from previous senior executive positions and consultancy roles for luxury hotel brands such as Viceroy, Shangri-La and Habtoor Hospitality. Originally from Switzerland, Villemin is fluent in English, French and Portuguese.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio in the region currently encompasses 21 member hotels, resorts, and residences, located in UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.