Hotel group Accor has announced the appointment of Omer Acar as the CEO of its luxury brands, Raffles and Orient Express. Acar is expected to lead the hotel to a bigger share of luxury hospitality market in the lucrative North American region.

French hospitality giant, Accor International has appointed hospitality veteran Omer Acar as the Chief Executive Officer of two of its luxury brand, Raffles and Orient Express. Acar will take charge on March 1, 2023, says Accor in a press statement.

The statement adds that as an eminent specialist in luxury hospitality, Omer is a respected leader with high standards and an in-depth knowledge of the world of luxury. He will be bringing to Accor his strong expertise as well as his overall passion for brands and help Raffles and Orient Express shine ever brighter around the world and further expand, the hotel group says.

Omer will be based in New York and he will report directly to Chairman of Accor Group Sébastien Bazin on the Luxury & Lifestyle Executive Committee and will work closely alongside the other brand CEOs of the division. To enhance the Group’s reach and recognition in the United States, Omer will also assume responsibility for representing Accor on the North American market, says the statement.

Omer Acar holds degrees from Hotel Institute Montreux and Hawaii Pacific University, and a certificate from Cornell University. He started his career at Four Seasons in various operational positions at several hotels in the United States and Egypt. He moved to Harrods in England as Group Director of Food & Beverage in 2005, was appointed General Manager of the Ritz in Paris in 2006, then moved to the Royal Monceau Raffles in Paris in the same capacity in 2011.

He joined Katara Hospitality in 2014 as Managing Director for Europe and the Americas, where he supervised 18 hotels including the Plaza in New York, Peninsula in Paris, Carlton in Cannes, Excelsior in Rome, Grosvenor House and Savoy in London.

According to the statement, Accor Group has over 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. Accor Group has over 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more, says the hotel.