Muscat – Joerg Wickihalder has been appointed General Manager of Grand Hyatt Muscat and will be overseeing the operations of the property’s 278 rooms and 8 outlets.

A highly experienced hotelier across international markets, Wickihalder has enjoyed more than 32 years of working in luxury hospitality across Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean.

Wickihalder studied in the prestigious Hospitality Management School Lucerne, Switzerland and over the years has accumulated in-depth knowledge in all fields of the hospitality industry.

He began his career as a Chef in his hometown in Switzerland, where he worked in several five-star hotels gaining experience across hospitality roles, from kitchen to front desk, to housekeeping and administration. Wickihalder moved to Baur au Lac, a five-star luxury property for a span of five years, where he had previously completed his internship as a waiter. He continued his career journey at the hotel, promoted from head waiter to F&B Director, to Executive Assistant Manager.

Wickihalder moved overseas in 2006 as General Manager of II Villaggio Restaurants & Lounges in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 2010, Wickihalder joined the Movenpick flagship hotel at the Dead Sea in Jordan as F&B Manager, and in 2012 he moved to the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort in Trinidad & Tobago, W.I as Hotel Manager.

His next promotion took him to Cairo, Egypt as Cluster Director of Food and Beverage at Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers, where he was responsible for 24 dining venues. He later stepped into the role as Acting General Manager for the property’s brand transition to Hilton.

In September 2018, Wickihalder joined the Hyatt family as Director of Operations to open the Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport, where he was promoted to Hotel and Acting General Manager after three years. This August, he continues his exciting career journey with Hyatt as the newly appointed General Manager of the five-star hotel, Grand Hyatt Muscat, in Oman.

Throughout his hospitality career, Wickihalder has been passionate about learning and discovering new cultures as well as empowering people to unleash their untapped potential and thus finding their true calling. Being his first visit to Oman, he is eager to dive into the rich history and diverse landscapes of Oman and looks forward to further strengthen the legacy of the Grand Hyatt Muscat as a landmark destination within the majestic destination and the jewel of Arabia – the Sultanate of Oman. Joerg admires the warm hospitality of the Omani people as well as the country’s stance to pursuit neutrality, ensure stability and promote peace.

Joerg Wickihalder is forever grateful to two of his mentors, who have fostered and coached his path in the world of hospitality- Mr. Michel Rey, former Managing Director at the Baur au Lac Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland and Mr. Sami Zoghbi, former Vice President and Managing Director at Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers in Cairo, Egypt.

In his spare time, Wickihalder enjoys reading about history and culture, cooking, swimming and entertaining family and friends.