One&Only Resorts Appoints Richard Lyon as General Manager for One&Only Cape Town in South Africa

. October 13, 2015

DUBAI, UAE. October 13, 2015 - One&Only Resorts has announced the appointment of established industry leader Richard Lyon as General Manager, One&Only Cape Town in South Africa. In his new role, Mr. Lyon is responsible for the entire operation of One&Only Cape Town and its continued strategic development.

"I am thrilled to have Richard join One&Only Resorts and build on the continued success of One&Only Cape Town," commented Mark DeCocinis, President/Chief Operating Officer, One&Only Resorts. "His focus on mentorship and team development make him perfect for this role. The leadership he has provided in this area is in line with our ethos of developing committed, passionate people. I know he will provide excellent guidance to the team to ensure continued service excellence and innovation."

Mr. Lyon joins One&Only with over 40 years experience in the hospitality industry, including key positions at Virgin Active, The Landings in St. Lucia, Marriott International, as well as his own hospitality consultancy business. He started his career in the Management Operations Training Program at the Savoy Hotel Group, spending extensive time at both The Savoy in London and Hotel de Crillon in Paris. From there, he was the Sales and Marketing Director for two hotels in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Swiss International Hotels, globally positioning the brand which went on to establish over 100 hotels.

In 1981, Richard joined Marriott International, the beginning of a career that would span over 25 years with the brand. During his tenure, he held key leadership roles in a variety of global posts, including: Riyadh, London, Charlotte, Warsaw, Amman, Budapest and finally, Mumbai. He consistently increased guest and employee satisfaction, often leading the destination, and reliably increased occupancy and rate to record levels as well. The hotels under his leadership won a number of awards, including Top Five Business Hotels in London (Conde Nast Traveller), Best Business Hotel (Business Traveller Magazine), Best New Spa in Asia for Quan Mumbai (Spa Magazine) and Marriott Hotel of the Year. Mr. Lyon also introduced new product elements including the first hotel-branded Executive Apartments in Budapest and the $1.5 million refurbishment and subsequent awards by Pearl Restaurant at the Renaissance Chancery Hotel. Due to his impactful results, owners often invested in additional properties throughout Marriott.

Following his noteworthy career at Marriott, Richard set-up his own consultancy, providing management services for the hospitality industry, including a group of luxury game camps in Masai Mara in Kenya, a top vineyard, a hotel in Cape Town, plus several small luxury hotels in the Western Cape.

As Managing Director of The Landings in St. Lucia, Mr. Lyon was responsible for the successful opening of the luxury apartments of the resort. This role saw him dealing with construction and development, owner management and operations of the luxury resort. In addition, Richard developed the team to ensure outstanding product and service.

Richard then joined Virgin Active in South Africa as People Director. A member of the Executive Committee, he was responsible for all Human Resources, Training and Development, and Corporate Social Responsibility. In this role, Mr. Lyon was the leader in taking the business to become the winner of Deloitte's "Best Company to Work For" in the large business category in 2012.

About One&Only Resorts

Created exclusively for the ultra-luxury resort market, One&Only Resorts are conceived as hallmarks of excellence. Set in some of the most beautiful locales in the world, each award-winning resort offers guests a distinctive style and personality borne of its local culture, a genuine hospitality and a lively energy that is unrivalled. These properties include One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives; One&Only Le Saint Geran in Mauritius; One&Only Royal Mirage and One&Only The Palm in Dubai; One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas, One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, One&Only Cape Town in South Africa and One&Only Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in The Blue Mountains in Australia. One&Only has also announced plans to develop and operate five new One&Only resorts, in Sanya, Hainan, China; in Montenegro, which will be the first property for the collection in Europe, Bahrain and two new resorts in Mexico. More information on One&Only is available at oneandonlyresorts.com

About Kerzner International Holdings Limited

Kerzner International Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, is a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts, ultra-luxury hotels and residences and innovative entertainment and gaming experiences. Kerzner's flagship brand Atlantis, includes Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, a 1,500-room, water-themed resort on The Palm, overlooking the Arabian Sea and mainland Dubai; and in development: Atlantis, Sanya Hainan in China and The Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences in Dubai. Under the One&Only brand, Kerzner manages nine of the top-rated luxury resort properties in the world, located in The Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius, the Maldives, South Africa, Dubai and Australia, and has an additional five One&Only resorts in development. Additionally, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, a 500-room destination golf and casino resort in Morocco, is also operated by Kerzner. For more information concerning Kerzner and its operating subsidiaries, visit kerzner.com.

Contact: For One&Only Resorts:
Chandra Dillon or Kathleen O'Connell
[email protected] or [email protected]
212.227.7575 or 312.943.6900

Business Contact:

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