The Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai has appointed a managing director. The property’s long-time SVP and general manager, Tom Roelens, takes on the role, who has led the mega-resort since its pre-opening phase.
Roelens joined Atlantis The Royal in January 2020, taking charge of 795 guestrooms and suites, 231 private residences and 17 restaurants. He also played a pivotal role in the resort’s grand opening party where Beyonce held a private concert.
Prior to joining Atlantis Dubai, Roelens spent more than 20 years with Four Seasons.
His move up to managing director comes at a time where Atlantis Dubai is shifting around its leadership team and moving more towards global operations. In October, Timothy Kelly was named president of Atlantis Global – a clear sign the group is planning more hotels beyond Dubai.
Kelly now oversees Atlantis Dubai, Sanya and the expansion of the Atlantis brand globally. This puts him in charge of both Atlantis The Palm and Royal, and the China hotel.
In May of this year, Kelly told Bloomberg he wants as many as four more Atlantis hotels around the world. “We’re hoping this year to earmark a couple of deals,” he said, adding that the company is looking at Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America.