Paris-based hospitality company Accor has appointed Marc Dardenne as chief operating officer for its luxury brands in Europe.
Dardenne will oversee the operations of approximately 50 luxury hotels in Europe and nine properties under development, including the Raffles Europejski Warsaw, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam and The Savoy, A Fairmont-Managed Hotel in London.
“Marc is a respected and well-known leader in the hospitality sector and someone who brings a luxury pedigree and strong commitment to quality,” said Franck Gervais, CEO/Europe, Accor. “We are pleased to welcome Marc to the Accor family and are confident that his leadership, relationships and passion for hospitality will both excite and inspire our luxury hotel teams across Europe.”
Dardenne has nearly four decades of global hospitality experience in both hotel and real estate groups. He most recently served as COO of Amaala, an ultra-luxury resort destination project on the Red Sea sponsored by the Public Investment Fund and was the former interim CEO/COO at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in Dubai.
Earlier in his career, he worked with Ritz Carlton, then Emaar Hospitality, where he collaborated with Giorgio Armani to shepherd the expansion of the Armani brand into hospitality, with ultra-luxury hotels in Dubai and Milan. Dardenne also has been involved in developing luxury and lifestyle brands such as The Address Hotels and Resorts, Patina Hotels & Resorts and Zabeel House.
Industry awards and commendations on Dardenne's mantel include the Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award (Middle East); CEO of the Year, by the Hospitality and Tourism Sector, CEO Middle East; and General Manager of the Year by Hotelier Middle East.
Dardenne studied at the Hospitality School in Lausanne and is fluent in English, French and German.