One&Only Hayman Island Appoints Guenter Gebhard as GM

Kerzner International has appointed Guenter Gebhard as the new General Manager for One&Only Hayman Island, ahead of the rebirth of the resort in April 2014.

As General Manager, Guenter will be responsible for the entire operation of Hayman Island, its strategic development, as well as the successful integration into the One&Only portfolio.

As the collection’s first resort in Australia, his role will be key in strengthening the brand in the region.

“I am thrilled to have Guenter join One&Only Resorts at this exciting time of growth for the company,” said Mark DeCocinis, COO, One&Only Resorts. “Our first property in Australia is extremely important to us and he is the perfect fit for this crucial role due to his career achievements in developing passionate people to deliver service excellence. I look forward to working with Guenter as we continue to develop the One&Only Hayman Island experience and set a new level of expectation in the ultra-luxury sector.”

Mr. Gebhard joins One&Only with over 20 years in the hospitality segment, having joined Kerzner International in 2011 as Vice President of Food and Beverage at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. He was later promoted to the role of Resort Manager at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in Morocco. At Mazagan, Guenter successfully oversaw all operational divisions within the resort including 1400 team members, almost 500 rooms, 67 residential villas and a casino.

Most recently, Guenter opened The St. Regis in Bangkok as Hotel Manager, leading the pre-opening team for the brand’s first hotel in Thailand. In 2005, Mr. Gebhard began his tenure with Jumeirah Group, first as Executive Assistant Manager-Food and Beverage for Jumeirah Beach Hotel overseeing 23 food and beverage outlets before being promoted in 2009 to Director of Operations for Jumeirah Group Restaurants with international placed venues.

Mr. Gebhard began his career in Food and Beverage in a variety of leading hotels throughout Asia. From there, he moved to New York City as the Restaurant Director for The Mark Hotel and later as the Director of Operations for the famed Tavern on the Green. Guenter then helped grow Europa Enterprises and other restaurants throughout Manhattan. Following his time in New York, Guenter returned to his native Germany and spent time as the Director of Food and Beverage at the renowned Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin with planning and execution of the renowned China Club, Felix and Adlon Hotel extension. He also planned and executed the opening of Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm. Guenter then moved to the United Arab Emirates and worked as the pre and post opening Director of Food and Beverage at Emirates Palace.