Shangri-La appoints Regional Vice President

Stephen Darling has been appointed as the regional vice president and general manager of the new Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver which is currently under development.

Darling will be based in Vancouver, Canada, where he will be responsible initially for seeking management contracts and development opportunities in key North American gateway cities. Darling will also guide the group's first Shangri-La hotel in North America through its development stages, with the Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver projected to open in 2008.

Commenting on Darling's appointment, Shangri-La's chief executive officer and managing director Giovanni Angelini said: "We're delighted to welcome Stephen back to the group and extremely excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for Shangri-La in North America. Stephen's overall knowledge of the North American market and familiarity with leading regional trends will benefit Shangri-La greatly".

Prior to rejoining Shangri-La, Darling was general manager of The Westin Grand, Vancouver from 1999 to 2004. He was General Manager for the formerly Shangri-La managed Pacific Palisades Hotel from 1989 to 1999.

Darling was awarded Hotelier Magazine's Pinnacle Award for "Hotelier of the Year" in 2001. He also served as chairman of Tourism Vancouver for 2002 and 2003; co-chaired the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Bid's Accommodation Work Group, and is on the board of Vancouver Community College's Hospitality Management Program Advisory Committee.

"When the opportunity to take on this exciting new role with Shangri-La came up, I knew immediately that the opportunity to create, interpret and deliver a deluxe Shangri-La experience in the spectacular setting of Vancouver would truly be the ultimate professional reward."

The Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver is being jointly developed by Vancouver-based Peterson Investment Group and Westbank Projects Corp. The deluxe hotel will be strategically located at one of the city's premier business addresses at West Georgia and Thurlow Street. The new 60-storey landmark building will be the tallest in Vancouver, and the development includes prestigious residences, live/work condominiums, the hotel and retail and commercial space.

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