IFK Hotel Management announces the appointment of Anna Varlamova to the position Senior Analyst of Business Development Department.

Anna Varlamova has joined IFK Hotel Management team in April, 2011. Anna will be responsible for data collection, market researches, complex analysis of market conditions and trends, forecasting as well as projects’ evaluation and support.

The entire experience of Ms. Varlamova was associated with a strategic marketing in the area of residential and commercial real estate. Her first step in hospitality real estate Anna Varlamova took in 2005 when joining development division in HELIOPARK Group. During her career in HELIOPARK Anna Varlamova took part in the creation and implementation of numerous hotel projects at various levels of complexity, located in Russia, CIS and EU countries.

Anna Varlamova graduated with honors from the Moscow State Pedagogical University, Economy and Law Faculty, specialty Master of Sociology. Ms. Varlamova is continuing her education in the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Marketing extension course.

"In my opinion, hospitality real estate is one of the most promising sectors of commercial real estate, which has the highest potential for the growth. However, the hotel is not just real estate property, but mainly and foremost is a business, which many people involve by putting their souls into creating an atmosphere of hospitality. This explains my choice of career development direction. I am pleased to join the professional team of IFK Hotel Management and hope, that my knowledge, combined with experience of my new colleagues will form the basis for a long fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation ", – so Anna commented on her appointment.

IFK Hotel Management announces the appointment of Andrey Ionov to the position of Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Ionov took up his new position in February, 2011. As IFK Hotel Management’s CFO and Area Financial Controller at Golden Tulip Hospitality Group Andrey Ionov has overall charge of the Financial Department and responsible for corporate financial activities and financial activities of hotels operated by IFK Hotel Management, investment and tax planning, managing of accounting etc.

Andrey Ionov is a distinguished finance professional graduated from the Higher School of Economics. Since 2008 has been working in hospitality. Before joining IFK Hotel Management Mr. Ionov worked for “Interstate Hotels & Resorts” and “GOST Hotels Management” (part of “Basic Element Holding”), where he held a position of Deputy Financial Director and led the project of “HYATT Regency Dushanbe 5*” in Tajikistan. Andrey Ionov also experienced Finance Management in such companies as  “Unact” (exclusive distributor of “Japan Tobacco Inc”), “Uralsib Financial Corporation” and “Metropolian Insurance”.

Andrey Ionov is fluent in Russian and English, takes an interest in stock market. Hobbies: soccer and hockey.

Mr. Ionov commented on his appointment: “I consider the prospects opening up before me as exceptionally challenging and fascinating. Sharing IFK Hotel Management principles and values I am ready to face with complicated tasks and contribute to our guests’ unforgettable experience”.

According to the report, Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011 – released yesterday by Ernst & Young, a series of financial, operational, demographic and regulatory trends suggest that global hospitality markets will see more robust, broad-based growth by the end of this year.


“While the industry has suffered two years of declining fundamentals and endured the drag of a global economic recession, we believe that the worst is over and the light at the end of the tunnel is not only visible but growing larger each day,” said Michael Fishbin, Leader of Ernst & Young’s global hospitality practice. “Lodging sector recovery is a fact; resurgence is no longer far away,” he added.

Countries like Russia, China, Brazil and India will propel global hospitality market growth not only over whole 2011 but furthermore - over the next few years. In addition to the booming growth of the middle class in these countries, Brazil and Russia also have the added impetus of hosting not one, but two global sporting events each in the next seven years: Brazil hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016; Russia hosts the Winter Olympics in 2014 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018. As an example of the impact on local hotel markets, more than 300,000 people visited South Africa last summer to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup with almost two-thirds of those visitors entering the country for the first time and spending the equivalent of more than US$500 million during a four-week period.

One scenario Ernst & Young expects to see in 2011 is the return of opportunistic investors to the hotel sector. Several recent surveys of the hotel investment sector have been bullish, with most observers anticipating occupancies, ADR and net operating income returning to peak levels in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. With these fundamentals improving, investors are likely to want to lock in deals before the numbers get too good and prices rise, the report suggests.

Source: hospitalityNet