BEIJING, February 18, 2008 - Mr. Riaz Mahmood, presently area general manager, Indo-China, has been appointed as general manager of Raffles Beijing Hotel starting February 18, 2008.

Mr. Mahmood has been a general manager with Raffles Hotels & Resorts for eight years and was appointed general manager of Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor in 2003 before assuming the role of area general manager, Indo-China, in 2006.   Under his leadership, both Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor and Raffles Hotel Le Royal have consistently enjoyed recognition from leading travel publications as Cambodia's best hotels.  In 2007, both hotels were distinguished as the only hotels in Cambodia among Asia's Top 50 Hotels, as voted by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.  In addition, Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor was voted among the world's top 50 hotels in Condé Nast Traveler magazine's Best of the Best  list, in its 2007 Reader's Choice Awards. Mr. Mahmood's new appointment as general manager of Raffles Beijing Hotel will see him lead the hotel through the highly anticipated Summer Olympics where Raffles Beijing Hotel has been designated as one of the official hotels to house members of the Olympic family, such as delegates from the International Olympic Committee.  This will be the second time Mr. Mahmood will experience the boisterous energy of the Olympics as he was also significantly involved with preparing the group's hotel in Sydney for the Summer Olympics in 2000.

About Raffles Beijing Hotel

Established in 1900s, Raffles Beijing Hotel witnessed many of the city’s significant social and political events, its commanding French-Orient colonnade façade has long stood as an icon of Beijing’s historical heritage. It enjoys the most prestigious address, at the crossroads of Chang An Avenue and shopping district of Wangfujing, a heartbeat away from the historic Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Faithfully restored, it reopened on 27 June 2006 featuring 171 tastefully appointed rooms, four distinctive restaurants and bars, and five well-equipped banquet venues and a lofty lobby adorned with a procession of graceful arches. The hotel’s logo embraces the contour of lattice Orient homes peepholes, delicately encasing the hotel’s name penned by Premier Deng Xiao Peng. Raffles Beijing Hotel is a promise of splendour, an exclusive world of peerless privilege and refinement, quintessential of the Raffles legend.  The hotel has been named “Best New City Hotel” by Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report in its 2007 Special Awards Listing. 

About Raffles Hotels & Resorts

Raffles is a collection of luxury hotels around the globe that distinguishes itself through the highest standards of products and services.  Each hotel is a landmark in its respective city, positioned at the top of its local market and rated among the very best in the world.

Raffles’ relentless pursuit of service excellence has earned for its hotels and resorts a legion of international accolades, including Condé Nast World’s Best Places to Stay and Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards.  Its flagship, Raffles Hotel Singapore, was named Best Luxury Hotel 2006 by Travel Trade Gazette Asia.  Raffles Hotels & Resorts was ranked second among the world’s top hotel brands in the 2006 Condé Nast Traveler Business Travel Awards.

The award-winning collection of legendary hotels includes Raffles Hotel and Raffles The Plaza in Singapore, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Raffles Beijing Hotel, People’s Republic of China, Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills in the U.S., Raffles Resort Canouan Island, The Grenadines and Raffles Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Future additions to the Raffles portfolio include a hotel on the Cotai Strip in Macau, Raffles Tianjin in China, Raffles Da Nang in Vietnam, Raffles Konottaa in the Maldives, Raffles St Lucia, West Indies in the Caribbean and Raffles Phang Nga Resort and Residences in Phuket, comprising a 120-villa resort and 25 private Raffles Residences adjacent to the resort.

About FairMont Raffles Hotels International, Inc.

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, Inc. is a global hotel company headquartered in Toronto, Canada.  The company owns and manages over 120 hotels in 25 countries under four brands, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and Delta Hotels as well as vacation ownership properties managed by Fairmont Heritage Place.