As the summer arrives in the island destination of Bahrain, the Ladies and gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain proudly welcome a new leader to the resort’s Executive team. Journeying over two continents from The St. Regis Mexico City arrives Mr Bernard de Villèle as the new General Manager of the 5-star luxury seaside resort. A fervent leader and visionary with nearly four decades in luxury hospitality, de Villèle will oversee all operational facets of the resort, elevating hospitality excellence and expanding guest experiences throughout.
De Villèle’s career began in the hospitality industry more than 35 years ago after graduating from the world-renowned École Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland with a degree in Hotel Management. His first role was as an F&B Manager at the Hilton Strasbourg. Since then, his career has crossed multiple continents with tenures in award-winning properties and senior management and executive roles for St. Regis, Four Seasons, Hilton, InterContinental (IHG), Orient-Express Hotels, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Savoy Group and Taj Hotels. Highlights of these vast experiences with leading brands, include: serving as Lebanon Area General Manager for Habtoor Hospitality; leading the opening of The Lanesborough in Hyde Park, London; managing major renovations at the legendary Belmond La Samanna with Belmond Ltd. (formally Orient-Express Hotels); and serving as the Vice President of Business Development & Operations in Europe where he helped to establish the noted Taj 51 Buckingham Gate.
Gaining the attention of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences in 2003, one of his most honourable mentions to date was being awarded as one of the finest hoteliers worldwide. In 2010 de Villèle joined The St. Regis brand and led the opening of The St. Regis Mauritius Resort, as General Manager. In January 2014 he became the General Manager of The St. Regis Mexico City, where he helped position the hotel as a landmark destination in Latin America. In this role, he led the team to achieve many top honors, including Robb Report’s “Top 100 Hotels of the World” in 2015; TRAVVY Awards “Best Latin American City Hotel”; TripAdvisor “Traveler’s Choice Awards, No.1 Hotel in Mexico“; and Food & Travel “Reader’s Choice Awards 2015 & 2016”.
“I am excited to join the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain. Some of the finest service staff I have met. As I begin my role with The Ritz-Carlton brand, I look forward to continuing our journey to world-class excellence within the region. Our resort is truly the pearl of the Kingdom, and I ensure its continued legacy for years to come from expanding our dining to enhancing our resort features, guest experiences and more,” says Bernard de Villèle, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.
