Dubai’s Hotel Local appoints new GM

Hotel Local has appointed Arlette Richter-Picardo as General Manager of its Middle East flagship property, which recently opened its doors in Dubai’s Jumeirah Village Triangle. 

 

With more than two decades of international hospitality experience, Richter-Picardo brings a proven record in operational excellence, commercial strategy and team leadership to Hotel Local’s 579-key neighbourhood-driven lifestyle property. 

 

Richter-Picardo is “uniquely positioned” to champion Hotel Local’s vision of community-first hospitality and craft purpose-driven experiences rooted in authenticity, said Tom Stevens, SVP of Hotel Operations at The First Group Hospitality. 

 

No stranger to the UAE, Richter-Picardo has nearly two decades of hospitality experience in the emirates, including eight years in Dubai and 10 years in Abu Dhabi, working at properties such as the St Regis Abu Dhabi and The Dubai Edition. 

 

She most recently served as Hotel Manager at Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, where she was instrumental in launching the brand’s first resort in the Middle East and introducing standout F&B concepts. 

 

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She also served as multi-property manager at Marriott Hotel and Executive Apartments Downtown Abu Dhabi, where she drove RevPAR growth, led award-winning sales strategies and helped steer the property through complex market cycles. 

 

A native of Germany, and fluent in English and German, Richter-Picardo is a graduate of the University of Applied Science in Wernigerode, Germany, and an alumna of Marriott’s Luxury General Manager Training Programme.

 

She is widely respected for her people-first approach and commitment to nurturing talent in the industry.

 

Commenting on her appointment, Richter-Picardo said: “I’m honoured to lead this passionate team and excited to help shape an experience that reflects the heart of the community. Our vision is to create a space that lives and breathes its local surroundings, offering guests a genuine connection to the culture while setting new standards for excellence in service and operations.”

 

Hotel Local JVT is the debut property of the Texas-born brand in the region, with more properties set to be unveiled across the GCC. Rooted in community engagement, Hotel Local has a neighbourhood-driven hospitality concept focused on experiential living and combines vibrant social spaces and dining concepts such as Neighbourhood Brew with six room formats catering to short- and long-term stays. 

 

The First Group Hospitality is managing the Hotel Local properties in the region. 

 

For more information, visit hotellocaldubai.com

 

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