TFE Hotels is bolstering its presence on the ground in New Zealand with the establishment of a Country Office in Auckland, led by Warwick Kahl as Director of Operations NZ.
The New Zealand Country Office will support TFE Hotels’ multi-property management deal with New Zealand’s leading accommodation provider, Heritage Hotels, announced at AHICE Aotearoa in October.
Kahl, who joined TFE Hotels in July 2022 as Regional General Manager for QLD, NT, WA, and NZ, brings strong domestic and international experience across several asset classes.
He will be joined by Jason Stobbs as Director of Revenue New Zealand and Meghana Ghole in the newly created role of Director of Finance New Zealand.
TFE Hotels commenced management of five hotels, totalling more than 500 rooms, on December 1, with Heritage Hotels retaining ownership of the portfolio.
“New Zealand has always been a growth market for TFE Hotels, with the strategic partnership with Heritage Hotels [set to] offer expanded choice to international visitors into New Zealand,” said TFE Hotels’ Senior Director of Operations ANZ, Tish Nyar.
“The NZ country team, led by Warwick will not only deliver and drive the success of our New Zealand properties but will also provide a strong foundation to support our future growth and expansion in region.”
The properties include the Adina Citylife Auckland and Rendezvous Heritage Auckland helmed by Cluster General Manager, Akash Sood; the Adina CityLife Wellington, under the leadership of Oytun Cevik; the Adina Heritage Christchurch, managed by Astrid McGowan; and the 175-room Rendezvous Heritage Queenstown, with TFE currently recruiting for a General Manager.
TFE Hotels says the newly appointed leaders will be invaluable in contributing to the success of the New Zealand hotel portfolio.
Stobbs joined TFE as the Reservations Manager in Darwin in April 2017, before moving into the Revenue team in 2018, while Ghole, an experienced hospitality finance expert, has previously worked at Heritage Hotels and Rydges Hotels and Resorts.
“During his tenure with TFE, Jason has worked across several roles and regions, including a stint in Europe as part of our Go Global exchange program,” said Nyar.
“Jason’s expertise and contributions have been invaluable over the last several years, and his properties have thrived under his guidance, and we wish him every success in his new role.”
TFE’s Global Director of Finance Operations, Parthiv Merchant, said Ghole’s technical expertise and data analysis skills will be invaluable to the team.
“Meghana specialises in financial reporting, analysis, and strategic business planning and will be focused on driving business growth and optimising financial performance,” said
“We look forward to having her on the team.”