Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha appoints Executive Chef and Front Office Manager
The recently-opened Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha has brought in a new executive chef and a front office manager.
Turkish national Mert Duran joins the property as executive chef with more than 15 years of culinary experience, most of which has been within Hyatt Hotels group already. He joins from the Hyatt Regency in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
He will now look after five venues, which include all-day dining venue Choices, The Cellar, Al Nafourah Garden, Jazz Club and Sky lounge. He will also take care of in-room dining operations, banquets and outside catering.
The focus will be on creating new menu concepts across each of his venues, while also bolstering the banquet offerings of the property.
Much of his experience has been within his home country of Turkey, starting out as a commis for the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul and then the French Brasserie Istanbul. He joined Hyatt in 2004 as the commis for Grand Hyatt Dubai before being made chef de partie at the hotel a year later.
He stayed with Hyatt ever since, climbing the ladder across the portfolio at hotels in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Atakoy and other locations.
Russian national Alena Dmitrienko is also a Hyatt veteran, having served the group for 10 years. She steps in Qatar after being front office manager of Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow.
She is tasked with elevating guest experience at the hotel and making sure stays are as stress-free as possible.
General manager of Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha, Julien Gonzalvez, said: “We are very thrilled to welcome two of the key personnel to our Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha family. I am confident that Mert and Alena would help us in taking Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha to greater heights.”