Kerry Hotel appoints Nicholas Smith as GM

Nicholas Smith has been appointed the new general manager of Shangri-La’s Kerry Hotel, which is set to open in Hong Kong this December.

Nicholas Smith has worked with the Shangri-La group for several years, and opened the Kerry Hotel Pudong in Shanghai in 2011.

Before moving to Hong Kong, Smith was also the general manager of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa in Cebu in the Philippines and has held key hotel management, F&B and events positions around the world, including Kota Kinabulu in Malaysia, Florida, Boston, London, Gloucestershire, Antalya and the Middle East.

The Kerry Hotel is set to open in Hong Kong this December with reservations beginning in September.

It will be situated in the Hung Hom Bay waterfront, close to the Hung Hong ferry pier and will offer harbour views for the majority of its 545 rooms. There will also be five restaurants and bars, a 25 metre outdoor swimming pool, 24-hour fitness centre and retail outlets.

“People no longer look just for accommodation and dining facilities in a hotel,” said Smith.

“In fact, we are here to be different. We would like to be the friendly and helpful neighbour who will always be there to satisfy a variety of needs for the residents nearby.

“Instead of being a newcomer, we would like to be a familiar destination as comfortable and welcoming as home, where guests feel at ease and connected to the community.”

The Shangri-La group has three other hotels in Hong Kong, the Island Shangri-La in Central and the Kowloon Shangri-La in TST East as well as Hotel Jen, its new brand of four-star hotels.