Santiago Rodriguez-Bustelo Appointed General Manager for Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives

Tuesday 4th of July 2023

Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives – a new property to debut in the Indian Ocean destination has announced the appointment of Santiago Rodriguez-Bustelo who will be stepping in as the General Manager of the resort for its grand opening. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the resort and driving strategic commercial plans to consolidate the property’s market position.

Hailing from Spain, Santiago Rodriguez-Bustelo or fondly known as ‘Santi’ among his colleagues is not unfamiliar to the Maldives. He has garnered 20 years of hospitality experience during his career, with many appointments served in the Asia Pacific region. His appointment to the new five-star resort in South Ari Atoll will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to the Barceló Hotel Group.

Speaking about his appointment, Santiago Rodriguez-Bustelo remarked, “I am very excited to lead this grand debut of Barceló Hotel Group in The Maldives. I have worked in various positions ever since I first came to the Maldives 12 years ago. The market is changing aggressively right now. I have an excellent team on board and with our immersive destination experience we will offer the best Maldivian hospitality but with a Spanish touch.”

He added, “Following this, we are also looking forward to opening the Barceló Nassandhura Hotel in Male’ in 2024. Barceló Hotel Group has also undergone a joint venture with Browns Investments to develop and manage a complex of three resorts with more than 470 keys in the same lagoon, Bodufaru complex in the North Male’ Atoll.”

Barceló Hotel Group is the second largest hotel chain in Spain, ranked among the top 30 in the world. It operates over 280 four and five-star city and holiday hotels across 25 countries worldwide and is the hotel division featured under the Barceló Group. With four brands under its portfolio: Royal Hideaway Luxury Hotels & Resorts, Barceló Hotels & Resorts, Occidental Hotels & Resorts, and Allegro Hotels, the hotel chain is also part of the Crestline Hotels & Resorts Group.