Ruth Azzopardi has been appointed Cluster Director of Revenue at Meliá Hotels International, she announced on Tuesday. The Spanish hospitality company is set to expand to Malta through the opening of four hotels in St Julian's.

Her appointment comes after her time as Cluster Director of Revenue at IHG Hotels & Resorts came to an end last December following almost two years in the role. She had described her experience there as a “remarkable journey”, and leaving the group resulted in “mixed and bittersweet feelings”.

While she hadn’t revealed her new position at the time, Ms Azzopardi had stated that she is “excited” and “looking forward” to it.

Aside from working at IHG Hotels & Resorts, she also gained valuable hospitality experience from a number of other companies throughout her career. This includes 11 years at Hilton Malta, where she served as Revenue Development Manager and Revenue Manager. She also worked as Revenue & e-Commerce Manager at Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and also Yield Manager at Kempinski Hotels.

She is currently reading for a Master’s degree in Management from IDEA Group and holds a Diploma in Digital Marketing from ICE Malta, as well as a Diploma in Hotel Management from the Institute of Tourism Studies.

Established in Mallorca, Spain in 1956, Meliá Hotels International operates more than 400 hotels across over 40 countries, under 10 different brands, and is now one of Spain’s largest domestic operators of holiday resorts. The chain is set to expand to Malta through the opening of the Levante Hotel, Scirocco Hotel, and Mistral Hotel, all of which are in St Julian's and are being developed by CF Estates Ltd and its subsidiaries. Meliá Hotels International will provide hotel operation and management services, following an agreement with CF Estates.

Social Image: Meliá Hotels International / Meliá Development