London, June 2010 � Dorchester Collection announces the appointment of Marie-Laure Akdag as Hotel Manager of its new London address, 45 Park Lane. The ninth in the Collection, the hotel will open in January 2011.
 
45 Park Lane will have 46 rooms and suites, each with a view of Hyde Park, as well as a screening room, bar and restaurant. Only yards away from its sister hotel, The Dorchester, 45 Park Lane will be more contemporary in style with interiors by world-renowned designer Thierry Despont. This will be the first new hotel to open in Mayfair for quite some time and Akdag�s focus will be on delivering ultra modern alternatives to traditional British offerings of The Dorchester. 
 
Commenting on her decision to join the newest hotel from Dorchester Collection, Akdag said, �45 Park Lane will provide a sophisticated and discreet London address for a new generation of travelers that desire modern, sleek surroundings in a private but central location, together with the style of individuality, connections and unrivaled service that Dorchester Collection hotels are known for.�
 
Prior to joining 45 Park Lane, Akdag spent three years as Director of Business Development and Marketing for Jumeirah flagship, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Other executive positions took her across Europe and the United States, including Director of Sales and Marketing for the Amstel Intercontinental and the Grand Sofitel Demeure in Amsterdam, as well as for the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. 
 
�With more than a decade of experience serving the world�s most elite markets, Marie-Laure is perfectly positioned to understand and welcome the high-calibre guests that will wish to stay at 45 Park Lane,� said Roland Fasel, The Dorchester�s General Manager and Regional Director UK.
 
French born and married with an 8-year-old daughter, Akdag holds a Masters Degree from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Faculte de Lettres et Sciences Humaines in Reims, France, and graduate management and marketing degrees from Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley.   
    
The Dorchester Collection is the successor to the Dorchester Group, originally established in 1996 to manage a portfolio of some of the world�s foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the USA.   Dorchester Collection�s Chief Executive, Christopher Cowdray has set out the company�s goal to have between 15-20 hotels by 2015.   The current portfolio is managed by Dorchester Collection:
 
The Dorchester in London
The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills
Le Meurice in Paris
Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris
Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan
The New York Palace in New York
Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles (currently closed for refurbishment)
Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire (opening September 2010)
45 Park Lane, London (opening January 2011)