IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced four senior appointments as it prepares to open its newest Australasian property, Holiday Inn Dandenong, on 31 May 2023.   

General Manager of Holiday Inn Dandenong, Scott Schaefer, is leading the team for the hotel’s launch after its owners, Pelligra Group, invested $12 million into the build located in the heart of Dandenong.

Schaefer has spent the past 15 years working in management roles within IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Australasian properties, most recently supporting three Holiday Inn hotels and the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort.

He also served as the pre-opening General Manager of Hotel X Brisbane, Fortitude Valley in 2019 and worked from IHG’s Sydney headquarters in 2018 as Director of Operations Support & Franchise.

“Our senior team brings together an extraordinary wealth of hotel experience right across Holiday Inn Dandenong,” Schaefer says.

“As we count down to the hotel’s opening at the end of this month, we are incredibly proud to be a key part of Central Dandenong’s rejuvenation.”

Schaefer will be supported by Hotel Services Manager Sam Wolfgram who joins the team from Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders where he held the HSM role for two years.

Wolfgram brings with him more than 13 years of experience from within the IHG Hotels & Resorts group, progressing from Front Office to Reservations Manager. He also previously worked with Schaefer on pre- and post-opening support at InterContinental Hayman Island Resort.

“Sam is a passionate leader, committed to mentoring and guiding his teams and is acknowledged for providing exceptional hospitality for guests,” Schaefer says.

Scott Bissi is the newest addition to the Holiday Inn team in the role of Business Development Manager. With more than 25 years’ experience in sales, a long-held interest in the hotel industry, and an intimate knowledge of Melbourne’s south east, Bissi says Holiday Inn Dandenong is the "dream job" he has been working towards.

Executive Chef Atish Chaudhuri will head up the hotel’s all-day dining offering at Dandelion Lounge & Eatery, delivering Mediterranean-inspired dining, including wood-fired pizzas.

Chaudhuri’s award-winning career spans working in the Ramada and JW Marriott in Hong Kong, the Taj Bengal and Taj Palace in India, as well as at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in London. His distinct culinary flair has earned him the accolades of Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year from the Emirates Culinary Guild in Dubai.

Holiday Inn Dandenong has been designed as a place for guests, visitors and locals to connect and conduct business, according to Schaefer.

“We’re gearing up to welcome guests from all over the world, but we’ve also been forging new relationships with our neighbours,” he says of the hotel’s partnerships with local organisations such as Drum Theatre and South East Business Networks.

“Recruiting locally has been a focus for Holiday Inn Dandenong, with 90% of our current workforce from the immediate area. We’ve also partnered with the Dandenong Empowerment Hub of social enterprise SisterWorks to employ three migrant women who commenced with us in March.

“This is a next-generation Holiday Inn and with that we’re bringing a wealth of collective experience to develop the region’s next generation of hotel talent.” Schaefer says.