Omer Acar

Spear’s Review

Raffles & Orient Express CEO Omer Acar’s storied career in hospitality began with working at Four Seasons hotels across the US and Egypt, before undertaking high-profile posts at Harrods in the UK and the Ritz Paris, where he was general manager. 

Appointed head of the Orient Express and Raffles in 2023, Acar’s brief is to continue the global expansion of the brands including a stronger push into branded residences such as the award-winning OWO Residences by Raffles in London, while maintaining their exclusivity and quality.

He previously worked as the managerial lead for Katara Hospitality, which he joined in 2014 - Qatar’s largest operator of hotels – for Europe and the Americas, with oversight of nearly 20 hotels including The Savoy and Grosvenor House in London, The Peninsula Paris and the Carlton hotel in Cannes. 

He has a degree in business administration from Hawaii Pacific University, as well as training from the industry-leading Hotel Institute Montreux and Cornell University, where he gained its certificate in hotel real estate. 

Acar is honorary president of Qadran, a prominent Qatari-French economic think tank, having been president since 2020.