Design Hotels opens its eighth global office in Perth, Australia and also welcomes its first Australian member: Limes Hotel in Brisbane. With this new office in Perth, Design Hotels will further strengthen its presence on the Australian continent and in the entire Oceania region. Australia is a popular destination for independent globetrotters but it is also an interesting source market for outbound business and leisure travellers.

“We feel that it is time to approach this continent,” says Iain Ainsworth, Executive Vice President of Design Hotels AG. “The opening of this additional office within the region demonstrates our clear development strategy and marks our commitment to building stronger relations within the marketplace, with new hotels, press and the travel trade.”

Malene Bertelsen has recently joined Design Hotels AG and will head the Perth office as Director of Business Development Oceania. Bertelsen has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry ranging from design-led properties like The Metropolitan in London to traditional grand hotels. “Malene Bertelsen is a hands-on hotel professional with entrepreneurial skills”, says Ainsworth. “She is exactly the person we need to build up our operations in Australia.”

Complementing the new regional office, Design Hotels also announced the upcoming opening of Limes Hotel, the group’s first Australian member hotel. Limes Hotel in Brisbane is set to open its doors on 13 June 2008.