Amora Hotels & Resorts, the family-owned company which flies the flag for independent hotel groups, is accelerating its expansion across Australia as it bids to introduce its five-star

hospitality brand to every state capital city. Driving this growth is Tamer Habib, the former senior executive with Starwood, Rydges and Stamford Hotels & Resorts, who is currently Vice President of Operations.Tamer is leveraging his 25 years of hospitality acumen and expertise to lead the company into an exciting new era of success.

At present, Amora operates three hotels in Australia: Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney, Amora Hotel Riverwalk Melbourne, and Amora Hotel Brisbane, which made its debut in March 2024 following a comprehensive AUD 25 million (USD 16.4 million) rebranding and refurbishment. Every Amora property in Australia commands a prime CBD location, and the company is now pursuing an ambitious strategy that will see it establish a presence in the centre of every state capital within five years.

Tamer Habib recently oversaw the launch of a new regional office in Sydney and has helped to appoint a series of top industry professionals in key leadership positions, including group director of development, group financial controller, group purchasing manager, group executive chef, and group director of human resources. This has enabled Amora to streamline and standardise its processes, driving operational efficiencies and enhancing the performance of its hotels.

Supporting the expansion of the Amora portfolio is Narej Farik, Group Director for Commercial & Business Development, who has more than 25 years of experience with some of the world’s leading five-star hotel chains, including Marriott, Oberoi and Banyan Tree, and has been a consultant for over 20 hotels and resorts in Asia and Australia. Now, he is using this depth of expertise to oversee the analysis, planning, management and pre-opening of each new hotel project.

On the creative side, Hemant Dadlani has been appointed as Amora’s Group Executive Chef. An award-winning culinary virtuoso with two decades of experience in luxury hotels and resorts across seven countries, Hemant is tasked with creating innovative and inspiring F&B concepts for the group. Having cooked for global celebrities including Sir Richard Branson, Morgan Freeman and Sir Paul McCartney, he is perfectly positioned to cater for Australia’s most discerning diners.

One of these new creative concepts is Brooksy Bar, the stylish lounge at Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney. Having opened its doors in June 2024, this ultra-chic venue is already delighting hotel guests and local residents with its glamorous 1920s theme and sophisticated menu of crafted cocktails and small plates. With its prime CBD location and direct street access, Brooksy is rapidly gaining a reputation as the new “go-to” lifestyle bar in Sydney – and setting the benchmark for hotel bars with its experiential concept.

One of our core strengths is that we are an owner-operator, so we can control every aspect of our experience.

And this will continue as we expand. We are mainly seeking rebrandings and refurbishments, but also potential conversions. Crucially, every Amora property has to be in a prime location, and it has to be operated under our own brand. Our newly-opened regional office in Sydney is making it easier to consolidate our operational processes, which, in turn, is driving our sales, revenue and profitability, and providing a solid platform for our future growth,” Tamer stated.

Tamer recently embarked on a productive business development trip which included visits to Adelaide and Perth – two key cities in Amora’s development strategy. The group is also in discussions over future opportunities in the centre of Auckland, as it spreads its wings across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand.

One of Amora’s key strengths, according to Tamer, is the company’s comparative small scale compared to major global chains. With just six hotels and resorts – three in Thailand and three in Australia – under a single five-star brand, Amora understands the unique needs of its clientele.

“Being smaller, we have the opportunity to create an emotional connection with our guests. We are already seeing the results of this; all three of our hotels in Australia are running very healthy occupancy and GOP (gross operating profit), and at Amora Hotel Riverwalk Melbourne, for example, almost 60% of our clientele is repeat business,” Tamer revealed.

Looking ahead, every Amora hotel will strive to become a focal point for local dining and social interaction, as discerning international travellers mix and mingle with urban residents in sophisticated restaurants and bars that reflect the essence of their destination, either through local produce, seasonal menus or creative design.

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