Jimmy Lopez appointed general manager of Atlantis The Palm

Jimmy Lopez has been appointed General Manager and Senior Vice President, Operations at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, effective November 2026, according to La Tribune de l’Hôtellerie. He moves from Hoiana Resort & Golf in Vietnam.

Lopez also confirmed the move in his own LinkedIn announcement, saying he was honoured to join Atlantis The Palm as General Manager and Senior Vice President, Operations.

Jimmy Lopez takes on resort leadership

La Tribune reports that the position covers operational strategy, commercial performance, guest experience and team leadership at the Palm Jumeirah property. Its report gives November as the effective month but does not specify a start date.

The appointment brings Lopez back to Dubai after his time in Vietnam. The role combines general management with a senior operations title at a resort where accommodation sits alongside substantial dining, entertainment and events businesses.

From food and beverage to hotel management

Lopez’s progression at Hoiana is documented in earlier appointment coverage. Leisure & Travel reported in January 2023 that he had been promoted to Hotel Manager, overseeing Hoiana Hotels.

He had joined Rosewood Hotel Group at the resort in 2019 as Complex Director of Food & Beverage, before moving into the Complex Director of Operations position. That earlier report also records management experience with Melco, Jumeirah and The Ritz-Carlton.

His subsequent seniority is supported by the Da Nang tourism portal’s February 2026 coverage of Hoiana Hotel & Suites receiving a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star rating. It identifies him as Senior Vice President of Hospitality at Hoiana Resort & Golf. The recognition applies to Hoiana Hotel & Suites, rather than every hotel within the wider resort.

The operating scale of Atlantis The Palm

Atlantis The Palm opened in September 2008 and is operated by Kerzner International. The company’s official resort press kit lists 1,544 rooms and suites across two towers, together with 34 restaurants, lounges and bars.

The property also has 17 meeting and event spaces, including three ballrooms, alongside its beach, pools and spa. Dining includes venues associated with Nobu Matsuhisa, Gordon Ramsay and Björn Frantzén.

Those facilities illustrate the breadth of the operation: the management team must coordinate hotel stays with restaurant service, leisure experiences and events. For employees, consistent service depends on departments working together across very different guest needs and operating schedules.

Experience across departments

Lopez’s career offers a clear example of progression from food and beverage leadership into broader hotel management. At a large destination resort, that background is relevant to the practical task of connecting individual outlets and departments with the wider guest experience.

The reported appointment does not establish a new staffing programme or restructuring plan. Its immediate significance is the leadership move itself, bringing experience from a Vietnamese integrated resort to an established Dubai operation.

For further context, read WINC Wire’s coverage of Capella Dubai’s planned 2030 opening and the latest hospitality leadership appointments.