Dubai, April 15, 2026 - RLA Global, the international hospitality and leisure advisory firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Henning Matthiesen as Non-Executive Director, effective April 15, 2026. The appointment strengthens the firm's Resort and Hotel Consulting practice with the addition of one of Europe's most experienced luxury hoteliers.
Matthiesen brings over two decades of experience as a General Manager and Managing Director at landmark luxury properties. At 36, he was appointed General Manager for the pre-opening of The Augustine Hotel in Prague - a Rocco Forte Collection flagship - making him among the youngest General Managers in the group's history. His career continued across grand hotels in Germany and beyond, including as Managing Director of Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, where he led the long-term strategic repositioning of one of Germany's most established properties.
"What Henning brings to RLA Global is something genuinely rare: the perspective of a career hotelier who has led landmark properties through openings, major renovations and full-scale repositioning, from the inside out. For our Resort and Hotel Consulting work, this lived operational understanding is invaluable. Our clients need advisors who have stood in their shoes, and Henning has done so at the highest level." Roger Allen, Group CEO, RLA Global
Most recently, as Managing Director of Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, he led the most significant redevelopment in the property's 150-year history - overseeing structural modernisation, comprehensive room and infrastructure renewal, and the integration of sustainability standards within a protected heritage environment, all while maintaining uninterrupted five-star operations. He is particularly recognised for his ability to execute complex transformation programmes within live luxury environments, with a structured, owner-focused approach that aligns stakeholders across ownership, design, and operations.
"Henning's appointment reflects our commitment to bringing genuinely senior, operationally grounded expertise to our advisory practice. The luxury hospitality sector faces increasingly complex development and repositioning challenges, and the quality of owner-side guidance has never mattered more. His presence within RLA Global will benefit not only our individual clients but the broader standard of advice available to the market." Marco Nijhof, Chairman, RLA Global
Henning is known for bringing clarity to complex situations and for his ability to align people around a shared vision. At RLA Global, where senior consultants work closely and collaboratively across disciplines rather than in silos, his strategic mindset, creative initiatives and good instinct for people are a natural fit. Matthiesen is fluent in French, English and German.
"I am excited about this partnership with RLA Global because the firm has built exactly the kind of advisory practice the luxury hospitality sector needs - and a reputation that reflects it. I am proud to be part of that, and look forward to contributing to the work ahead." Henning Matthiesen
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