Westin Hotels & Resorts announces the appointment of Fred Smits as General Manager of The Westin Dublin. Fred joins The Westin Dublin from the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center where he was Executive Assistant Manager.
Born in the Netherlands, Fred began his career with Starwood Hotels & Resorts at The Westin Rotterdam in 2001 as Executive Chef, working his way up to become Director of Food & Beverage in 2005, a role he held until February 2007.
In 2007, Smits was promoted to Executive Assistant Manager of the 406-room Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel where he oversaw all daily operations and held responsibility for the 30-room Conference Center and four food and beverage outlets. During his time at the Sheraton Amsterdam, Fred also played a key role in the renovation of the hotel and the introduction of Sheraton signature guest experiences such as the Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft, Sheraton Fitness by Core Performance and the Sheraton Club Lounge.
Before joining Starwood, Fred studied kitchen techniques and kitchen management in the Netherlands, beginning his career in 1992 as a Chef de Partie at the former one-Michelin starred restaurant De Trechter in Amsterdam.
Following a stint with Embassy Suites in Denver in the USA, Fred returned to Europe in 1995 to take on a food and beverage role with Hyatt Hotels at The Lowndes Hotel in London. Between 1997 and 2001, he worked at a number of other Hyatt properties, including holding positions at hotels in Baku, Azerbaijan and the Dead Sea and Jerusalem in Israel.