Hong Kong Hospitality Veteran John Girard Joins Plaza Premium Group as Hong Kong General Manager

Plaza Premium Group (PPG), the world's leading airport hospitality service provider, has appointed John Girard, a veteran global hotel executive with deep experience in Hong Kong, as General Manager Operations for Hong Kong.

Mr. Girard has an extensive hospitality career, including over three decades in leadership positions at Hong Kong hotels, most recently as Area General Manager and Vice President of Development at Regal Hotels International, managing the 1,200-room Regal Airport Hotel.

Over the course of working in Hong Kong’s hotel sector since 1987, Mr. Girard has witnessed the huge growth and transformation of the tourism and hospitality industries in the territory. He brings robust relationships with the Hong Kong International Airport, and with the Hong Kong Hotels Association as a long-standing executive committee member.

A native of Malta, Mr. Girard’s career has spanned 16 countries across four continents, including locations like Georgetown, Guyana to Darwin, Australia. Hotel brands that Mr. Girard has worked for include Hyatt in the Middle East, the Pegasus Hotel in Guyana, the Beaufort Hotel in Darwin, and the Sino and Marco Polo hotels in Hong Kong.

“You could say that tourism is in my blood, as this was the bedrock of the economy of my home island of Malta,” Mr. Girard said. “I’ve been fortunate to have a far-ranging career, and I’m excited to be able to bring my knowledge of customer service, operational excellence and client experiences to airport hospitality at PPG.”

Mr. Girard will oversee PPG’s operations at its hometown Hong Kong International Airport, where PPG provides a 360 airport hospitality experience including three Plaza Premium Lounges, a Plaza Premium First lounge, its innovative Intervals cocktail lounge, 17 airport services provided by Allways, and a dining outlet, Root98.

“Hong Kong International Airport has always had a special place in our hearts and history, as the birthplace of Plaza Premium Lounge. For 25 years, PPG has grown up hand-in-hand with the Hong Kong airport as an invaluable partner,” said Mr. Song Hoi-see, founder and CEO of PPG. “John is not only a tourism leader with diverse experience, but someone who understands the Hong Kong hospitality market and how to deliver customer service excellence. Together with the operations team, he will make travel better for this major transport hub.”