Starwood Hotels names Nijad Fares general manager of 1 Hotel Seattle
Starwood Hotels has appointed Nijad Fares as general manager of 1 Hotel Seattle. The company announced the appointment on 1 October 2026 from Seattle, Washington.
Starwood Hotels operates Baccarat Hotels, 1 Hotels and Treehouse Hotels.
Fares oversees all aspects of operations at the property. The 153-room hotel opened in May 2025 in the city's South Lake Union neighborhood.
The property remit
1 Hotel Seattle was the 1 Hotels brand's first property in the Pacific Northwest. The hotel has since earned a MICHELIN Key.
The 153 guest rooms include 45 suites, and the hotel offers views of the city skyline and the Space Needle.
Two food and beverage outlets anchor the guest experience. La Loba is the signature restaurant. Drift is the lobby bar and lounge.
More than 20 years across four markets
Fares brings more than 20 years of international hospitality experience to the role. His career spans lifestyle, luxury and boutique hotels in Japan, California, Hawaii and Switzerland.
The company cites hotel operations, team leadership, guest experience and food and beverage among his areas of expertise.
The Aloft Osaka Dojima record
Fares joins 1 Hotel Seattle from Aloft Osaka Dojima, where he served as general manager. He elevated guest satisfaction and strengthened team engagement at that property. He improved financial performance and reduced annual talent turnover to 10 percent.
The hotel's leadership index improved by 51 points under his leadership. The property achieved a top-five ranking in Japan.
A career across hotel brands
Fares has held leadership positions at Tokyo EDITION, W Hollywood, Viceroy Santa Monica, Clift Hotel San Francisco and The St. Regis Monarch Beach. He has also worked at several Westin and Sheraton properties.
His experience includes opening signature restaurants and bars. He has led hotel openings and renovations, achieved regional service-audit results and directed multimillion-dollar capital improvement projects.
At Clift Hotel he introduced a rooftop herb garden and beehives.
Starwood Hotels on the appointment
Raul Leal, chief executive officer of Starwood Hotels, said: "Nijad brings a thoughtful approach to hospitality and a proven ability to build strong teams, elevate the guest experience, and drive operational performance."
"His international experience, passion for people, and appreciation for nature make him a natural fit for 1 Hotels, and we're excited to welcome him to Seattle as we continue to build on the hotel's success," Leal said.
Fares on joining the brand
Fares said: "I'm thrilled to join 1 Hotel Seattle and become part of a brand whose values resonate so strongly with my own."
"Throughout my career, I've always believed that exceptional hospitality starts with genuine human connection, both with our guests and within our teams," he said.
"Seattle's deep connection to nature makes it an incredible setting for 1 Hotels, and I look forward to working alongside the team to continue creating meaningful experiences for our guests and the local community," Fares said.
Credentials and languages
Fares is a Certified Sommelier and a Six Sigma Green Belt. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hotel Management from the Swiss branch of Washington State University. He also holds a Swiss Diploma in Hotel Management from Institut Hôtelier César Ritz.
He speaks English, French and Arabic fluently. He is developing his conversational Japanese.