Working alongside executive vice president and general manager Darren Gearing, Ammerstorfer will be responsible for the day-to-day management and overseeing operations of the 202-bedroom hotel, which was originally set to open this summer, before being pushed back to 'sometime in Q4' in May.
Before working at The Trafalgar, Ammerstorfer was general manager at Celebrity Cruises in Miami. The rest of his 13-year career has seen him work for Hilton in Egypt and Kuwait and for Preferred Hotels' Plaza on the River - Club and Residence, London and as banquet manager at The Leading Hotels of the World’s five-star Westgate Hotel in San Diego.
Gearing said: "We are delighted to welcome Jurgen to the Shangri-La family. His wealth of experience along with his intricate understanding of five-star luxury means that we can be sure guests to Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London will enjoy a welcome like no other.”
Revised date
News of Ammerstorfer's appointment comes as the hotel, owned by Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, reported a change of building contractor, leading to concerns that the opening date would be pushed back again.
According to Building, the hotel, which will feature four restaurants, event space and a gym with infinity pool, may not open until early next year because of on-going delays to the fit-out.
The Shangri-La confirmed it had removed the John Sisk Group from the project and had replaced them with Chorus Group last week, but a spokesperson said the company was 'currently working towards a Q4 opening of the hotel' although no specific opening date had been set.