Hong Kong based-Swire Hotels, a division of Swire Properties Limited, has announced three senior management appointments: Mark Passmore as head of operations; Simon McHendry as general manager for The Upper House; and Kristina Snaith-Lense as general manager for the new House Collective property.
Swire Hotels creates and manages hotels in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and the United States under two brands: The House Collective and EAST. The House Collective is a group of Houses inspired by their locations, which include The Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu and The Middle House in Shanghai, with new openings in Shenzhen, Xi’an and Tokyo set to join the collective in the coming four years, while sister brand EAST Hotels targets curious, creative and sustainability-minded travellers.
“As we expand our portfolio of luxury properties and look ahead, it is a natural step to expand the roles of senior leaders who truly understand our brand,” said Dean Winter, managing director at Swire Hotels. “Mark, Kristina and Simon have each played a key role in the success of The House Collective. They’ve built strong, long-standing teams who drive the growth of our hotels, challenge us to think differently about hospitality, and embody our commitment to nurturing talent from within. We’re excited to see how each of them will bring their own strengths and perspective to these new roles.”
As head of operations, Mark Passmore will oversee operations and design across all the Asia properties. Through his 19-year career with Swire, Passmore has held several leadership roles at the company, including general manager for The Middle House in Jing’An, China, and The Opposite House in Beijing. Most recently, he served as Director of Operations for Chinese Mainland.
A seasoned hotelier with over 28 years of experience in hospitality and commerce, Simon McHendry joined Swire as general manager of EAST Beijing in 2016, before moving to The Temple House in Chengdu in 2019, where, under his leadership, Mi Xun Teahouse earned its first MICHELIN Star. Most recently, as head of development & projects, McHendry led design innovation and operations for new hotel openings across the group.
Following an almost five-year tenure as general manager at The Upper House, Kristina Snaith-Lense will take the helm at the new House in Shenzen ahead of its launch in 2027 and also oversee wellness projects for the company. The Shenzhen House marks Swire’s first new opening in nine years and its entry into one of the fastest-growing cities in the Greater Bay Area. During her 13-year journey with Swire, Snaith-Lense has risen from assistant director of guest experience to general manager for The Upper House in 2021.
