A Dual Leadership Role at Savoy Signature
Portuguese hotel group Savoy Signature is strengthening its management structure with the appointment of Diego Requena Torres as General Manager of Savoy Palace and Area Director, overseeing both Savoy Palace and Royal Savoy.
The appointment reflects the group’s commitment to strengthening operational leadership, enhancing the guest experience and supporting team development across its Funchal properties.
In his new role, Requena Torres will assume direct responsibility for Savoy Palace while coordinating and overseeing operations across both hotels.
From Six Senses Rome to Savoy Palace
Before joining Savoy Signature, Diego Requena Torres had served as Director of Operations at Six Senses Rome, a luxury hotel in the Italian capital, since April 2024.
His career includes several senior management positions at major international hotels:
- 2022–2023: Director of Food & Beverage at ANA InterContinental Tokyo, a property with more than 840 rooms, twelve food and beverage outlets and substantial banqueting operations.
- 2020–2021: Director of Operations and Guest Experience at Hotel Martinez in Cannes, a luxury palace hotel with more than 400 rooms.
- 2015–2019: Director of Food & Beverage at Hilton Tokyo, a property with more than 800 rooms.
- 2014–2015: Director of Food & Beverage at Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian, Scotland.
These positions enabled him to develop expertise in managing large-scale hotel operations, driving commercial performance, overseeing food and beverage activities and leading multicultural teams.
Eleven Years with Joël Robuchon
A distinctive aspect of Diego Requena Torres’s career is his experience within the international organisation of renowned chef Joël Robuchon.
Between May 2003 and June 2014, he held operational management responsibilities in fine dining, working notably in Paris, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Singapore.
During those eleven years, he contributed to the preparation and opening of several fine-dining restaurants, including establishments operating under the L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Joël Robuchon Restaurant brands.
His responsibilities also encompassed recruitment and staff training, opening coordination, business development and monitoring operational targets.
This combination of haute cuisine and international hotel management has been a defining element of his executive career.
An International Profile for Two Luxury Hotels
Beyond his operational management expertise, Diego Requena Torres has gained professional experience across Europe, Asia and the United States.
His professional profile highlights proficiency in French, English and Spanish, alongside language skills in Italian, Japanese and Portuguese.
Through this appointment, Savoy Signature is entrusting the oversight of two of its Funchal properties to an executive whose career combines hotel operations, high-end gastronomy and international management.
An Appointment Aligned with the Group’s Strategy
This management development comes within a hotel group whose executive leadership was entrusted to Roberto Santa Clara in 2023. La Tribune de l’Hôtellerie covered his appointment at the time, outlining the portfolio of seven properties operating under the Savoy Signature banner.
The appointment of Diego Requena Torres further strengthens the operational management structure of two of the group’s flagship assets in Madeira, the destination where Savoy Signature concentrates its hotel operations.
At a Glance
Appointment: Diego Requena Torres appointed General Manager of Savoy Palace and Area Director for Savoy Palace and Royal Savoy.
Location: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
Hotel group: Savoy Signature.
Previous position: Director of Operations at Six Senses Rome since April 2024.
Career background: Senior operational and F&B roles at Hotel Martinez Cannes, ANA InterContinental Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo and Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh.
Gastronomy experience: Eleven years with Joël Robuchon International across Europe, Asia and the United States.
