Swissôtel Tallinn officially announced the leadership transition on 23 October. Jean Wendling, Vice President, travelled to the Estonian capital to oversee the handover, welcome Patrick Chmielewski and thank Vincent Dujardin for his contribution to the property and its teams.
A career spanning hotel operations, openings and repositioning
Patrick Chmielewski has spent a substantial part of his career with Accor. After holding food and beverage responsibilities at Mercure Paris Val de Fontenay, followed by an operational role at Novotel Paris Est Centre de Conférence, he served as General Manager of Novotel Bristol Centre from January 2007 to October 2010.
He subsequently moved to China as Hotel Manager of Pullman Shanghai Skyway before taking over as General Manager of Pullman Wuxi New Lake. His experience in China also includes an assignment at Pullman Lijiang Resort & Spa and the pre-opening and subsequent operation of Pullman Nanjing Lukou Airport between 2014 and 2017.
From February 2017 to January 2020, he oversaw the rebranding and repositioning of Pullman Shanghai Jing’An before contributing to the opening of Sofitel Hangzhou Yingguan.
Recent experience in lifestyle hospitality and consultancy
Between August 2022 and October 2023, Patrick Chmielewski led M Social Suzhou, part of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, through its pre-opening and operational phases.
Since November 2023, he had been working as an independent hospitality and food and beverage consultant in China. His assignments focused particularly on operational efficiency, restaurant concepts, commercial positioning, and supporting hotel owners and management teams.
His arrival in Tallinn therefore marks a return to hotel general management in Europe following an extended period in Asia.
The appointment follows another recently announced leadership change within the brand: Philippe Mahuas taking over as General Manager of Swissôtel Mariánské Lázně.
LTH Analysis
Patrick Chmielewski’s career combines hotel operations, food and beverage, openings and repositioning projects. This breadth of experience provides a relevant foundation for taking over the management of an established hotel and working with its teams.
However, Swissôtel Tallinn’s announcement remains focused on management continuity: it does not specify any new investment programme or changes to the property’s positioning.
At a Glance
Appointment: Patrick Chmielewski becomes General Manager of Swissôtel Tallinn, Estonia.
Effective date: 19 October 2026.
Predecessor: Vincent Dujardin.
Experience: More than 30 years in international hospitality, including 16 as General Manager.
Background: Accor hotel operations, openings and repositioning projects in Europe and China, followed by M Social Suzhou and independent consultancy.
