The renowned Italian hotspot in DIFC, Marea Dubai, is proud to announce hospitality virtuoso Petra Peternel as their new General Manager.  The appointment is a natural progression in the brand’s growing reputation for world-class dining, with Petra set to take the DIFC restaurant to new heights. Petra has played a key role in the restaurant success since pre-opening, having been on the ground to witness the brand’s immersion into the DIFC fine-dining and nightlife scene. As part of the Altamarea Group, Marea Dubai stands as one of only a handful of DIFC’s internationally recognized fine-dining venues, following in the footsteps of its Michelin starred sister restaurant and celebrity hotspot Marea New York, located on Central Park South in New York City.

Prior to assuming the lead role as General Manager at Marea Dubai, Petra worked as a Restaurant Manager and Beverage Director and was part of the pre-opening team that brought the Marea brand to Dubai. With a passion for the world of hospitality and the food & beverage industry, Petra is a true oenophile at heart and first took an interest in the art of wine production. With a career spanning 11 years, she has worked in wineries and other venues across Europe as sales and marketing manager. She is also credited as the creator and organizer of Budapest’s first new wine festival and holds a WSET 3 advanced wine certification. The WSET is globally recognized as the international standard in wine and spirit education. Petra is a multi-faceted General Manager with the ability to speak three languages fluently, her current goal is to master the Arabic language, which she studies as a hobby.

Petra moved to Dubai nearly 5 years ago, to broaden her experience in the international hospitality and cuisine market. Initially, she started her hospitality career in Dubai working for the popular Turkish concept, Ruya under Dogus Group before she ventured into the Italian-chic Altamarea Group where she worked on bringing the Marea vision to life, taking the concept from its refined New York setting to the luxury DIFC scene. Years of hard work and dedication saw Petra rise quickly through the ranks and she is thrilled to take on the role of General Manager. Petra is ready to showcase the full Marea experience to clients, from the exceptional food and beverage on offer to impeccable service, in an elegant, yet comfortable ambiance with a tailored hospitality experience unique to each guest.

Petra is poised to oversee several global openings in the Altamarea Group and has set ambitious plans to capture the after-hours nightlife crowd at Marea this summer, with the support of her highly skilled team.