Minor Hotels Appoints Lokesh Kumar as Vice President of Development for Middle East Expansion
(IN SHORT) Minor Hotels, a prominent hotel owner and operator with a global portfolio, has named Lokesh Kumar as Vice President of Development for the Middle East. With over 23 years of strategic leadership experience, Lokesh brings a wealth of expertise in managing owner relationships and executing public-private partnerships to drive revenue and optimize costs. His background includes successful stints with hospitality giants like Movenpick and The Oberoi Group, as well as consultancy roles focusing on tourism development and hotel feasibility studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In his new role, Lokesh will oversee development strategies and asset management across Minor Hotels’ diverse portfolio, contributing to the company’s ambitious growth plans in the region.
(PRESS RELEASE) Bangkok, Thailand, 2024-May-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Minor Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and investor currently with a portfolio of 540 hotels and resorts in 56 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Indian Ocean, has announced the appointment of Lokesh Kumar as Vice President of Development for the Middle East. Lokesh brings over 23 years of strategic business leadership experience and a proven track record in managing owner and key government relationships whilst executing strategic public-private partnerships to maximise revenues and optimise costs.
Lokesh joins Minor Hotels from his most recent management consulting role, where he demonstrated his prowess in developing tourism offerings along the 1,600 km Coral Highway from Jezan to NEOM, whilst creating futuristic hotel concepts for the tourism authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also offered feasibility and development strategies for mixed-use city development projects across multiple asset classes, including hospitality, commercial, residential and education. Additionally, Lokesh provided advisory services for operator selection and joint venture evaluation for a sovereign fund entity in KSA that aimed to develop 4,000 hotel rooms in key cities.
His exceptional track record in managing key responsibilities of development, asset management and commercial with hospitality companies, including Movenpick, Unison Hotels and The Oberoi Group, puts him in an ideal position to drive Minor Hotels’ future growth initiatives and expansion in the Middle East.
In his new role, Kumar will oversee development strategies and management of assets across Minor Hotels’ portfolio of hotels, including the Anantara, Avani, NH Hotels, NH Collection, Oaks and Tivoli brands. His expertise in business process enhancement will also contribute to commercial effectiveness across all the brands’ projects.
“We are delighted to welcome Lokesh to Minor Hotels,” remarked Amir Golbarg, Senior Vice President of Middle East, Africa and India for Minor Hotels. “His sterling reputation in developing and managing strategic business operations across the GCC and India aligns seamlessly with Minor Hotels’ vision for our future. Lokesh’s astute thinking and expertise in the market will be invaluable as we move forward with our plans for the future.”
Kumar added, “I am indeed privileged to join Minor Hotels. It’s an exciting time for the company, which has witnessed impressive growth in recent years. I’m eager to contribute to its continued success with new openings across the Middle East. The entrepreneurial approach of the company aligns with my professional goals and I look forward to working with the team to further accentuate growth.”
Lokesh holds an MBA from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in India after completing hotel school at the Institute of Hotel Management, Goa.
The group currently operates 25 hotels and resorts across five brands in the Middle East and has a strong pipeline of properties in multiple countries. Minor Hotels is committed to providing exceptional hospitality experiences to its guests and is focused on sustainable development and social responsibility.
About Minor Hotels
Minor Hotels is a global hospitality group operating over 540 hotels, resorts and residences in 56 countries, pursuing its vision of crafting a more passionate and interconnected world. As a hotel owner, operator and investor, Minor Hotels fulfils the needs and desires of today’s global travellers through its diverse portfolio of eight hotel brands – Anantara, Avani, Elewana Collection, NH, NH Collection, nhow, Oaks and Tivoli – and a collection of related businesses. Minor Hotels is rapidly accelerating its global growth ambitions, aiming to add more than 200 hotels by the end of 2026.
Minor Hotels is a proud member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, and participates in the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme.
For more information, please visit minorhotels.com and connect with Minor Hotels on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Natasha Rhymes
Group Director PR & Communications
nrhymes@minor.com
+971 (0) 4436 3482
Hana Fuchs
Regional Director of Marketing & Communications
Minor Hotels Middle East
hfuchs@minor.com
Source: Minor Hotels
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