Accor has announced the appointment of Amitabh Rai as chief operating officer – luxury, South Asia, strengthening its leadership team at a crucial phase of regional expansion.

In this strategic role, Rai will lead the operational and strategic direction of Accor’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio across South Asia. His mandate includes delivering distinctive guest experiences and driving sustained performance across the group’s marquee brands, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Sofitel.

With nearly three decades of hospitality experience across India and Indonesia, Rai is recognised for building empowered teams and navigating complex business environments with consistent results. He began his career with Oberoi Hotels & Resorts after graduating from The Oberoi School of Hotel Management, going on to become one of the youngest general managers of his time.

In 2018, he joined Marriott International as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore and later oversaw Marriott’s Hyderabad market. Most recently, he served as Multi-Property General Manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta and JW Marriott, Jakarta, further strengthening his global luxury credentials.

Commenting on the appointment, Ranju Alex, Chief Executive Officer, Accor South Asia, said, “Amitabh’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Accor’s luxury journey in South Asia. His deep operational expertise, people-first leadership style and sharp strategic lens make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our luxury and lifestyle portfolio. Amitabh has a rare ability to balance brand integrity with commercial excellence, and we are confident he will play a defining role in shaping the next phase of growth for our luxury brands in the region.”

In his new role, Rai will define and execute Accor’s long-term strategic vision for its luxury and lifestyle brands in South Asia. His focus areas include driving financial excellence, strengthening brand differentiation, and fostering a culture rooted in learning, trust, and innovation.

Speaking on his appointment, Rai said, “It is a privilege to join Accor at such an exciting moment for luxury hospitality and Accor’s expansion plans in the region. Accor’s commitment to purposeful growth, distinctive brands, and people-centric leadership strongly resonates with my own values. I look forward to working closely with our teams to craft memorable guest experiences, nurture talent and build future-ready luxury destinations that are both meaningful and sustainable.”

With this appointment, Accor signals its intent to sharpen its luxury positioning in South Asia while accelerating growth across key markets.

Malai Marke has announced the appointment of Himanshu Joshi as Sous Chef, reinforcing its culinary leadership with his extensive experience across premium Indian restaurants in India and the United States.

Chef Joshi brings a well-rounded and accomplished culinary background. He is currently associated with The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi at its signature restaurant Dilli 32, where he serves as Sous Chef, contributing to North Indian cuisine rooted in heritage recipes and refined techniques.

Earlier in his career, he worked under renowned chef Manish Mehrotra at Indian Accent in both New Delhi and New York as Chef de Partie. During this tenure, he gained significant exposure to progressive Indian cuisine, innovation-led menu development and globally benchmarked kitchen standards. He also served as Junior Sous Chef at Riga Foods under celebrated chef Ritu Dalmia, further expanding his expertise in refined Indian and modern European techniques.

His professional journey includes roles at The LaLiT New Delhi (Baluchi), India Habitat Centre, Pan India Food Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and Nirula’s Hotels, giving him experience across luxury dining, institutional catering and high-volume operations.

Chef Joshi has also been recognised nationally, receiving a Merit Certificate Award at the AAHAR Competition held at Pragati Maidan in 2015 and earning a Mistry Audit Certification with a 99% score for excellence in quality and hygiene standards.

Sharing his thoughts on the new role, Chef Joshi said he looks forward to contributing meaningfully to the organisation while continuing to grow as a culinary professional. With this appointment, Malai Marke USA aims to further elevate its authentic Indian dining experience for international audiences

Holiday Inn Express SAMHI portfolio has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Gaurav Pandey as Portfolio Director – Learning & Quality and Tahir Siddiqui as Portfolio F&B Manager. The move reflects the brand’s continued focus on building strong operational capabilities and delivering consistent, guest-first hospitality across its growing footprint in India.

Gaurav brings over 23 years of experience spanning hotel operations, learning and development, academic leadership and pre-opening strategy. He has worked with institutions and brands such as the Indian School of Hospitality, Conrad Bengaluru, Jaypee Greens and Sarovar Hotels. In his new role, he will drive learning initiatives, quality frameworks and brand-standard alignment, ensuring teams are well-equipped to deliver the efficient and welcoming service that defines Holiday Inn Express. Sharing his thoughts, Gaurav said he looks forward to enhancing learning systems and maintaining clarity and consistency as the portfolio expands.

Tahir Siddiqui joins as Portfolio F&B Manager with more than 13 years of experience in food and beverage operations. Having held operational roles with Crowne Plaza, Hyatt and Rainbow Hospital, he brings expertise in high-volume service environments, cost optimisation and team development. At Holiday Inn Express, he will focus on strengthening consistency and elevating dining experiences across all properties. Tahir noted that his priority will be to enhance operational delivery while fostering a service culture rooted in warmth and efficiency.

These appointments align with IHG’s “Room to Belong” ethos and reinforce Holiday Inn Express’ promise of smart, simple and comfortable stays for today’s travellers.