Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal has announced the appointment of SK Jahid Akhtar as Pastry Chef, further strengthening the hotel’s culinary leadership team.

With more than 13 years of experience in luxury hospitality, Jahid brings extensive expertise in pastry arts, bakery operations, confectionery, and dessert innovation. He is recognised for combining classical pastry techniques with contemporary flavours and presentation styles to create elevated guest dining experiences.

Prior to joining Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal, Jahid served as Pastry Chef at Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences. Over the years, he has held culinary roles with several prominent hospitality brands including ITC Maurya, The Leela Ambience Gurugram, The Westin Mumbai Garden City, Conrad Pune, JW Marriott Pune, and Fariyas Resort Lonavla.

He has also gained international exposure through his work at Olivia Restaurant & French Patisserie and independent pastry projects in Bhubaneswar. Throughout his career, Jahid has been recognised for managing high-pressure kitchen operations, mentoring pastry teams, and creating visually refined dessert concepts.

An alumnus of Biju Pattnaik College of Hotel Management and Tourism, Bhubaneswar, Jahid also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Utkal University, Odisha.

In his new role, he will oversee pastry operations at the hotel, focusing on innovative dessert development, guest experience enhancement, and culinary team mentorship while bringing fresh creativity to the property’s dining offerings.

The Access Group, one of the leading providers of business management software solutions globally, has announced the appointment of Arup Mukherjee as Head of Marketing, Hospitality APAC. The move marks an important step in strengthening the company’s leadership presence across the Asia-Pacific region.

In his new role, Arup will oversee The Access Hospitality’s marketing strategy across APAC, focusing on building stronger brand visibility, creating demand, and improving engagement with hospitality businesses. He will also contribute to strengthening The Access Group’s position as an employer of choice across the region and help attract top technology talent.

The appointment comes at a time when STAAH, an Access company, already serves more than 30,000 properties across 90 countries, giving the company a strong foundation to expand its hospitality presence further.

Arup brings more than 16 years of experience in B2B marketing, with expertise in technology, growth strategies, and market development. Before joining The Access Group, he worked at Wolters Kluwer, where he established the marketing function and introduced a complete MarTech framework.

Prior to that, he served at Gartner as Head of India GTS Marketing, where he led global demand generation efforts across emerging markets. He also spent nearly ten years with Cvent and rose to the position of Regional Manager of Field Marketing, leading initiatives across EMEA and APAC while supporting market expansion into new regions.

Over the years, Arup has built deep experience in emerging markets, giving him a strong understanding of how brands can grow and connect across Asia-Pacific. He also holds an Advanced Programme for Executives certification from IIM Calcutta.

The company sees India and the wider APAC market as one of the most promising regions for hospitality technology growth. Through Access Evo, its AI-powered platform, hospitality businesses can access solutions such as channel management, booking engines, revenue management, and reputation management to support daily operations and long-term growth.

“We have a strong and growing base of hospitality customers across India and APAC through STAAH, ResDiary, Guestline and SHR, all Access companies. From accommodation providers to food and beverage operators, our focus is on ensuring every one of them has the technology, support, and partnership they need to grow. Arup brings exactly the marketing leadership to help us do that at scale. His ability to build marketing functions, develop regional markets, and harness MarTech and AI to drive meaningful engagement means we are well placed to deepen our relationships with existing customers and reach the many more hospitality businesses across Asia-Pacific who would benefit from what The Access Group has to offer.” said Louise Daley, Head of Hospitality APAC, The Access Group.

Commenting on his appointment, Arup Mukherjee, Head of Marketing, Hospitality APAC, The Access Group said,

“The Access Group is at a genuinely exciting inflection point in APAC, through the existing Access brands of STAAH, ResDiary, Guestline and SHR, giving us an incredibly strong foundation to build from. Having spent a significant part of my career developing markets across APAC and EMEA, with emerging markets always at the heart of my work, this role feels like a natural and exciting next step. I am looking forward to building a marketing engine that connects with hospitality operators authentically, tells The Access Group story compellingly, and drives real, measurable growth across the region.”

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay has appointed Benjamin Halat as its new Executive Chef, marking the beginning of a fresh culinary direction for the luxury beachfront resort from May 1, 2026.

Chef Benjamin brings more than two decades of international culinary experience spanning Europe and Asia, having worked across acclaimed restaurants and luxury hospitality brands in Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. His appointment further strengthens the resort’s positioning as one of Bali’s leading luxury dining destinations.

Located along Bali’s sunset coast, the resort is known for its immersive culinary experiences across multiple dining venues including Sundara, the oceanfront signature restaurant recognised with a 2025 Global Recognition Award for luxury hospitality and sustainable innovation; Jala, serving authentic Balinese cuisine; Taman Wantilan, featuring live Asian and Western cooking stations; and TELU, the resort’s community-conscious cocktail bar.

Born and raised in Munich, Chef Benjamin began his culinary journey at the Michelin-starred restaurant of Hotel Königshof Munich at the age of 17. Over the years, he has collaborated with internationally recognised chefs while refining a culinary philosophy rooted in precision, creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation.

Prior to joining Four Seasons, he served as Executive Chef at Mandarin Oriental Savoy Zurich, where he contributed to the property earning the Gault&Millau Schweiz Hotel of the Year 2025 recognition following its reopening.

Commenting on his appointment, Chef Benjamin said he is excited to return to Asia and work alongside the resort’s culinary team to create dishes inspired by Bali’s rich food traditions and exceptional local ingredients.

Known for encouraging collaborative kitchen culture and culinary excellence, Chef Benjamin is expected to lead a new phase of gastronomic innovation at the Forbes Five-Star resort, where sustainability, local culture, and refined dining experiences remain central to the guest journey.