Minor Hotels Welcomes Omar Romero as Chief Development and Luxury Officer

Leading global hospitality group Minor Hotels has named industry veteran Omar Romero as its Chief Development and Luxury Officer, a newly-created position, as the group continues its rapid global expansion.

In his new role, Romero will drive the global development strategy of Minor Hotels, identifying new business opportunities, overseeing the planning and execution of projects, and managing relationships with key stakeholders. He will also play a pivotal part in shaping and supporting the curation of Minor Hotels' luxury brands, ensuring the delivery of exceptional experiences in every project. Based in Bangkok, Romero will report to Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of Minor International, and work closely with Minor Hotels' senior leadership team.

Romero brings over two decades of experience to Minor Hotels. He most recently served as Chief Development Officer at Six Senses, leading the global development team for over half his tenure. During his career, Romero spearheaded the signing of more than 50 Hotel Management Agreements and multiple branded residence projects. His extensive global expertise will drive Minor Hotels' expansion and strengthen its prestigious footprint worldwide.

Rajakarier commented on the appointment saying, "At Minor Hotels, creating iconic destinations is at the heart of our success, especially for our experiential luxury brand, Anantara. Omar's extensive experience in identifying exceptional locations and his dedication to building lasting partnerships make him the perfect leader to drive our global development ambitions. We are confident that with his expertise, Minor Hotels will continue expanding its footprint and creating inspiring, memorable experiences for our guests around the world."

Romero added, "I'm thrilled to be joining Minor Hotels, an organisation that delivers exceptional value to owners, guests, investors and our team. I'm particularly excited about the potential to grow our branded residential offerings alongside our hotel and resort portfolio, a space where I've seen incredible opportunities for value creation. I look forward to working with the team to develop iconic destinations and build strong partnerships that will shape the future of our brands."

Romero holds a degree from the renowned Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and Les Roches Hotel Management School, bringing a wealth of knowledge and passion to his work. A true globetrotter, he thrives on finding exciting development opportunities across the globe and delivering exceptional guest experiences in every completed project.

Romero's appointment as Minor Hotels' Chief Development and Luxury Officer follows a string of senior hires as the hospitality group ramps up its expansion. In recent months, Puneet Dhawan joined Minor Hotels in Bangkok as Head of Asia, and the group announced the appointment of Gonzalo Aguilar to replace current Europe & Americas CEO Ram?n Aragones following his retirement in January 2025. Dhawan and Aguilar bring a wealth of experience from major hospitality players to spearhead the group's growth in their respective regions.

Minor Hotels' Global Development Ambitions

The senior appointments to Minor Hotels' senior leadership team come as it is accelerating its global development, targeting more than 200 new openings by the end of 2026—a 40% increase from its property count at the start of 2024. The company aims to grow its room inventory by more than 30,000 keys as part of its ambitious expansion strategy.

The group will achieve this growth by pursuing a more aggressive mix of hotel management agreements and franchising options, underpinned by Minor Hotels' long-standing 'asset-right' strategy. Additionally, the company plans to balance its geographic footprint, with a focus on increasing its presence in Asia and the Middle East more rapidly to reduce its concentration of properties in Europe. Minor Hotels' current portfolio of eight brands will continue to lead its expansion, while the group plans to introduce new brands in the luxury, premium, and select segments in the coming years to meet evolving consumer and owner demands.

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