Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has appointed Kurt Straub as Vice President of operations for India. In his new position, Straub will be responsible for executing the company’s operational and growth strategy in India, a country that plays an important role in Hyatt’s global expansion plans. Straub has assumed his new role at Hyatt’s headquarters in Gurgaon effective February 20, 2015, reporting to Peter Fulton, Group President, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Southwest Asia, Hyatt.
“Kurt has been an integral part of the Hyatt growth story in his 20-plus years with the company. His multifaceted international experience and strong operational expertise across continents will play a pivotal role in helping Hyatt reinforce its goal of being the most preferred hotel brand in India and the world,” said Peter Fulton.
“I am delighted to represent Hyatt in India. I look forward to bringing the experience that I have gathered to the country, one of the world’s fastest growing markets,” said Straub.
Straub joins Hyatt in India with more than 20 years of experience across multiple Hyatt brands in different countries. Most recently, he was area vice president for full and select service hotels in Mexico, where he counseled hotels in operations, performance, brand integrity and reputation, and owner relations. Prior to that, Straub was general manager of Hyatt Regency Mexico City and general manager of Park Hyatt Zurich.
Originally from Rapperswil, Switzerland, Straub is a graduate of the Hotel School Belvoirpark Zurich. In 2009, he was named as the Hotelier of the Year by Bilanz magazine, a prestigious award given by one of the biggest business magazines in Switzerland for individuals with outstanding service in the hospitality industry.
Hyatt Hotels in India
Hyatt was among the first international hotel brands to enter India in 1980 when its subsidiary signed a management agreement for Hyatt Regency Delhi, which opened in 1983.
Thirty years later, Hyatt manages 20 properties in India across its portfolio of brands in key markets, including Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hampi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Pune. In 2012, Park Hyatt Hyderabad, Park Hyatt Chennai and Hyatt Place Hampi, the first Hyatt Place hotel to open in India, opened. In 2013, five hotels were rebranded under the Hyatt brand and three more Hyatt-branded hotels opened in Ludhiana, Gurgaon and Raipur in 2014. Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi opened on January 30, 2015, the first Hyatt Place hotel in Western India.
