Dhawan, a seasoned professional with a 30-year hospitality career spanning Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His most recent role as Senior Vice President of Operations – India & South Asia at Accor saw him lead the group’s business development, owner management, hotel operations and commercial team, driving Accor’s growth in the region.
Notably, he oversaw the opening of the first Raffles hotel in India. His 25-year tenure at Accor also included time as the group’s Vice President of Operations, Middle East, and several General Manager roles. Dhawan’s
journey in the hospitality industry began with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he held positions
at its properties in the Philippines and Hong Kong.
Dhawan holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. He will be based in the group’s Bangkok Corporate Office when he joins Minor Hotels in July.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of Minor International, commented, “We are
excited to welcome Puneet to the Minor Hotels family. His operational experience and empowering
leadership will be invaluable as we work to achieve our growth ambitions in Asia and India in the coming
years.”
In January, Minor Hotels unveiled its target to add more than 200 new openings to its global portfolio,
with approximately half in Asia, by the end of 2026. More recently, the hotel group announced its plan to
50 new openings in India within the next ten years, including the debut of its luxury Anantara brand later
this year in Jaipur.
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