Minor Hotels, a global hotel owner and operator, has named Puneet Dhawan as Head of Asia, as the business plans to expand in Asia and India. Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia beginning in July, working closely with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and reporting directly to Minor Hotels CEO Dillip Rajakarier.

Dhawan, a seasoned professional with a 30-year hospitality career spanning Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, offers extensive knowledge to his current position. His most recent position at Accor was Senior Vice President of Operations – India & South Asia, where he oversaw the group’s business development, owner management, hotel operations, and commercial teams, all of which contributed to Accor’s regional growth. Notably, he oversaw the establishment of the first Raffles hotel in India. During his 25-year experience at Accor, he served as Vice President of Operations, Middle East, as well as other General Manager positions. Dhawan’s hospitality career began with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he worked at locations in the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Dhawan earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. When he begins working for Minor Hotels in July, he will be stationed in the group’s Bangkok Corporate Office.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of Minor International, said: “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.”

Minor Hotels announced in January that it plans to add more than 200 new openings to its global portfolio by the end of 2026, with almost half of those in Asia. More recently, the hotel firm announced plans to open 50 new hotels in India over the next ten years, including the launch of its luxury Anantara brand later this year in Jaipur.