APPOINTMENTS

Holiday Inn Express Appoints Zaheer Hasan Husain and Arjun Mehra to Portfolio Leadership Roles

Holiday Inn Express, owned by SAMHI, has announced the appointments of Zaheer Hasan Husain as Portfolio Housekeeping Manager and Arjun Mehra as Portfolio Front Office Manager.

The newly created portfolio-level roles are aimed at strengthening key operational functions, enhancing service consistency, and improving guest experience across the brand’s growing portfolio in India.

Zaheer Hasan Hussain- Appointed as Portfolio Housekeeping Manager

Zaheer Hasan Husain brings over 20 years of international experience across hospitality markets including the Maldives, Seychelles, Zanzibar, the Middle East, and India. His expertise spans housekeeping operations, pre-openings, rebranding projects, quality audits, cost optimisation, and managing multicultural teams. In his new role, he will focus on strengthening housekeeping standards, driving operational efficiency, and supporting team capability development across the portfolio.

Speaking about his new role, Zaheer Hasan Husain said, “It is a privilege to take on this responsibility at a time of continued growth for the Holiday Inn Express portfolio. Housekeeping is a critical pillar of the guest experience, and maintaining consistent standards across hotels requires a strong focus on processes, people and continuous improvement. I look forward to working closely with teams across the portfolio to strengthen operational excellence, enhance capability development and ensure every guest experiences the quality, comfort and reliability that the brand is known for.”

Arjun Mehra- Appointed as Portfolio Front Office Manager

Arjun Mehra brings more than 12 years of experience across leading hospitality brands such as JW Marriott, Taj Hotels, and Hilton. His career includes both domestic and international exposure, with a strong background in front office operations, guest satisfaction, and revenue performance. He will focus on enhancing front office standards, driving service consistency, and supporting guest-facing operations across the portfolio.

Commenting on his appointment, Arjun Mehra added, “I am delighted to be part of the Holiday Inn Express portfolio at such an exciting phase of growth. Front office teams play a critical role in shaping first impressions and building lasting guest relationships. My focus will be on enhancing service consistency, empowering teams and ensuring every guest interaction reflects the warmth, efficiency and reliability that the brand stands for. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across the portfolio to further strengthen the guest experience.”

Commenting on the appointments, Priyanka Ahluwalia, Cluster General Manager, Holiday Inn Express, said, “We are pleased to welcome Zaheer and Arjun to the Holiday Inn Express portfolio at a significant stage in our growth journey. The creation of these dedicated portfolio roles reflects our focus on strengthening key operational functions and building greater consistency across our hotels.

Their diverse international experience, operational expertise and leadership capabilities will not only help elevate guest experiences but also support the development of our teams and service culture. We look forward to leveraging their insights as we continue to enhance operational excellence and further define the Holiday Inn Express experience across our portfolio.”

The appointments reflect Holiday Inn Express’ continued focus on investing in specialized leadership talent and strengthening operational capabilities. The brand aims to enhance service excellence while supporting team development and maintaining consistent guest experiences across its hotels.