Holiday Inn Express appoints Palash Swarup as Portfolio Director of Sales & Marketing

/

A leadership appointment to drive commercial performance across Holiday Inn Express hotels in India.

Holiday Inn Express has announced the appointment of Palash Swarup as portfolio director of sales & marketing for its portfolio. In this role, he will lead the commercial performance of the 12 Holiday Inn Express hotels across India owned by SAMHI.

Professional experience and expertise

Palash brings over 18 years of experience across hospitality, aviation, and IT consulting, with expertise in sales strategy, revenue optimisation, and business development. An alumnus of IHM Chandigarh, he has experience across corporate, leisure, MICE, embassies, airlines, and events.

Previous roles

Previously, he served as Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing at Hyatt Hotels and has also held roles at Hilton Hotels, Taj Hotels, and Sagax.

On the appointment

Commenting on his appointment, Palash Swarup said, “I am delighted to take on this new role and look forward to strengthening Holiday Inn Express’s position in the market while driving sustainable growth.”

Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre Appoints Rajinikanth Ramadass as Director of Sales & Marketing

/

The Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre (NJCC) and Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC) have announced the appointment of Rajinikanth Ramadass as their new Director of Sales & Marketing. With over 15 years of experience in hospitality sales and marketing, Ramadass brings a wealth of expertise in revenue growth, market repositioning, and strategic leadership.

Professional Background

  • Recent Role: Director of Sales & Marketing at Hyatt Regency Dehradun Resort and Spa, where he repositioned the property in the luxury segment and achieved a 17% revenue increase.

  • Past Experience: Leadership positions at Grand Hyatt Goa, Park Hyatt Chennai, and The Westin Chennai Velachery.

  • Key Achievements: Improved ADR (Average Daily Rate), RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room), and strengthened corporate and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) segments.

Expertise and Strengths

  • Strategic mindset and analytical expertise.

  • Strong relationship-building skills across corporate and leisure markets.

  • Proven success in revenue management, digital marketing initiatives, and large-scale banqueting sales.

  • Ability to align commercial strategy with operational excellence.

Role at Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre & JECC

In his new position, Ramadass will:

  • Lead overall sales, marketing, and revenue strategy.

  • Strengthen NJCC and JECC’s positioning as premier destinations for MICE, exhibitions, weddings, and large-scale events in Rajasthan.

  • Drive strategic growth and enhance brand visibility in both domestic and international markets.

Leadership Perspectives

  • Rajinikanth Ramadass: “I am truly honored to join Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre and JECC at such an exciting phase of growth. This iconic destination has immense potential in the MICE and social events segment, and I look forward to driving strategic growth and delivering exceptional value to our guests and partners.”

  • Manuj Ralhan, General Manager: “We are delighted to welcome Rajinikanth to our leadership team. His strong commercial acumen, proven track record of driving revenue performance, and ability to build high-impact teams make him the perfect fit for our integrated hotel and convention ecosystem.”