The former IHG Hotels & Resorts leader will oversee global expansion across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South West Asia, with India identified as a key growth market.

Phoenix Hospitality Group (PHG) has appointed Manish Ahluwalia as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective October 2026. Manish Ahluwalia will lead the Group’s growth and global expansion, strengthen its corporate structure, nurture a people-first culture and build a robust pipeline of new opportunities.

Over two decades of international hospitality experience

Manish Ahluwalia spent more than two decades with IHG Hotels & Resorts, holding senior leadership positions across multiple international markets. His career spans Australia, China, Mauritius, Angola and the United Arab Emirates, encompassing hotel operations, development, asset enhancement, pre-openings, repositioning, brand creation and complex hospitality projects. Across these world-class hotels, he welcomed heads of state, senior government officials, international business delegations and global celebrities, delivering the standard of service and protocol that such guests expect.

On Dubai’s World Islands, Manish Ahluwalia led a six-island, 20-hotel master development, with a remit that extended across the hospitality asset lifecycle, from master planning and concept development through design, construction, branding, operational readiness and commercial launch.

Manish Ahluwalia is known for turning bold ideas into commercially successful, internationally recognised brands. His appointment marks a defining moment for Phoenix Hospitality Group as it evolves from a homegrown UAE group into a platform built to scale globally.

Global expansion across hospitality markets

As Group Chief Executive Officer, Manish Ahluwalia will lead Phoenix Hospitality Group’s next phase of development, overseeing its strategic and operational direction while building a more structured and scalable hospitality platform. His mandate includes strengthening the Group’s corporate and operating framework, enhancing the performance and positioning of its existing portfolio, and developing a robust pipeline of opportunities across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South West Asia through investment, leasing, franchising and strategic partnerships.

India emerges as a key growth market

India is a key market in this next phase. Several of the Group’s restaurant concepts, including Jodhpur, Batliwala & Co. and Hitchki, are rooted in Indian heritage and culture, and the strong travel, business and community ties between India and the UAE make it a natural next step. Phoenix Hospitality Group will explore expansion opportunities in India through investment, leasing, franchising and strategic partnerships.

Manish Ahluwalia, Group Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Hospitality Group, said: “We aren’t just scaling across borders—from the Middle East to Africa, Europe and South West Asia—we are engineering the foundation to thrive in them. By pairing disciplined corporate structure and robust operational pipelines with a culture that puts our people first, we are building a truly resilient global legacy.”