With over 25 years of international hospitality experience, Upadhyay will oversee operations and commercial performance at Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre and DoubleTree by Hilton Gurugram Baani Square.

Hilton has appointed Sharad Kumar Upadhyay as Cluster General Manager of Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre and DoubleTree by Hilton Gurugram Baani Square. In his new role, he will oversee operations, commercial performance and guest experience across both properties.

Upadhyay brings more than 25 years of international hospitality experience across India, China, Nepal and Thailand, having held leadership positions in Beijing, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kathmandu, Pattaya and Bangkok.

A 25-year career with IHG Hotels & Resorts

Upadhyay joins Hilton from IHG Hotels & Resorts, where he spent nearly 25 years, most recently serving as general manager of Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, the largest Crowne Plaza in South West Asia.

His career with IHG began in 2002 at Crowne Plaza North Beijing. He subsequently held leadership positions at Crowne Plaza Kathmandu and across Delhi NCR, including director of food and beverage. He also served as executive assistant manager in Thailand before taking on general manager roles in Mumbai and Greater Noida.

During his career, he has led hotels through ownership transitions and post-pandemic recovery, with a focus on revenue growth, guest satisfaction and team performance.

Leadership recognition and executive education

Upadhyay’s contributions have been recognised through honours including the IHG Journey to Tomorrow Award, the IHG IMEA Leadership Award and the IHG Exceptional General Manager Award.

His executive education includes the General Management Program at Cornell University, the Global Advanced Management Programme offered by the Indian School of Business and NUS, and Harvard University’s Professional Development Programme in Design Thinking.

Hilton highlights operational and commercial expertise

Ranjan Malakar, Senior Regional Director – Operations, India, Hilton, said: “Sharad’s depth of experience across markets, and his track record of driving performance through disciplined operations and strong stakeholder relationships, make him an outstanding addition to our leadership team in Gurugram. We look forward to his contributions as he leads both hotels into their next phase of growth.”

Upadhyay said: “I am delighted to join Hilton and lead two hotels that are so well placed in Gurugram’s business and leisure landscape. My focus will be on building strong, diverse teams, delivering memorable guest experiences, and growing the hotels’ performance in close partnership with our owners and stakeholders.