Manish Ahluwalia

Manish Ahluwalia has been appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Hospitality Group, effective October 2026. He brings more than 25 years of international hospitality leadership across Australia, China, Mauritius, Angola and the United Arab Emirates, known for turning bold ideas into commercially successful, internationally recognised brands.

He spent more than two decades with IHG Hotels & Resorts in senior leadership roles across international markets, and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of a 20-hotel master development on Dubai's World Islands. On Dubai's World Islands, he 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.

Career History

• 2026–Present: Group Chief Executive Officer, Phoenix Hospitality Group
• 2024–2026: General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, The Heart of Europe, World Islands Dubai
• 2022–2024: Manager, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Luanda, Angola
• 2017–2022: Resort Manager, InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort
• 2014–2017: Director of Food & Beverage, Hainan Cluster, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Sanya, China (overseeing nine hotels across InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Hualuxe brands)
• 2009–2014: Hotel F&B Operations Manager, Crowne Plaza Dubai
• 2004–2007: Assistant Food & Beverage Manager, Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia

Ahluwalia holds a Bachelor of Technology from the Technological Institute of Textiles and Sciences, Bhiwani (Haryana). His educational background in textile technology provided an early foundation before his transition into international hospitality leadership across premium hotel operations, asset development, and complex project management.

What Manish Ahluwalia could bring to Group CEO at Phoenix Hospitality Group: Ahluwalia's appointment positions him to leverage his extensive background in large-scale development, international operations across multiple markets, and transformational hospitality projects. His experience managing high-profile properties serving heads of state and international delegations, combined with his technical expertise in asset lifecycle management from concept through operational launch, equips him to scale Phoenix Hospitality Group from its UAE foundation into a structured, globally-relevant hospitality platform across Africa, the Middle East, Europe and South West Asia.