General Manager - Development

Sarovar Hotels; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 3,800,000 - 7,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sarovar Hotels is seeking a General Manager - Development to drive hotel portfolio expansion, evaluate new opportunities, and onboard projects from signing to opening.

The role requires strong commercial acumen, stakeholder management, and hands-on hotel development and pre-opening experience. Extensive travel and cross-functional collaboration are essential. MBA and 15–18 years in development or operations are highly regarded.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related discipline.
• MBA preferred for leadership role.
• 15–18 years of hotel development, business development, or operations experience.
• Hands-on exposure to hotel pre-opening projects.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new hotel management, franchise, and development opportunities.
• Visit potential sites and assess brand suitability for projects.
• Coordinate with feasibility, technical services and design to ensure compliance.
• Build and maintain relationships with owners, developers, investors and stakeholders.
• Lead commercial negotiations and execute management/franchise agreements.
• Drive project onboarding and coordinate with cross-functional teams to hotel opening.
• Monitor and manage ongoing development projects to ensure timely execution and handover.
• Support feasibility assessments, market evaluations, and project due diligence.
• Collaborate with Design & Technical Services, Operations, Legal, Finance, and Pre-opening teams for delivery.
• Represent the organization at industry forums, networking events, and client meetings.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Presentation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related discipline

MBA preferred

Job description

The General Manager - Development will drive the expansion of the company's hotel portfolio by identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and onboarding new hotel projects while overseeing the successful execution of existing development projects. The role requires strong commercial acumen, stakeholder management, and hands-on experience in hotel development and pre-opening.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new hotel management, franchise, and development opportunities.
• Visit the potential sites and assess the suitability of brands for the projects.
• Coordinate with feasibility, technical services and design services to ensure complete compliances.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with hotel owners, developers, investors, consultants, and key stakeholders.
• Lead commercial negotiations and execute management/franchise agreements.
• Drive project onboarding and coordinate with cross-functional teams from signing through hotel opening.
• Monitor and manage ongoing development projects to ensure timely execution and successful handover.
• Support feasibility assessments, market evaluations, and project due diligence.
• Collaborate with Design & Technical Services, Operations, Legal, Finance, and Pre-opening teams to ensure seamless project delivery.
• Represent the organization at industry forums, networking events, and client meetings.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or a related discipline. MBA preferred.
• 15-18 years of experience in hotel development, business development, or operations within the hospitality industry.
• Proven experience in hotel signings, project onboarding, and managing development pipelines.
• Hands-on exposure to hotel pre-opening projects is essential.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, negotiation, presentation, and communication skills.
• Strong commercial orientation with the ability to independently drive complex deals.
• Willingness to travel extensively as per business requirements.