Biography
Rohan Thakkar is chief development and strategy officer at YOTEL, based at the company’s London headquarters. He leads global growth strategy and oversees the full development lifecycle across all brand platforms, including business development, corporate strategy and design and construction. In this role, Thakkar is responsible for expanding YOTEL’s portfolio through management, franchise and strategic partnerships.
He joined YOTEL in 2014 and has played a key role in the company’s growth, helping transform it into a global portfolio with more than 35 hotels open and in development, representing more than 7,000 rooms worldwide. He has contributed to the company’s international expansion and pipeline development.
Thakkar works closely with the company’s leadership team to define long-term strategy, oversee enterprise priorities and establish commercial and financial frameworks to support global growth. His responsibilities include market prioritization, capital planning and deal underwriting, as well as maintaining consistent development standards across projects.
Prior to joining YOTEL, Thakkar spent four years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where he was part of the real estate investments team and supported more than $700 million in asset sale transactions. He began his career with EY in the transaction and hospitality advisory practice.
Thakkar earned a degree from the School of Hotel Administration (now the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration) at Cornell University in 2008 and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board.