Espire Hospitality Limited has announced the appointment of Mr. Sandeep Kumar Rajput as Commercial Director, a strategic leadership role focused on driving commercial excellence across the company’s dual-brand portfolio comprising ZANA Luxury Resorts and Country Inn Hotels & Resorts.
Mr. Rajput brings over 22 years of comprehensive experience in sales and marketing within the hospitality sector, with a proven track record of delivering revenue growth and implementing high-impact commercial strategies across diverse hotel portfolios. His appointment comes at a pivotal time as Espire Hospitality Limited accelerates its expansion plans and strengthens its market positioning across India.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Rajput has held senior leadership positions at several prominent hospitality organizations, including Royal Orchid & Regenta Hotels, Pride Group of Hotels, HHI Group, St Laurn Hotels, and Infinity Resort. His experience spans property-level operations, regional sales leadership, and multi-property commercial oversight, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the Indian hospitality landscape.
Most recently, Mr. Rajput served as Vice President – Sales at Royal Orchid & Regenta Hotels, where he assumed responsibility for profit and loss management and commercial strategy development for more than 55 hotels across North and East India and Nepal. His portfolio extended further to include revenue responsibilities for over 110 hotels across India, demonstrating his capability to manage complex, geographically dispersed operations while maintaining performance standards and driving consistent growth.
In his new role at Espire Hospitality Limited, Mr. Rajput will lead efforts to strengthen the company’s commercial framework, focusing on sustainable revenue growth and supporting strategic expansion initiatives. His responsibilities will encompass enhancing brand visibility for both ZANA Luxury Resorts and Country Inn Hotels & Resorts, cultivating relationships with key stakeholders across the travel and hospitality ecosystem, and aligning commercial strategies with broader organizational performance objectives.
The appointment reflects Espire Hospitality Limited’s commitment to building a robust leadership team capable of navigating the evolving hospitality landscape and capitalizing on emerging market opportunities. Mr. Rajput’s expertise in multi-brand management and his demonstrated ability to scale commercial operations align closely with the company’s growth ambitions.
Welcoming the appointment, Akhil Arora, CEO & MD of Espire Hospitality Limited, stated, “We are excited to have Sandeep join Espire Hospitality Limited during this defining chapter of our expansion. Sandeep brings with him a wealth of industry experience and has successfully led several high-impact strategic initiatives across the region. We are confident that his impressive track record, proven leadership and broad expertise will play a key role in our journey to scale new heights.”
Espire Hospitality Limited operates two distinct brands catering to different market segments. ZANA Luxury Resorts positions itself in the premium leisure segment, offering experiential stays in select destinations, while Country Inn Hotels & Resorts serves the mid-scale segment with properties across key business and leisure markets. Managing commercial strategies across these diverse brand propositions will require balancing differentiated positioning with operational synergies.
The company has indicated that Mr. Rajput’s deep industry understanding, extensive network, and proven commercial acumen are expected to significantly support Espire Hospitality Limited’s upcoming phase of organizational growth. His appointment signals the company’s readiness to pursue aggressive expansion while maintaining commercial discipline and operational excellence.
As India’s hospitality sector continues its recovery trajectory and enters a phase of renewed investment and development, experienced commercial leaders like Mr. Rajput play a crucial role in ensuring that growth is both sustainable and profitable. His ability to navigate complex market dynamics while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships will be instrumental in positioning Espire Hospitality Limited for long-term success.
