Director of Development & Growth – South & Southeast Asia
About the Role
La Vie Hotels & Resorts is seeking an experienced and commercially driven Director of Development & Growth – South & Southeast Asia to support the continued expansion of our hotel portfolio across the region. Reporting directly to the CEO and based in our Singapore or Bangkok Corporate Office, this senior regional position will lead the sourcing, evaluation and conversion of hotel management and franchise opportunities across South and Southeast Asia. The role will build and maintain strong relationships with hotel owners, developers, investors, real estate groups, government tourism bodies and other key industry stakeholders, while identifying projects that align with La Vie's strategic objectives.
From initial lead generation and owner engagement through to feasibility analysis, commercial negotiations and deal execution, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening La Vie's development pipeline and reinforcing our position as the leading independent third-party hotel operator in the region.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development & Portfolio Growth
- Develop and execute the SSEA business development strategy, aligned with La Vie Hotels & Resorts overall growth objectives.
- Identify and secure opportunities to expand the La Vie portfolio through new-build hotels, conversions, management agreements and franchise opportunities.
- Manage the end-to-end development process, from initial opportunity identification and qualification through to commercial negotiations and execution.
- Build and maintain a strong development pipeline to support agreed regional growth targets.
- Identify emerging markets, destinations and investment opportunities that present strategic growth potential for La Vie.
- Provide strategic advice and recommendations to the CEO regarding development opportunities and regional business direction.
Lead Generation & Owner Engagement
- Proactively generate leads through relationships with hotel owners, developers, investors, real estate companies, lending institutions, hotel brokers, consultants, independent operators and government tourism bodies.
- Identify key decision-makers and establish relationships that create new business opportunities.
- Represent La Vie in meetings with prospective owners, developers and investors.
- Present La Vie's management capabilities, operating model, brands and value proposition to prospective partners.
- Coordinate development presentations, proposals, development packs and other collateral required to progress opportunities.
- Maintain regular follow-up with prospective clients and stakeholders to progress opportunities through the development pipeline.
Project Assessment & Deal Development
- Collect and evaluate commercial, financial and operational information relating to prospective hotel projects.
- Undertake preliminary assessments of potential properties, considering financial viability, operational potential, location, positioning and strategic fit.
- Review feasibility studies and participate in site inspections and preliminary evaluations of prospective properties.
- Assess the financial capabilities and development objectives of prospective owners and developers.
- Prepare recommendations and proposals for presentation to the CEO and Development Committee.
- Work closely with Finance, Legal and Operations to ensure proposed agreements meet La Vie's commercial, operational and governance requirements.
- Support negotiations relating to hotel management agreements, franchise arrangements and other development partnerships.
Market Presence & Relationship Management
- Establish and maintain an extensive network of contacts across the SSEA hospitality and real estate sectors.
- Represent La Vie Hotels & Resorts at relevant industry conferences, investment forums, networking events and owner meetings.
- Actively enhance La Vie's visibility and reputation within the regional hotel investment and development community.
- Maintain a strong understanding of competitor activity, hotel transactions, development pipelines and broader hospitality investment trends.
- Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships that support La Vie's regional expansion.
Reporting & Regional Collaboration
- Provide regular reporting to the CEO on the development pipeline, active negotiations, market activity and potential opportunities.
- Maintain accurate records of leads, opportunities, owner engagement and project status.
- Provide market intelligence and strategic insights to support regional decision-making.
- Collaborate closely with La Vie's Operations, Commercial, Finance, Legal, People & Culture and corporate teams to assess and progress new opportunities.
- Contribute to broader regional projects and strategic initiatives as required.
About You
You will be an established hotel business development professional with a strong understanding of the South & Southeast Asian hospitality and real estate markets.
You will bring:
- Significant experience in hotel development, business development, hotel investment, real estate or a related hospitality discipline.
- A demonstrated track record of generating and converting hotel development opportunities.
- Established relationships across the hotel ownership, development, investment and real estate sectors within SSEA.
- Strong commercial acumen and the ability to evaluate hotel development opportunities from financial, operational and strategic perspectives.
- Experience working with hotel management agreements, franchise agreements and/or third-party hotel operating models.
- Strong negotiation, presentation and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.
- The ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively across a regional and international organisation.
- A proactive, entrepreneurial approach with a strong focus on delivering measurable results.
- The ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout the SSEA region.
The successful candidate can be based in either our Bangkok or Singapore Support Office.
