Hyatt Hotels Corporation has appointed S. Vidyashankar as Regional Vice President of Human Resources for India and Southwest Asia, elevating a two-decade Hyatt veteran to lead the people strategy across one of the company’s fastest-growing markets globally.
Vidyashankar brings more than 23 years of experience in hospitality human resources to the regional leadership role – with over 20 of those spent within the Hyatt ecosystem. In his new position, he will work closely with regional and hotel leadership teams to strengthen leadership capability, nurture talent and foster a culture aligned with Hyatt’s core purpose of caring for people so they can be their best. His focus will centre on creating consistent, future-ready people practices that support the company’s ambitious expansion across the region.
The appointment follows Vidyashankar’s tenure as Area Director of Human Resources, where he oversaw the HR function for 18 hotels across six Indian states. In that role, he partnered with general managers, hotel HR teams and training departments to enhance people processes across a geographically diverse portfolio.
Throughout his career with Hyatt, Vidyashankar has held multiple leadership roles across properties in India, including positions at Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Grand Hyatt Goa and Hyatt Regency Mumbai. His expertise spans multi-location HR management, hotel pre-openings and transitions, talent development, stakeholder engagement, statutory compliance, trade union negotiations and industrial relations – a breadth of experience that reflects the operational complexity of managing people strategy across India’s varied regulatory and cultural landscape.
Vidyashankar holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration specialising in Human Resources and Marketing from SIES College of Management Studies, Nerul, and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Mumbai.
The elevation comes at a pivotal moment for Hyatt’s India and Southwest Asia operations. The company currently operates 52 hotels across the region – 50 in India and two in Nepal – spanning nine distinct brands, and recently crossed the milestone of 10,000 keys. India ranks as Hyatt’s third-largest market globally and one of its fastest-growing, with the company recording strong double-digit growth in signings and RevPAR during 2024 and a 33 per cent RevPAR increase in 2023.
Hyatt’s growth trajectory in the region shows no signs of slowing. The company signed agreements for 21 new properties across India and Southwest Asia in 2024, with seven new hotels expected to debut in 2025 across destinations including Ghaziabad, Kasauli, Kochi, Bhopal, Vithalapur, Jaipur and Butwal in Nepal. The company has set a target of operating 100 hotels in India within five years, a goal that underscores the strategic importance of the region.
Sunjae Sharma, Managing Director for India and Southwest Asia at Hyatt, described 2024 as a “watershed year” for the company in the region, noting the expansion into lifestyle brands such as Andaz and JdV by Hyatt, alongside the introduction of Destination by Hyatt as the company’s 10th brand in India.
At the global level, Hyatt’s portfolio comprises more than 1,400 hotels and all-inclusive properties across 79 countries and six continents. The Chicago-headquartered company, which reported revenue of $3.3 billion in 2024, has been recognised on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for 12 consecutive years – one of the longest-running appearances by any hospitality brand. With its World of Hyatt loyalty programme and a development pipeline that has grown 85 per cent since 2017 to reach a record 129,000 rooms, the company continues to invest heavily in both its global footprint and its people.
Vidyashankar’s appointment signals Hyatt’s commitment to strengthening its HR leadership infrastructure in a region where rapid expansion demands robust talent development, cultural consistency and operational readiness across an increasingly diverse portfolio.
