About Action Hotels
Action Hotels is a dynamic hospitality company focused on building and expanding a high-performing hotel management platform across the region. We partner with hotel owners and investors to deliver strong operational performance, revenue growth, and long-term asset value through proven systems, commercial expertise, and hands-on leadership.
About the Role
We are looking for a Director of Development to drive the expansion of our portfolio and third-party hotel management platform. This role will focus on identifying new opportunities across multiple verticals including new developments, conversions, and third-party management contracts. Main responsibility will be leading negotiations to successfully close hotel management agreements with owners and investors seeking professional operations, revenue optimization, and sustainable asset performance.
This is a strategic, commercial role for a proven hospitality dealmaker with strong market relationships and the ability to convert opportunities into long-term partnerships.
Key Responsibilities
As Director of Development, you will:
- Lead the asset-light growth strategy, targeting third-party management agreements, new hotel projects, and conversion opportunities.
- Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities across the UAE and key regional markets.
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of hotel owners, developers, institutional investors, and asset managers.
- Structure and negotiate hotel management agreements, ensuring commercial competitiveness and alignment with company objectives.
- Develop compelling proposals, feasibility summaries, and owner pitch presentations in coordination with operations, finance, and revenue teams.
- Conduct market research, competitive analysis, and location assessments to support expansion decisions.
- Drive end-to-end deal execution from lead generation through LOI, term sheet, contract closure, and handover to operations.
- Represent Action Hotels in industry events, investor meetings, and networking forums to strengthen brand visibility and relationships.
- Collaborate with internal teams to ensure deliverable commitments, brand standards, operational readiness, and performance targets.
- Maintain strong reporting on pipeline performance, conversion rates, and business development activity.
What You'll Bring
To succeed in this role, you should have:
- Strong experience in hospitality business development, owner acquisition, hotel expansion and or third-party hotel management growth.
- Demonstrated success in negotiating and closing hotel management agreements or similar long-term commercial contracts.
- Strong network within the hospitality ecosystem: owners, developers, consultants, brokers, banks, and investment firms.
- Commercial mindset with the ability to evaluate deals and understand key hotel performance drivers (RevPAR, GOP, NOI, CAPEX planning).
- Confidence in presenting to senior stakeholders and handling complex negotiations with multiple decision-makers.
- Excellent communication, persuasion, and relationship management skills.
- A proactive, entrepreneurial approach enabling comfortable working independently and driving growth outcomes.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Business, Finance, or related field
- MBA or advanced hospitality qualification is a plus
- 812+ years of relevant experience in hospitality development, hotel acquisitions, or third-party management business development.
- Strong knowledge of the Middle East hospitality market (regional exposure is a plus).
- High proficiency in MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel) and CRM/reporting discipline.
- Fluent in English (Arabic or additional languages is an advantage).
Why Join Us
- Lead growth for an asset-light hospitality platform
- Direct exposure to owners, investors, and C-suite leadership
- Competitive compensation with performance-linked incentives
- Opportunity to shape long-term regional expansion strategy
