The UAE-based hospitality group plans to expand across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South-West Asia, with franchising and strategic partnerships among its growth routes.
Phoenix Hospitality Group (PHG) has appointed Manish Ahluwalia as Group Chief Executive Officer, placing an experienced hospitality executive at the helm as the UAE-based company prepares to accelerate its international expansion.
Ahluwalia brings more than two decades of hospitality experience, including senior leadership roles with IHG Hotels & Resorts across Australia, China, Mauritius, Angola and the UAE. His background spans hotel operations, development, pre-openings, asset enhancement, brand creation and property repositioning.
During his career, he has also worked on large-scale hospitality developments, including a six-island, 20-hotel master development on Dubai’s World Islands, covering planning, concept development, design, construction, branding and commercial launch.
In his new role, Ahluwalia will oversee the group’s strategic direction, operational performance and international development. The company plans to strengthen its existing portfolio while pursuing opportunities across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South-West Asia through investment, leasing, franchising and strategic partnerships.
“We aren’t just scaling across borders, from the Middle East to Africa, Europe and South West Asia, we are engineering the foundation to thrive in them,” Ahluwalia said, outlining the group’s approach to building an internationally scalable business.
Founded in 2017, Phoenix Hospitality Group operates across hotels, restaurants, nightlife and lifestyle experiences. Its portfolio includes accommodation properties such as Luxe Grand Hotel, Luxe Avenue Hotel and Luxe Retreat Hotel Apartment, alongside food and beverage concepts including Jodhpur Bar & Kitchen, Pahadi, Batliwala & Co., Tiger Bar Stock Exchange, The Groove House and Hitchki.
The group’s presence across multiple hospitality segments gives it several avenues for growth, from expanding existing concepts to developing new locations and partnerships. Its next phase will focus on strengthening operating systems, improving asset performance and building a pipeline of international development opportunities.
For the franchise sector, PHG’s inclusion of franchising in its expansion strategy signals potential opportunities for hospitality operators and investors seeking partnerships with emerging regional brands. However, the group has not publicly disclosed specific franchise agreements, target markets for individual brands, unit-development commitments or franchise investment requirements.
Ahluwalia’s appointment comes as Phoenix Hospitality Group seeks to establish a stronger platform for growth beyond the UAE. Its ability to scale its hospitality concepts through new markets, strategic alliances and potential franchise partnerships will shape the group’s next stage of development.
