James Kaplan Joins Minor Hotel Group as SVP Development

Minor Hotel Group (MHG), operator of over 100 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 14 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean, has appointed Mr. James A. Kaplan as Senior Vice President Development.

James joins Bangkok-based MHG from Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) where most recently he held the position of SVP Development for Asia Pacific and India, based in Singapore.

James, who is American, brings extensive experience to the role with his legal background and over 25 years within the development area of the hospitality industry. During the 1990’s, James owned and operated Kaplan Consulting Group, based in Hong Kong. The company represented financial institutions, hotel management companies, land owners and governments and was sold to an international real estate advisory firm in 1998. James then joined Marriott International Inc. in Hong Kong as VP Lodging Development, and in 2002 moved to Kerzner International Inc. as VP Development Asia Pacific & Middle East. James was then promoted to SVP Global Business Development for Kerzner and relocated to London.

While in London, James served as VP Business Development & Planning EMEA for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, and in 2007 he assumed his role at FRHI as SVP Development EMEA. In 2011 James relocated back to Asia in his most recent position at FRHI.

James Kaplan, SVP Development for Minor Hotel Group, said, “I am very excited to join Minor Hotel Group at such a key time of expansion. The group recently passed the milestone of 100 properties in operation and currently has more than twenty hotels in the pipeline, with many more potential expansion opportunities being explored across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. I am looking forward to working with the team at MHG to continue the ambitious expansion plans through targeted acquisitions and the strategic growth of the development pipeline.”