UAE Joins Egypt in Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Bold Regional Expansion with New Middle East Sales Leadership

UAE joins forces with Egypt in Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Middle East luxury expansion as Çağlar Göncüler takes up key post at Dubai-based sales leadership role. The new recruit in Dubai is expected to scale up regional sales, drive commercial partnerships and leverage business development opportunities in leisure, corporate and group travel markets. Apart from Al Habtoor Palace Dubai and Wynn Al Marjan Island in the UAE, Preferred Hotels & Resorts has also partnered with Encora Collection in Egypt as part of its aggressive expansion plans in the Middle East and North Africa region.

“We are delighted to welcome Çağlar to our team,” said Saurabh Rai, Executive Vice President for Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “His depth of experience across luxury hotels and resorts, together with his well-established relationships throughout the Middle East, will be invaluable as we continue to grow our presence in the region and enhance the success of our member hotels.”

The appointment reflects the brand’s commitment to developing stronger relationships with travel partners and clients throughout the Middle East. Drawing on his established professional network and extensive understanding of regional travel patterns, Göncüler will focus on generating new business opportunities across leisure travel, corporate bookings and group travel. His knowledge of the Middle East as an important outbound tourism market will also help member hotels respond to changing customer preferences and the growing demand for premium hospitality experiences.

The leadership expansion comes as Preferred Hotels & Resorts continues to develop its presence across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Recent portfolio developments include the addition of Al Habtoor Palace Dubai and Wynn Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates, alongside a strategic collaboration with Encora Collection in Egypt. These developments underline the company’s efforts to broaden its regional hospitality network and strengthen its position in established and emerging luxury travel destinations.

Göncüler brings nearly two decades of professional experience spanning hotel sales, marketing, digital commerce and commercial strategy. Throughout his career, he has worked with several internationally recognised hospitality companies, including Aman Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Kempinski and Radisson Hotel Group. His experience across different luxury hotel and resort categories has equipped him with a detailed understanding of the commercial strategies required to support properties with varying business models, customer segments and market positions.

Having held both property-level and regional leadership responsibilities, Göncüler has developed expertise in managing diverse hospitality portfolios while delivering business growth across multiple markets. His international experience extends beyond the Middle East to important luxury travel source markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Turkey.

This international exposure provides him with a broader understanding of traveller expectations, purchasing behaviour and the commercial opportunities available to independent luxury hotels. His familiarity with luxury travel consortia and specialist distribution networks will further support Preferred Hotels & Resorts in strengthening relationships with high-value travel buyers and delivering targeted sales opportunities for its member properties.

Through this appointment, Preferred Hotels & Resorts aims to reinforce its Middle East sales capabilities, develop stronger commercial partnerships and support the continued international growth of its independent luxury hospitality portfolio.