London-based Yotel has appointed hospitality veteran Paul Harnedy as the company’s next chief operating officer, according to a Wednesday news release.
As COO, Harnedy will oversee global hotel operations and commercial strategy across Yotel’s three brands, including its city center hotels, YotelAir airport hotels and YotelPad extended stay properties, per the release. He will also be tasked with managing operational and commercial performance, enhancing owner relationships and furthering Yotel’s growth strategy.
Harnedy has more than three decades of hospitality experience, and joins Yotel from London-based Cedar Capital Partners, where he was executive vice president and head of asset management.
He also held executive roles at Glasgow-based Amaris Hospitality, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Interstate Hotels & Resorts, which merged with Aimbridge Hospitality in 2019, according to the release.
Yotel also announced the internal promotions of Michael Whitehead to the role of senior vice president of people, talent and learning, and Ryan Dance to senior vice president of commercial strategy.
Whitehead will be tasked with leading Yotel’s global human resources, while Dance will manage the company’s commercial strategy. The leadership changes come as Yotel works on a five-year growth plan designed to triple the company’s portfolio, per a release.
Yotel, which currently has 23 properties, aims to reach 100 hotels by 2031. The company said it is eyeing opportunities across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
“As we scale YOTEL’s global footprint, the strength of our leadership team becomes increasingly critical,” CEO Phil Andreopoulos said in a statement shared with Hotel Dive. “Paul brings a wealth of operational experience across international, multi-brand hospitality businesses and a clear understanding of what it takes to deliver consistency at scale.”
He added the appointments reflect Yotel’s focus on “building the operational and commercial capability needed to support disciplined, sustainable growth as we expand in both new and existing markets.”
This growth strategy is also supported by Yotel’s partnership with Hilton in March, a move made to enhance Yotel’s visibility while maintaining its independence, Andreopoulos previously told Hotel Dive. The partnership allows Yotel to join Hilton’s wide-ranging distribution system.
Earlier this year, Yotel promoted several people to senior leadership positions, including Rohan Thakkar to chief development and strategy officer; Mark Henderson to senior vice president of design and construction; and Olivia Donnan to senior vice president of brand, culture and growth.
