Hyatt has appointed Javier Águila as Group President for EMEA, following the planned retirement of Peter Fulton after his 39-year career at Hyatt. Fulton will work with Águila before he officially assumes the role.

“The Hyatt family is grateful for Peter’s leadership and impact throughout a career that spans almost four decades and three global regions,” says Global President of Operations, Chuck Floyd. “In Peter’s most recent role, which he assumed in 2013, he has presided over operational excellence and unprecedented growth.”

Águila is an internal successor, hailing from Apple Leisure Group (ALG), which Hyatt acquired in 2021. He most recently served as ALG’s Group President, AMResorts Europe and Global Strategy. Águila joined ALG in 2019 as part of the acquisition of Alua Hotels & Resorts, which he founded and led as CEO. His broad set of skills are informed by more than 20 years in hospitality, tourism, private equity and strategic consulting.

“Javier’s appointment is yet another milestone in bringing Hyatt and ALG’s joint vision to life,” continues Floyd. “Adding ALG to our portfolio increased Hyatt’s European brand footprint by 60% and I am confident Javier is the ideal candidate to continue the region’s positive trajectory and lead the team to new heights.”

This transition comes with a planned geographic realignment for the region, moving oversight of the Indian subcontinent under the leadership of David Udell, Group President Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. Udell’s experience leading the APAC region since 2014 sets Hyatt up for continued growth in the Indian subcontinent.

Hyatt recently reported its fifth straight year of industry-leading net rooms growth, with a global pipeline of 113,000 rooms, equivalent to approximately 40 percent of the hotel operator’s existing rooms base worldwide.