The Opportunity

Bonafide International Hospitality Recruitment is seeking an experienced Director of Design – Luxury Hospitality Developments for a leading property developer with significant development interests across the GCC.

This senior appointment will provide design leadership across luxury hotels, resorts, branded residences and integrated hospitality developments, ensuring projects achieve the highest standards of design quality, functionality, brand positioning and commercial performance.

We are seeking an accomplished hospitality design professional with strong developer-side experience, capable of managing complex design programmes, leading multidisciplinary consultants and working closely with hotel operators, owners and development stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Design Leadership: Oversee the design direction and development of luxury hospitality projects from initial concept through detailed design and construction-stage coordination.
• Design Management: Lead and coordinate international architects, interior designers, specialist consultants and multidisciplinary design teams.
• Hospitality Brand Integration: Work closely with international hotel operators and technical services teams to ensure compliance with brand standards, operational requirements and approved design briefs.
• Design Quality & Functionality: Ensure architectural, interior design, space planning and technical solutions meet luxury hospitality expectations while supporting efficient hotel operations.
• Development Coordination: Collaborate with development, project management, engineering, procurement and commercial teams to align design deliverables with project budgets, programmes and development objectives.
• Design Reviews & Approvals: Manage design submissions, consultant deliverables, design changes and stakeholder approval processes.
• Value Engineering: Identify opportunities to optimise design efficiency, material specifications and construction costs without compromising the intended guest experience or asset positioning.
• Project Delivery: Maintain design integrity during construction, fit-out, testing and handover, resolving design-related issues with the appointed project teams.

Candidate Requirements

• Substantial senior-level design management experience within luxury hotels, resorts, branded residences or major mixed-use hospitality developments.
• Proven experience working with leading property developers, hotel owners, hospitality development companies or internationally recognised design consultancies.
• Strong understanding of the complete hospitality design and development process, including architectural, interior design, MEP coordination and specialist hospitality requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing international design consultants and complex multidisciplinary project teams.
• Experience coordinating with international hotel operators, brand technical services teams and owner representatives.
• Strong commercial awareness, including design budgets, value engineering, programme management and project delivery.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• A recognised qualification in Architecture, Interior Design or a related design discipline.
• Previous experience delivering luxury hospitality developments in the GCC or wider Middle East is highly advantageous.

The Ideal Candidate

We are particularly interested in professionals who combine strong design judgement with practical hospitality development knowledge.

You will understand not only how exceptional hotels are designed, but also how they are operated, maintained and commercially positioned.

Candidates should demonstrate the ability to balance architectural ambition, guest experience, operator requirements, technical feasibility and development economics.

Applications

Qualified candidates are invited to apply through Bonafide International Hospitality Recruitment.

To apply, please register or log in at www.bonafiderecruit.com, complete your professional profile and upload your latest CV.

Applications will be assessed against the requirements of the appointment, with suitably qualified candidates contacted for further consideration.

All applications will be treated confidentially. Direct email applications will not be accepted.