Stephen Ansell is Hyatt’s new Managing Director in its fast-expanding Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. In his role, Stephen will oversee the MEA regional portfolio, currently comprising 38 hotels, more than 9,000 rooms, and eight brands spanning the luxurious Park Hyatt brand to the stunning Alila Hotels & Resorts and more. He will also pay a key role in expanding Hyatt’s presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ensuring the brands offerings continue to meet the evolving needs of guests and partners.
Stephen joined Hyatt in 1996 as Director of F&B at Hyatt Regency Riyadh and has since held General Manager positions at several Hyatt hotels including Hyatt Regency Bishkek and Hyatt Regency Kyiv, where he was central to the hotels’ opening. At Park Hyatt Moscow, he spent nine successful years before being appointed as Area Vice President of Russia and Eastern Europe in 2014. He holds a degree in Hotel and Catering Management from the University of Portsmouth.
With nearly three decades of experience within the hospitality industry, Stephen brings with him a wealth of expertise and an impressive track record of hotel management to the role. Most recently, he held a dual role as Area Vice President for Central Europe where he was responsible for Hyatt’s operations in the region. This is in addition to serving as the General Manager at Park Hyatt Zurich, where he oversaw the running of the luxury Swiss hotel, applying his passion and expertise of the hotel industry at the property level.
Hyatt is dedicated to expanding its brand footprint in new and desired destinations. In KSA, the group is gearing up for the opening of Grand Hyatt The Red Sea and Miraval The Red Sea late 2025. Hyatt also entered into management agreements with Knowledge Economic City (KEC) earlier this year, for two new Hyatt-branded hotels, Hyatt House Madinah KEC and Hyatt Centric Madinah KEC, adding a combined 576 keys to Hyatt’s pipeline.
