Hyatt appoints Regional VP of...

Briana Swift brings a decade of global experience in hotel development

Hyatt has appointed Briana Swift as Regional Vice President (RVP) of Development for Saudi Arabia.

Based in Riyadh, Swift will lead the group’s development efforts across the kingdom, working with local partners to expand Hyatt’s diverse portfolio and oversee existing projects such as Hyatt Place AlUla, Grand Hyatt The Red Sea and Miraval The Red Sea.

This latest move comes as Hyatt accelerates growth in Saudi, with plans to triple its portfolio in the kingdom by 2030.

With over a decade of experience in hotel development, Swift most recently served as Regional Vice President of Development for Northern Europe, where she was “instrumental in Hyatt’s portfolio expansion across Northern Europe”, said Felicity Black-Roberts, Senior Vice President of Development for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

First joining Hyatt in February 2017 as Manager of Acquisitions and Development for EAME, Swift has played a pivotal role in overseeing the growth of Hyatt’s footprint across Europe. Among accomplishments, she introduced JdV by Hyatt to Europe, oversaw several brand entries to the Greek Islands and Malta and signed Hyatt’s re-entry into Hamburg with Hyatt Centric Altstadt Hamburg.

Prior to Hyatt, she was part of the development team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, focused on brand and real estate strategy across western Europe.

In 2024, she received the International Hospitality Investment Forum's Young Leader Award, recognising her contributions to the industry.

Commenting on the appointment, Swift said: “With incredible projects already underway, I look forward to working closely with our local partners to expand Hyatt's diverse portfolio and deliver world-class hospitality experiences."

Swift will join Stephen Ansell in Riyadh, who was last year appointed as Hyatt’s Managing Director for MEA.

Across the Middle East, Hyatt has tripled its portfolio in the last decade, most recently opening lifestyle brand Andaz in Doha, and has plans to triple its number of hotel rooms across Saudi by 2030, opening three new properties by 2026 – Hyatt Place AlUla, Grand Hyatt The Red Sea, and Miraval The Red Sea.

The pipeline also includes a project in Saudi’s Magna, part of Neom.

For more information, visit www.hyatt.com

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