Capella Hotel Group has appointed Feisal Jaffer as Chief Development Officer as it accelerates the next phase of its global expansion across its Capella and Patina brands. Jaffer will lead the Group’s global development and help shape hospitality-focused real estate platforms.
Jaffer joins at an inflection point for the Group. Capella Hotels and Resorts has been named Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Hotel Brand for three consecutive years, while Patina Hotels & Resorts builds on Patina Osaka’s entry into Japan and prepares to debut in China with Patina Tianjin. The Group plans to double its portfolio by 2030, with Capella Nanjing anticipated to open by the end of the year, followed by Riyadh and Florence.
Jaffer’s appointment marks a homecoming. From 2014 to 2019, he served as Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development at Pontiac Land Group, during which time he worked closely alongside Capella Hotel Group on several of its most formative projects: he led the Fari Islands development in the Maldives, which gave rise to Patina Maldives; drove the Sydney Sandstones bid and subsequent development that became Capella Sydney, today ranked among the World’s 50 Best Hotels; and was part of the founding team that conceived and launched Patina Hotels & Resorts.
Most recently, as Global Head of LXR Hotels & Resorts at Hilton Worldwide, he led the brand’s strategic growth, scaling from a single property to over 40 hotels operating and in the pipeline across five continents, while also representing Hilton’s luxury brands — Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR — across the Americas. Earlier, he held senior investment and development roles at Host Hotels & Resorts, in a joint venture with GIC Real Estate, and at Fairmont-Raffles Hotels International, structuring and closing more than US$2.5 billion in transactions over a career spanning nearly three decades. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and undergraduate degrees in Rhetoric and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Roland Fasel, President, Capella Hotel Group, said: “As we build the team to match our ambitions, Feisal brings deep relationships across institutional and private capital, a sharp commercial mind, and a genuine understanding of our brands. He will drive our global development strategy — expanding our portfolio in key markets, building lasting partnerships with owners, and creating enduring value across the business. With Capella’s reputation stronger than ever and Patina gaining considerable momentum, I look forward to what we will accomplish together.”
Evan Kwee, Vice Chairman, Capella Hotel Group, said: “Feisal has been central to some of our most significant projects — Fari Islands, Capella Sydney, the creation of the Patina brand. Over the years I have come to trust his judgment across the full breadth of what we do: shaping a brand, designing a guest experience, structuring an investment and closing a complex international transaction. He thinks like an entrepreneur but operates with the discipline of an investor, and his passion for luxury, lifestyle and design is evident. As we enter our next phase of growth, there is no one better placed to lead it.”
“Capella and Patina represent something rare: industry-defining brands with genuine soul. The years I spent working alongside Evan and the Kwee family taught me what luxury hospitality can be,” said Jaffer. “To return at such a pivotal moment — to help advance the Group’s global development under Roland’s leadership and contribute to the family’s investment and real estate interests — is a tremendous privilege. I am truly excited to build the next generation of Capella and Patina destinations around the world.”
