Langham Hospitality Group snaps up Fairmont exec for COO role

Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) has appointed Nils-Arne Schroeder as its new chief operating officer as the hotel operator ramps up its international expansion ambitions.

Schroeder joins the luxury hotel group from rival Fairmont, where he has been in post since 2023, most recently as senior vice president operations across Europe and Africa.

In his new role Schroeder will lead operations across LHG’s 30-strong portfolio of global hotels and residences including the Langham hotel in London’s Marylebone.

He will also oversee the integration of 20 new developments currently underway into the brand portfolio, with openings across China, Italy, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in the pipeline, as well as the hotel brand’s debut in Thailand scheduled to open this year.

Prior to his stint at Fairmont, Schroeder spent two decades at Hilton on a variety of roles spanning “commercial performance, brand positioning, business development and hotel openings”.

Schroeder, who was based in Dubai for his role at Fairmont, will relocate to LGM’s group headquarters in Hong Kong for his new role, reporting directly to chief executive Bob van den Oord.

Van den Oord said: “As we expand to more destinations, Nils’ breadth of experience across regions, cultures and hotel segments will be a major asset.

“He has a proven ability to respond to market needs without diluting brand identity, and to turn that balance into sustained performance.”

Schroeder added: “I am honoured to join Langham Hospitality Group at such an exciting point in its growth journey.

“The company has built a distinctive portfolio of brands with a reputation for exceptional hospitality and meaningful guest experiences. With an exciting pipeline of new hotels and residences, there is a tremendous opportunity to build on that foundation while continuing to deliver operational excellence across every property.”