Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, the award-winning hospitality group known for its highly individual modern luxury hotels and resorts around the world, announced today the appointment of industry veteran, Yoav Gery, to Chief Development Officer. The brand was acquired by an investor group led by Principals of Highgate earlier this year. As a hospitality leader for nearly 25 years, Viceroy has strategically burgeoned from its debut Santa Monica location into a portfolio of iconic hotels and resorts in global destinations such as St. Lucia, Chicago, Los Cabos and Snowmass. Viceroy made its first foray into Europe with the opening of Viceroy Kopaonik Serbia in 2021, and is thrilled to be adding to its international footprint with the opening of Viceroy at Ombria Algarve in Portugal this fall and Viceroy Bocas Del Toro Panama in 2026.
Viceroy is a proven recognizable brand that creates opportunities to develop real estate at a premium while delivering intuitive service and a seamless ownership experience in one-of-a-kind destinations. The infrastructure and resources provided by the recent Highgate acquisition will further propel Viceroy’s position as the brand to watch in the luxury lifestyle space. The appointment of Chief Development Officer Yoav Gery is a reflection of Viceroy’s commitment to building a world class team as its hotel and residential portfolio expands in global gateway urban markets and exclusive resort destinations. In his new role, Gery will scale the Viceroy brand through strategic development and conversion opportunities including hotels, hotel/residences and standalone residences.
“We are excited to welcome Yoav to the Viceroy team,” said Richard Russo, Principal & Board Member of both Viceroy and Highgate. “His extensive experience in the hospitality industry, paired with his entrepreneurial spirit, will be invaluable as we continue to grow the Viceroy brand globally. Under his leadership, we will focus on adding visible and impactful hotels that will cement Viceroy as one of the most noteworthy luxury brands in the industry.”
“I am grateful to be able to apply the experiences that I’ve gained throughout my career to the next evolution of the Viceroy brand,” said Gery. “While there are a number of players in the luxury lifestyle space, there are none that combine the nimbleness and entrepreneurial spirit of a company like Viceroy with the scale, distribution and successful track record of an established hospitality company built on real estate ownership and asset value enhancement….until now,” continued Gery. “We look forward to announcing exciting additions to the portfolio that invoke the distinct quality and luxury service for which Viceroy has long been known.”
Gery brings more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality and coworking industries to his role as Chief Development Officer at Viceroy. He most recently served as President of Knotel, a hospitality-focused, flexible office company with operations in numerous U.S. and European markets. Prior to Knotel, he served as President of Selina, a global hospitality startup that operates over 100 properties across five continents, and Head of International Real Estate for WeWork, where he was responsible for launching the WeWork brand into several international markets. Before joining WeWork, Gery was Chief Development Officer for Morgans Hotel Group, where he led the company’s global development efforts as well as oversaw all aspects of project design and development. Prior to joining Morgans, Gery held various roles at Marriott including Senior Vice President, in charge of development for Edition Hotels and Chief Development Officer, North America Full Service Hotels
