A-TEAM
People First and Future Focused
With decades of combined hospitality industry experience, we possess the knowledge and expertise to deliver what it takes to succeed in today's highly competitive market. With our hands-on management style and tailored solutions, we provide hotel owners with superior ROI, profitable business models, innovative design, and consistency in guest experiences.
JS Anand
Founder / CEO
Named as part of Forbes' Top Travel and Tourism Leaders in 2023 and one of the Most Powerful Leaders in Dubai by Arabian Business Magazine, with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and an impeccable record of notable achievements, JS Anand is a prominent hotelier and passionate corporate leader. After earning his diploma in hotel management, he refined his hands-on management style as he advanced through senior roles in world-class hospitality companies. He has been featured on the Power 50 - Most Influential Leaders by Hotelier Middle East, Executive Power list 2023: The Most Influential Hotel Leaders in the Middle East, Most Innovative Business Leaders Inspiring The World 2022 by The Excelligent Magazine, and Most Influential Entrepreneurs From Dubai To Watch in 2022 By The Gulf Entrepreneur Magazine. People-centric and future-focused, JS aims to make an impact on the hospitality industry by building on the importance of employee well-being and satisfaction, creating an unforgettable service culture that gains global recognition, and being more involved in humanitarian causes around the world. Building long-lasting connections play a pivotal role in his work, especially in his mission to propel LEVA across the MENA region and Europe. JS is a charismatic corporate leader with a hands-on management style. He lives by the company’s core values that are firmly focused on delivering, efficiently and effectively, what was promised to its stakeholders and clients. Now he is committed to creating the best lifestyle hotels in the Middle East and beyond, becoming one of the leading hotel management companies dedicated to clarity, transparency, and delivering on its promises to clients and stakeholders.
Noni
Co-founder
Noni stands at the helm as the co-founder of LEVA. Her design journey has been enriched by the vibrant cultures, colors, and architecture she has encountered in her travels across Asia, North America, and the Middle East. These global experiences have significantly influenced her unique design style. As a meticulous designer with a discerning eye for detail, Noni brings a revitalizing perspective to interior design. Her objective is to curate spaces that not only reflect personalization but also exude a profound sense of comfort, elevation, and inspiration for each client. This commitment to crafting atmospheres that deeply resonate with individuals is palpable in every facet of her work. In her capacity as co-founder, Noni has been instrumental in defining the visual identity of LEVA Hotels. From the meticulous nuances of branding to the immersive realms of interior design, she has served as the driving creative force, shaping the distinctive aesthetic that characterizes LEVA today. One of the standout accomplishments in Noni's compelling portfolio is the swift transformation of Mazaya within an impressive 62 days, metamorphosing it into a lifestyle-oriented 4-star hotel. This achievement stands as a testament to her visionary approach, operational efficiency, and unwavering dedication to delivering unparalleled hospitality experiences. Beyond aesthetics, Noni's design philosophy is rooted in crafting environments that tell stories and evoke emotions. Fueled by her passion for excellence, she continues to redefine the landscape of interior design within the hospitality industry.
Raiju Ravi
Chief Financial Officer
Raiju Ravi is a seasoned hotelier with over 14+ years of experience in the hospitality industry across the MENA region. He has been recognized for his hard work, significant financial turn arounds and has a well-rounded background into hotel’ revenue maximization, developing and executing strategic plan to manage Corporate finances, with a proven track record of achieving and exceeding targeted business results for the brand.
Sven Mostegl
Founder at Sven's Baker's Kitchen and Strategic F&B Partner of LEVA
Dr. Sven Mostegl is a renowned baker from Germany. He utilized his unique knowledge of masters in constructional engineering, Ph.D. in project management, and a lifetime of experience baking from his family business, and turned it into a well-established venture, Baker’s Kitchen. He has played a monumental role in the lives of people looking for a healthier choice in Dubai. Being a professional nutrition expert, he has gained fame and amassed over 18.3K followers on his Instagram account, @sventhebaker and 14k @bakerskitchenuae today. A strategic partnership between LEVA Hotels and the Region’s highly commended favorite healthy restaurant concept - Baker’s Kitchen, brings an ‘innocent food’ venue across LEVA properties. Sven's Baker's Kitchen Founded by a well-known German chef and baker, Sven Mostegl, Baker’s Kitchen is known for its healthy, innocent food. The F&B group’s brand positioning and cuisine are perfectly aligned with LEVA Hotels’ audience and their preferences. Strategic moves like this also help us offer profitable solutions to our hotel owners.
Guy Wilkinson
Viability – Hospitality Consultant & Special Development Adviser to Leva
A highly experienced hospitality and real estate consultant based in Dubai since 1995, Englishman Guy Wilkinson has managed or contributed to more than 450 projects throughout the Middle East, as well as in the Subcontinent and a number of African countries. He has extensive experience of managing and writing market and financial feasibility studies, ‘highest and best use’ studies and market surveys, as well as undertaking operator selection and management contract negotiation assignments, operational reviews and interim management.
Guy has a successful track record of strategic thinking for major hotel chains, tourism authorities and property owners in the Gulf and wider Middle East. In addition to his consulting career, Guy was from 2015 to 2018 COO of PCFC Hotels, a Dubai government-owned hotel owning and management company whose projects included the Queen Elizabeth 2 floating hotel in Dubai.
Now owner and Director of top hospitality consultancy, Viability Management Consultants, Guy was previously an owner and General Manager of PKF The Consulting House at Dubai Media City, and earlier Managing Consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting.
Upendra Gulrajani
Founder and CEO of NextGen Training and Quality Assurance–Based in the USA
Founder and CEO of NextGen Training and Quality Assurance firm based in the USA, Upendra has over 38 years of experience working with major hospitality brands in India and North America. Devoted to the idea of ‘hospitality’ as an opportunity to curate an experience, he has created and conducted numerous training programs on subjects such as Attitude Development, Management Development, and Wow Guest Experience. Upendra holds a degree in Hospitality Management and specializes in product development, operating systems, creating standard operating manuals, developing marketing strategies and budgeting.
Thomas Kurian
Hotel Manager
With 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Thomas Kurian is the Hotel Manager of our flagship hotel, LEVA Hotel and Suites Mazaya Center- Opposite Downtown Dubai. Previously having served at reputable hospitality establishments in Dubai, with two certifications from Cornell University and decades of hands-on experience, Thomas brings a fleet of strategic skills to the table. As a “big picture” thinker, confident communication and razor-sharp negotiation skills alongside, Thomas’ efficient workstyle and strong organizational and exemplary leadership has led our flagship hotel to rank number one on TripAdvisor out of 880 hotels in the month of April 2022 and managed to maintain in the top 3 ranking, as well as being able to maintain an RGI index of 100% and GRI score (Global Review Index) of 95%.
Imam Setiawan
Director of Housekeeping
Recognized as part of the Top 50 Best Housekeepers in the region by Hotelier Middle East Magazine's Housekeeping Power List 2022, Imam serves as the Cluster Corporate Housekeeper with over 19+ years of experience in the hospitality industry from international hotel chains such as Fairmont Hotels, Kempinski, Jumeirah, Address Hotels, and Intercontinental Hotels to name a few. He has been an integral part of LEVA Hotels, opening new hotels and implementing LEVA standards across the MENA region under his leadership in housekeeping operations.
Daryll Diagro
Corporate Marketing Manager
A passionate, dynamic hotelier and a Marketing Strategy Graduate at Cornell University, an Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Marketing worldwide, member of Marketing Leaders in the Middle East and Bachelor's Degree holder majored in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Bukidnon State University, Philippines. She has a decade of experience as a hospitality professional who has achieved success with well-established hotels in the industry. She brings a wealth of expertise in Customer Service, Food and Beverage, Administration, and Marketing. As one of the pioneering team members of LEVA Hotels since the launch of the brand's flagship hotel in Dubai which has remarkably ranked as number one on TripAdvisor (April to November 2022), she plays a vital role in helping to build the brand identity and curating new ideas with the purpose of maximizing brand awareness, visibility, and a better market positioning of LEVA Hotels globally.