Kempinski Hotels Appoints Loay Nour as Global Vice President of Brand & Marketing

Kempinski Hotels has appointed seasoned luxury hospitality marketer Loay Nour as Global Vice President of Brand & Marketing, as the group sharpens its global positioning and brand strategy. Nour brings decades of experience from Accor and Jumeirah, with a track record in elevating iconic luxury hotel brands across key international markets.

Kempinski Hotels has signalled a renewed push toward strengthening its global brand positioning with the appointment of hospitality marketing veteran Loay Nour as Global Vice President of Brand & Marketing. The move underscores the luxury hotel group’s ambition to fortify its distinctive European heritage while competing for increasingly discerning travellers amid a crowded luxury landscape.

Nour arrives at a strategic moment for Kempinski as luxury hospitality continues to evolve beyond opulent accommodations to experiences defined by authenticity, personal connection, and emotional storytelling. His mandate, according to the group, includes ensuring a unified and high-impact brand presence across all touch points globally, with an emphasis on creativity backed by data-driven insight. This balance of art and science has become central to luxury brand differentiation, particularly as digital platforms have reshaped how hotels engage with guests before, during and after their stay.

“We are delighted to welcome Loay to the Kempinski family,” said Barbara Biffi, Chief Brand Officer, Kempinski Hotels. “His proven track record of building iconic brands and delivering innovative, high-impact campaigns will be invaluable as we continue to evolve and amplify Kempinski’s global presence.” Her remarks reflect a broader industry recognition that brand stewardship has expanded from traditional communications into holistic reputation and experiential value creation.

For his part, Nour described the role as both an honour and an opportunity to build on Kempinski’s longstanding heritage. “I am thrilled to join Kempinski at such a defining time for the brand,” he said. “Kempinski’s heritage, craftsmanship, and sense of timeless European luxury are truly unique.” He added that he looks forward to partnering with teams worldwide “to further elevate the brand and create moments that inspire our guests,” signalling a brand philosophy centered on emotional resonance.

In his new role, Nour will oversee a team responsible for brand, marketing, loyalty, CRM and social media activities across global markets, bringing multiple disciplines together under a cohesive brand vision. The consolidation reflects a shift within luxury hospitality toward integrated brand ecosystems in which loyalty, digital engagement, guest experience and storytelling reinforce one another rather than operate as isolated verticals.

Nour joins Kempinski from Accor’s Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, where as Vice President of Brand and Marketing he spent three years shaping the brand narrative for several of Fairmont’s most high-profile openings. These included landmark properties that sought to align product design, service ethos and visual identity into singular expressions of modern luxury. He highlighted how “strategy, storytelling, and brand innovation contributed significantly to strengthening Fairmont’s global presence in the luxury hospitality sector,” placing emphasis on the narrative-led approach now common in hospitality branding.

Before Fairmont, Nour served as Vice President of Marketing for Accor across the Middle East, Africa, India and Turkey, overseeing marketing strategy for 500 hotels and 42 brands. His remit included the launch of significant luxury flagships such as Raffles and Fairmont Doha, Sofitel The Obelisk, Fairmont Riyadh, Raffles The Palm Dubai and others—projects that required aligning global brand frameworks with local cultural sensibilities and market dynamics. Such experience is expected to be particularly relevant for Kempinski as luxury hotel development spreads beyond traditional hubs into emerging lifestyle and leisure destinations.

Earlier in his career, Nour spent more than a decade at Dubai-based Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, rising through commercial and marketing roles before becoming Cluster Director of Marketing. There, he oversaw marketing operations for ten ultra-luxury properties including the iconic Burj Al Arab, one of the world’s most symbolically potent hotel brands. This foundation in Middle Eastern luxury—where experiential opulence has long been a competitive hallmark—provides another dimension to his expertise at a time when global luxury is expanding to include culture, wellness, gastronomy and destination partnerships.

The appointment reflects Kempinski’s recognition that hospitality brands are increasingly judged by the coherence and emotional intelligence of their public footprint. From immersive digital campaigns to loyalty-linked lifestyle benefits and multi-channel storytelling, the modern hotel brand must engage guests long before they arrive at a property and continue doing so long afterwards. Data and CRM tools have also elevated hospitality marketing into a precision discipline capable of personalising offerings for travellers seeking unique experiences rather than standardised luxury.

Kempinski, known for its European pedigree, craftsmanship and sense of refinement, has spent recent years modernising while safeguarding brand heritage. Nour’s appointment suggests that the company will intensify this evolution, especially as affluent consumers diversify geographically and generationally. Millennials and Gen Z luxury travellers, in particular, look for brands that articulate identity with clarity and intention, and that offer experiences rooted in culture rather than corporate uniformity.

For luxury groups, marketing leadership plays a strategic rather than purely promotional role. It extends into product, partnerships, cultural relevance and global consistency. Nour’s background in destination partnerships, property positioning, loyalty engagement and digital storytelling equips him to navigate this complexity. His appointment further aligns Kempinski with a global trend in which hospitality companies seek executives who can synthesise heritage with contemporary expectations.

The luxury hotel category remains competitive and fast-moving, shaped by shifting tastes, new wealth markets, and an expanded definition of what luxury entails. Kempinski’s decision to strengthen brand leadership indicates confidence that the group’s core DNA—European luxury deeply rooted in heritage—can be sharpened to meet the expectations of modern travellers who value meaning as much as material indulgence. With Nour now at the helm of global brand and marketing strategy, the industry will watch closely how Kempinski articulates its next chapter on the world stage.