Leading designer boutique hotel collection Ovolo announces the promotion of Dave Baswal to Chief Executive Officer, allowing Founder and Executive Chairman Girish Jhunjhnuwala to focus on branding, development, and strategic growth of the business. The appointment comes as Ovolo prepares for the next phase of its evolution, with plans to expand into new markets as the hospitality industry recovers from the impacts of the pandemic.
With 20 years of experience in hospitality, finance and real estate management, Dave has been instrumental in Ovolo’s growth during the pandemic and in building a strong team aligned around the group’s core values.
“Dave Baswal personifies the very best of Ovolo – someone with the passion to constantly improve the guest experience; the creativity to innovate new services; and the business acumen to deliver strong performance,” said Girish. “Most importantly, he shares the same people-centric ethos that is at the very heart of Ovolo, delivering happiness to our guests, our teams, and our stakeholders.
“I am excited that his promotion will allow me to direct my energy into finding new opportunities to take the Ovolo experience to more travellers globally. I started my journey in real estate 20 years ago and launched Ovolo Hotels in 2010, and this is the perfect time to evolve the group under a reinvigorated leadership. Dave has the trust of myself and our stakeholders, and his promotion will create new opportunities for the rest of our team. I am excited for what the future holds.”
Dave says he is proud to take the mantle of CEO from Girish and is honoured to have earned the trust of Ovolo’s visionary founder.
“Girish has been such an inspiration to me, and all our team members and he remains the heart and soul of Ovolo. He has a created a brand that deeply resonates with today’s travellers and that inspires our team to deliver exceptional service every day,” said Dave Baswal, new CEO of Ovolo Hotels Group.
“I am honoured to lead this amazing group and to take Ovolo into its next phase at a time of enormous opportunity.”
A National Board Advisory Member of Tourism Accommodation Australia and former executive at Mantra Group, Dave holds a Master’s in Professional Accounting, a Master’s in International Tourism and a Bachelor in Hotel Management, and brings a wealth of experience to the role.
Ovolo currently has 13 hotels and a dozen restaurants across Hong Kong, Australia and Indonesia and is looking for expansion opportunities across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the US.
Girish is certainly not slowing down and will remain intrinsically involved in all aspects of the business, continuing to break the rules that traditional hoteliers follow to set new benchmarks in hospitality.
About Ovolo:
The Ovolo Group was founded by entrepreneur Girish Jhunjhnuwala and first entered the real estate market in 2002; then further expanded into the hotel industry in 2010. Ovolo Hotels quickly became one of Hong Kong and Australia’s most dynamic independent owner operated hospitality firms by providing guests with the best in effortless living across hotels and food and beverage outlets.
The Ovolo Group is a collection of contemporary hotels that keep you connected to the little luxuries you love, all effortlessly included. The company prides itself on being in touch with the modern traveller through award-winning interior designs, detail-driven comforts, complimentary value-added services like the mini bar and breakfast, with cutting-edge technology. Ovolo Hotels have been acknowledged for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, receiving the accolade “Hotel Brand of the Year”, at the 2019 and 2020 HM Awards.
A proud Hong Kong brand, Ovolo Group remains a family-owned and privately-operated business operating four hotels and three restaurants in Hong Kong, and eight hotels and seven restaurants across Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.
Ovolo also has the By Ovolo Collective within its portfolio of hotels, a distinctive collection of four hotels each one unique, each one special, the more guests explore, the more they’ll find. These include Nishi Apartments in Canberra Australia, The Sheung Wan by Ovolo and The Aberdeen Harbour in Hong Kong, and Mamaka Kuta Beach in Bali Indonesia.
As of March 2021, Dash Living collaborated with Ovolo Hotels to launch two new generation of serviced rental solutions in Hong Kong. A total of 135 rooms and suites that form part of a new generation of serviced rental solutions for hyper-mobile millennials will be available for booking. The Aberdeen by Dash Living, soon-to-be converted from Mojo Nomad By Ovolo, offers 79 rooms ranging from studios to executive suites. The 56-room The Sheung Wan By Ovolo, only remaining under Ovolo’s management for stays under 7 days, will offer units from studio, one bedroom, to family room options.
Ovolo acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we are located. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
