Chris Franzen Appointed as the General Manager at Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotels and Residences

SWISS NATIONAL, hospitality industry veteran and a professionally trained chef and sommelier, Chris K. Franzen has been appointed as General Manager for Grand Hyatt Mumbai and Area Vice President for Western India. Prior to his appointment in India, he worked for six and a half years as GM at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas in Qatar. Besides his role as GM for the Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel & Residences, he will also be responsible for Operations for all Hyatt hotels in Western India in his role as Area Vice President for West India.

After spending several years in the culinary and food & beverage departments, he opted to try out other areas of the hospitality trade. He was keen on expanding his horizon and worked for many smaller luxury hotels and restaurants along the way such as the Hotel La Porte D’Octodure in Martigny and the Hotel Duc Berthold in Fribourg, both in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. 

He brings with him over thirty years of experience having worked in Europe, the US, Australia, Russia and the Middle East before joining in India. He has also worked for other global hotel operators and luxury boutique hotels over the years, that includes the Gourmet Restaurant Glashof in Zug, the Hilton Hotel in Zurich, Kofler & Kompanie in Germany, the luxury boutique hotel The Inn on Fifth in Naples, Florida, and the Hotel Kurrajong in Canberra, Australia. He started his Hyatt career as Revenue Manager at the Hyatt Regency Dubai, followed by other appointments at the Grand Hyatt Muscat in Oman, the Park Hyatt Moscow in Russia, the Grand Hyatt Dubai in the UAE, and the Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas in Qatar.

Chris decided to join hospitality trade early on, despite his father telling him not to do so. Chris has won several awards and honours over the years that include the Business Excellence Award 2017 and was also one of the candidates for the Jay A. Pritzker Award for Leadership and the same year his hotel team in Qatar was also a contender for the Donald N. Pritzker Award for Hotel Team of the Year. He is also well versed in three languages English, French and German.