Corinthia Hotels has announced the appointment of Ayla Ghaffarzadehgan as Senior Investment Manager within Corinthia Real Estate Ventures (CREV), the investment arm of the Maltese hotel group. Based in London, she took up the role in September 2026.
Ayla Ghaffarzadehgan takes up the position after a career spanning nearly nine years in finance and real estate. She began her career at Goldman Sachs in London, where she spent more than three years as a Fixed Income Analyst, from July 2018 to October 2021.
A career built at Blackstone
She went on to join Blackstone in November 2021 as a Senior Associate, a role she held for nearly five years covering the Greater London area. This experience gave her direct exposure to large-scale real estate investment dynamics, as Blackstone has continued to strengthen its European presence in recent years, notably within the hospitality sector.
Her time at Blackstone coincided with a period of strong transactional activity for the US fund in hospitality, spanning both asset acquisitions and refinancing deals across Europe. This experience provides a relevant foundation for her new role within a hotel group that is both owner and developer.
An appointment within Corinthia Hotels’ investment arm
At Corinthia Hotels, Ayla Ghaffarzadehgan will support the group’s investment strategy at a time of sustained growth in its international portfolio. On LinkedIn, she said she was pleased to be starting this new professional chapter with the Maltese hotel group.
Corinthia Hotels has recently made a series of strategic announcements spanning openings, development projects and geographic diversification. The group notably announced its entry into the Chinese market with a project in Chengdu, marking a step in its expansion beyond Europe, the Middle East and Africa, its traditional markets.
A wider management renewal
The appointment comes as Corinthia Hotels has undergone several governance changes during 2026. In April, Simon Casson stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Corinthia Hotels Limited, at his own request, after two years in the role marked notably by the opening of the group’s first property in the United States, The Surrey in New York. According to our latest information, he remains associated with the group as senior strategic adviser to Simon Naudi, Group CEO and Managing Director of Corinthia Group.
In July, Corinthia Hotels also announced the appointment of Peter Roth to the newly created role of President, Hotel Operations. Based in London and reporting directly to Simon Naudi, he oversees the operational performance of the group’s existing portfolio as well as preparations for upcoming openings in Italy, Doha, Riyadh, Dubai, the Maldives and Chengdu. He joined Corinthia after more than thirty years of experience in luxury hospitality, including roles at Jumeirah, Hyatt and Four Seasons.
Corinthia Hotels, a growing platform
Founded in Malta in 1962 by Alfred Pisani, Corinthia Hotels is owned by International Hotel Investments plc (IHI), listed on the Malta Stock Exchange since its IPO in 2000. The group operates properties in London, Budapest, Prague, Lisbon, Malta and several other European and Middle Eastern capitals.
In recent months, the group has opened new properties, including the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels and a property in Rome, while continuing projects in Doha, Riyadh, Dubai and Lake Como. This growing pipeline explains the group’s ongoing reinforcement of its teams, both on the operational side and in investment.
Academic background
Ayla Ghaffarzadehgan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of St Andrews, completed between 2013 and 2017, as well as an MSc in Economics and Strategy for Business from Imperial College Business School, obtained in 2018.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Corinthia Hotels appoints Ayla Ghaffarzadehgan as Senior Investment Manager
Role – Senior Investment Manager, Corinthia Real Estate Ventures (CREV), London
Start date – September 2026
Previous roles – Senior Associate, Blackstone (2021-2026); Fixed Income Analyst, Goldman Sachs (2018-2021)
Wider context – Follows Simon Casson’s departure as CHL CEO (April 2026) and Peter Roth’s appointment as President, Hotel Operations (July 2026)
Education – MSc Economics and Strategy for Business, Imperial College Business School; BSc Economics, University of St Andrews
