Boutique Group CEO interview: How Mark DeCocinis is transforming Saudi palaces into world-class hotels
With Boutique Group, CEO Mark DeCocinis is building a unique hospitality portfolio that will transform Saudi Arabia’s hotel offering
Despite the name, there is nothing small about the scope or scale of Saudi Arabia’s Boutique Group. A home-grown firm turning palaces and historical buildings into ultra-luxury hotels, Boutique Group has ambitions to become one of the world’s most important hospitality majors. Green-lit by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs, and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Boutique Group is more than a hotel company, it is a vessel to take Saudi culture to the world.
This is precisely the role of the company’s CEO, Mark DeCocinis, who is as much an ambassador and protector of culture as he is an experienced hotel expert. Throughout his 40-year career, DeCocinis has been president and COO of One&Only, Kerzner International’s ultra-luxury hotel flag, as well as head of The Ritz-Carlton, Asia Pacific.
Nothing, though, is comparable to his work with Boutique Group.
