Langham Hospitality Group's new head of development for Europe, Middle East and Africa said the strands of DNA and history within his new firm underline his career journey thus far and speak volumes about hospitality, warmth and heritage.
Josh Littman joined Langham in June following more than five years as vice president of development, EMEA, at Starwood Hotels. While he manages development of all of Langham owner Great Eagle Holdings’ brands, the two upcoming EMEA Langham-branded hotels in Venice and Riyadh encapsulate these welcoming traits, Littman said on “The Upgrade: EMEA Hospitality News” podcast.
Langham Hospitality Group will soon open just its second Langham Hotels & Resorts property in Europe and first since 1865, the 133-room Langham, Venice. The hotel will open near the southern tip of the island of Murano in a 16th-century building owned by Palladium Italia.
Langham globally has more than 30 hotels in operation and pipeline, Littman said. When it opens in 2027, the Venice hotel will make a statement that the flag is ready to be grown in the EMEA region and benefit from several strands of DNA inherent in the brand, operating company and ownership vehicle.
“As our CEO, Bob van den Oord, likes to say, 'British heart and Asian soul,' and [the brand] takes the best of both worlds,” he added.
The first Langham hotel in the Middle East will be in Diriyah, which is close to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“The heritage, the history, the legacy, and there are a lot of synergies between that and the Langham brand. Saudi Arabia is rooted in deep, rich heritage, yet is also very forward-looking,” Littman added.
Littman has had a journey in the hotel industry mirroring that, one that is both familiar and unique, getting his hands dirty across various disciplines and understanding the myriad parts of any operation that come together to make a property or portfolio a success.
“Full circle, working on property and operations, understanding how things impact the guest experience, how things impact employees’ experience, importance of departments like housekeeping, working for ownership groups and advising investors, so it feels as though I have gathered a reasonable amount of experience to allow me to deploy into my key role at Langham,” he said.
For more from Langham Hospitality Group's Josh Littman, listen to the podcast embedded above.