DALLAS—Oyo Hotels has named Kasra Moshkani as its head of business in the U.S. Moshkani, who has overseen Oyo’s Eastern U.S. business as region head since October 2019, will lead the U.S. business, with support from Abhinav Sinha, who will focus more on his role as global COO of Oyo Hotels & Homes. Moshkani took on this new role on Sept. 1.
In more than a year, Oyo has established its footprint across 37 states in the U.S. with more than 300 hotels and nearly 20,000 rooms. It also operates Oyo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Oyo Hotel Times Square in New York. The hotel chain is now witnessing slow and steady recovery driven primarily by the Southeast. According to the company, it went back to the basics during the lockdown period, focusing on its core strengths—technology, data science and operational excellence. Moshkani’s appointment comes as a positive move as Oyo reiterates its commitment to the U.S. hospitality industry and chalks its path to recovery in the coming months, according to the company.
While Oyo’s U.S. business was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic—in the form of falling occupancies and revenue—by state and local shutdowns, it has started recording sustained levels of recovery in the past three months. RevPAR has reached nearly 92% of its pre-COVID-19 levels. The company has also added 8,000-plus rooms to its chain in the U.S. since January.
Commenting on the development, Sinha, who also serves as operating partner, Oyo U.S., said, “The U.S. holds immense strategic importance with respect to Oyo’s global presence. Since launching Oyo’s unique, tech-driven hospitality in 2019, we have hosted over 1.4 million guests in the country and developed strong partnerships with 300-plus asset owners. As we continue that growth, I’m thrilled to announce Kasra Moshkani as the head of Oyo’s U.S. operations. Kasra has played a valuable role in making Oyo a trusted brand offering quality accommodation in the Southeast U.S., and we are confident that under his leadership, we will continue to strengthen Oyo’s value proposition across the country while developing it as the preferred choice for guests and for hotel partners alike.”
Moshkani holds more than 15 years of experience in building companies centered around innovative ideas and has market expertise in general management, operations, strategic planning, corporate finance and investing. His past tenures include Uber Technologies, Grail Partners & Advisors and MyClean. He also co-founded HireBrite, an HR-tech start-up. A native of Miami, he is an alumnus of Harvard University and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
“My work at Oyo presents a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am excited to contribute to Oyo Hotels’ strategy in these challenging times, and enabling the company’s long term success and sustenance in the U.S.,” said Moshkani. “Oyo offers a unique and inclusive proposal that, supported by technology, allows us to boost hotels. Today, the company is synonymous with quality stays and innovation, and is driven by passionate, mission-oriented individuals. We are deeply committed to continuing the momentum of Oyo’s recovery, while contributing to the hospitality industry at large.”
David Buddemeyer, one of Oyo’s asset partners and president of Driftwood Hospitality Management, said of working with Moshkani, “Kasra and his team have been a pleasure to partner with on our first Oyo property. They always listen to my team’s feedback and make sure we’re set up for success. I’m excited about the impact Kasra will bring for Oyo across the U.S.”