In the world of high-stakes hospitality, design is often mistaken for mere aesthetics—the selection of a fabric, the curve of a chair, or the warmth of a lighting fixture. But for Reema Diwan, Vice President of Design and Technical Services at Accor, design is a high-performance engine that drives business efficiency, brand narrative, and commercial success.
With a career spanning over two decades, Reema has navigated the evolution of the Indian hospitality landscape from a nascent market to a global powerhouse. Her journey is one of quiet defiance, intuitive strategy, and an unrelenting commitment to making “business sense” out of creative visions.
The Defiant Architect
Reema’s entry into the world of architecture was a battle of wills. Born into a traditional Indian family, the expectation was clear: She was to become a lawyer. She even spent a year studying law to satisfy her father’s wishes. However, the pull of the creative arts was too strong to ignore.
“My father didn’t speak to me for a year when I told him I wanted to leave law to become an architect,” Reema reflects. In an era where women in architecture were rare—and often relegated to office roles rather than dusty construction sites—Reema sought to prove that a creative mind could be just as rigorous and respected as a legal one. Supported by her mother, she pursued her passion, eventually graduating as a topper and discovering an intuitive connection to hospitality.
The Starwood Era
Reema’s foundational years were spent at Lalit Hotels, but it was her nine-and-a-half-year tenure at Starwood Hotels that defined her as a global leader. As a founder member of the Starwood team in India, she was instrumental in introducing brands like Westin, Aloft, and the groundbreaking W Hotels to the subcontinent.
At Starwood, Reema learned that global brands must be “relevant to the location.” She recalls the challenge of bringing the W Hotel brand to India—a brand known for its whimsical, boundary-pushing design.
“I remember telling an owner that we should not have locks in the guestroom toilets for a W project,” she laughs. “He asked, ‘How can you have a toilet without a lock in India?’ I told him it’s supposed to be whimsical; it’s a guestroom experience.” This ability to align global vision with local reality became her trademark.
The IHCL Chapter
Following her success at Starwood, Reema joined Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), the custodians of the legendary Taj brand. Working with a legacy brand presented a different set of challenges. While Starwood was about establishing the new, IHCL was about refreshing the iconic.
She was deeply involved in restructuring and reimagining the brand landscape, from Taj Safaris to Vivanta and the SeleQtions brand. Her task was to refresh the portfolio for a new generation without losing the “emotional soul” that the Taj brand carries.
The Accor Years
Now, as the VP of Design and Technical Services at Accor, Reema oversees a sprawling portfolio that includes some of the world’s most prestigious brands: Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, and Novotel.
In the five years she has been with Accor, Reema has moved beyond the traditional “box” of design. She views herself as a “market activator.” One of her most significant achievements has been reviving “dead projects”— construction sites that had been stalled for over a decade. By applying her expertise in local compliance and technical services, she pushed these projects to completion, turning stagnant investments into revenue-generating hotels.
The Business of Beauty
Reema is a firm believer that design must make commercial sense. She often finds herself playing the role of the grounded strategist for first-time hotel owners.
“I tell owners who want to overspend: This is a hotel. It has to look good, but it has to make commercial sense. If you spend too much now, you will suffer, and you will make us suffer later.”
Sustainability: Beyond the Buzzwords
For Reema, sustainability is not a checkbox or a marketing gimmick; it is a fundamental design principle. She is on a mission to debunk the myth that “sustainable is expensive.”
“If you do the math, being sustainable eases your operating and capex costs,” she explains. By studying the “path of the sun” and optimising the building’s facade, Reema notes that a hotel can benefit by up to 35% in operating efficiency.
She walks the talk. Recently, she pushed for the Pullman Chennai to be LEED certified. Despite it not being a “greenfield” project, she led the team through the rigorous process. “It is the second hotel in Chennai to be LEED certified,” she says proudly. “We need to stop just talking about sustainability at forums and start showing it in our actions.”
Designing for the Guest
Reema’s design philosophy is rooted in the end-user. She differentiates Accor’s diverse brands by analysing the specific demographics of each guest:
| Brand | Target Demographic | Design Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Ibis | Gen Z / Young Professionals (18–30) | Cheerful, Playful, Innovative |
| Novotel | Business & Leisure Travellers | Sustainable, Biophilic, Integrated |
| Fairmont | Mature Travellers (35+) | Art Deco, Sophisticated, Mature |
| Raffles | Ultra-Luxury / High-Net-Worth | Authentic, Peaceful, “Less is More” |
“Programming is everything,” she insists. “No matter how well you design, if the programming—the flow and experience—is wrong, the guest won’t feel the brand.”
The Construction Site: A Woman’s Battleground
While Reema now sits in boardrooms, she hasn’t forgotten the grit required to get there. One of the greatest challenges she faced earlier in her career was the sheer lack of infrastructure for women on construction sites.
“Sites are often in isolated areas, near mountains or lakes,” she recounts. “For years, there were no public washrooms or basic facilities for women on-site. You would be there for the whole day, compromising on your basic needs.”
These experiences shaped her into a leader who focuses on talent over gender. She is a vocal advocate for closing the gender pay disparity and breaking the stereotypes that have long ruled the technical side of hospitality.
The Future: Storytelling and Market Activation
As Accor continues to grow in India, Reema is focused on creating “storytelling hotels.” Whether it is the upcoming Fairmont in Mumbai or Agra, or the first Raffles in Udaipur, her goal is to ensure each property resonates with its contextual insight.
“I am not someone who can be defined in a box,” Reema concludes. “I like to move mountains.”
By marrying the creative soul of an architect with the pragmatic mind of a business leader, Reema Diwan is not just designing hotels; she is building the future of how we experience the world.
Box: Reema Diwan’s Leadership Principles
· Intuitive Strategy: Design should follow the business’s numbers and the guest’s needs.
· Sustainability as Standard: LEED certification and environmental consciousness are non-negotiable.
· Contextual Relevance: A brand must adapt to its location to be meaningful.
· Fairness in Leadership: Success should be driven by talent, not gender-defined roles.
