LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2025--
Elegant Hotel Collection, the pioneering luxury soft brand powered by HotelREZ, has strengthened its global position by welcoming Anita Chan as CEO for the Asia Pacific region under a joint venture agreement between Anita Chan (Hong Kong) and Elegant Hotel Collection (headquartered in the United Kingdom).
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A successful business leader with global influence, Chan’s high-profile appointment as CEO of its Asia Pacific business, underscores Elegant Hotel Collection’s bold ambition for innovation and growth, demonstrating the luxury soft brand’s commitment to making substantial market impact.
As CEO of Elegant Hotel Collection, Asia Pacific, Chan will lead regional expansion plans and grow representation of the region’s membership base. The appointment recognises the company’s commitment to one of the world’s most dynamic and competitive markets for global trade and travel.
Having served as CEO for Compass Edge for the past decade, Chan brings a wealth of experience to her new role with Elegant Hotel Collection, drawing on an impressive career that spans multiple senior executive roles with global brands such as Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Anita will continue to operate and oversee Compass Edge alongside her commitment to the Elegant Hotel Collection ASPAC joint venture.
“Powered by HotelREZ, Elegant Hotel Collection is the most exciting luxury soft brand in the market today and I am thrilled to be joining as CEO for Asia Pacific at this pivotal time. Championing unforgettable experiences in distinctive locations around the world, Elegant Hotel Collection is in an excellent position to cater to the needs of discerning travellers across the region and offers a unique value proposition that independent, luxury hotels in these key markets will be excited to explore,” commented Anita Chan.
“We are thrilled to welcomeAnita Chanas CEO of Elegant Hotel Collection, Asia Pacific. The Elegant Hotel Collection brand has grown from a desire to offer independent hotels more exposure, more reservations and more revenue at an attractive cost of sale, and we are delighted to be expanding our global offering with the opening of an Asia Pacific division. Anita’s appointment highlights our commitment to generating significant value for independent luxury hotels in this region,” commented Catt McLeod, Vice President Elegant Hotel Collection, EMEA.
Mark Lewis, CEO of world-leading distribution and representation company HotelREZ stated, “ We have no doubt #StayElegant™ will become a recognised hallmark of independent luxury and authentic travel – Elegant has gained significant traction in that it balances the need for luxury brand affiliation with commercially sound pricing models, which means hotels see a better ROI, increased margin, and lower overall costs coupled of course with higher occupancy and ADR."
Through the provision of strong, consultative commercial account management Elegant Hotel Collection tailors its services to the needs of each hotel, providing global loyalty, global sales support with access to a network of 60 sales offices worldwide and an enhanced global agency and corporate outreach programme encompassing incremental luxury RFP generation, bespoke agency blitz activities, global roadshows, tradeshow participation and more.
A growing global community of independent luxury hotels, membership of Elegant Hotel Collection is by invitation only and including renowned establishments such as Exclusive Collection (UK), Galgorm Resort (Northern Ireland), Fonab Castle Hotel & Spa (Scotland) Cresta Palace Celerina (Switzerland), Paresa Resort Phuket (Thailand) and The Townhouse Hotel Mykonos (Greece), which was recently awarded a prestigious Michelin Key.
About Elegant Hotel Collection
Elegant Hotel Collection is a full-service luxury soft brand with regional hubs in Newark, London, Athens (EMEA) Miami (US) Hong Kong (APAC) Bogota, Panama (LATAM) in addition to 60 Sales and Marketing offices across the globe. Delivering best in class distribution operations, technology and sales and marketing services to a curated global network of independent luxury hotels, Elegant Hotel Collection is committed to sustainable, curated, invitation-based expansion centred around its five fundamental pillars - authenticity, inclusivity, innovation, distinction and sustainability. Elegant Hotel Collection is represented worldwide under the HO GDS chain code powered by HotelREZ.
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Anita Chan, CEO Asia Pacific Elegant Hotel Collection
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.
Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.
Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”
He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”
Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.
In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.
Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”
Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.
“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.
The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.
The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.
Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.
In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)
