Business Development Manager - Hospitality Expansion

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a commercially driven and entrepreneurial Business Development Manager – Hospitality Expansion to lead the identification and development of new hotel, hostel, resort, and restaurant opportunities across Mexico .

This role will focus on market expansion, property acquisition, deal sourcing, business development, strategic partnerships, and new market entry . The successful candidate will identify high-potential properties and locations, build relationships with property owners, investors, developers, landlords, brokers, and hospitality stakeholders, and lead opportunities from initial prospecting through negotiation and deal closure.

The ideal candidate combines strong hospitality industry knowledge, commercial acumen, networking ability, negotiation skills, and business development experience , with a proven ability to identify and convert new business opportunities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Hospitality Expansion & Market Development

• Identify and develop new hotel, hostel, resort, restaurant, and hospitality expansion opportunities across Mexico.
• Conduct market mapping to identify attractive cities, destinations, neighborhoods, and emerging tourism markets.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of potential hospitality properties, owners, investors, developers, landlords, and strategic partners .
• Identify opportunities for new builds, acquisitions, leases, management contracts, conversions, and partnerships .
• Develop market-entry strategies aligned with the company's growth objectives.
• Monitor tourism, hospitality, real estate, and investment trends to identify emerging opportunities.

Property Acquisition & Deal Sourcing

• Proactively source potential properties through direct outreach, networking, brokers, real estate contacts, investors, developers, owners, and industry relationships .
• Evaluate potential properties based on location, market demand, tourism potential, competition, property condition, operational potential, and commercial viability .
• Conduct preliminary property assessments and prepare opportunity summaries for senior management.
• Develop and maintain a qualified property acquisition pipeline .
• Coordinate property visits, inspections, owner meetings, and commercial discussions.

Business Development & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with property owners, landlords, investors, developers, real estate brokers, hospitality operators, and strategic partners .
• Generate new business opportunities through proactive B2B business development, networking, referrals, industry events, and direct prospecting .
• Develop long-term relationships with key decision-makers across the Mexican hospitality and real estate markets.
• Represent the company at hospitality conferences, tourism events, real estate events, investment forums, trade shows, and networking functions .
• Maintain strong relationships with partners throughout the acquisition and development process.

Deal Structuring & Negotiation

• Lead or support negotiations with property owners, investors, landlords, developers, and business partners.
• Explore and evaluate commercial structures including:
  • Hotel management agreements
  • Hostel management agreements
  • Lease agreements
  • Acquisitions
  • Joint ventures
  • Franchise / operating partnerships
  • Revenue-share and other strategic partnership models
• Prepare commercial proposals, business cases, preliminary financial assumptions, and deal presentations.
• Negotiate commercial terms that support long-term profitability and sustainable growth.
• Coordinate with Legal, Finance, Operations, Development, and senior management throughout the negotiation and closing process.

Market Research & Feasibility

• Conduct market research, competitive analysis, location analysis, and hospitality feasibility assessments .
• Analyze hotel and hospitality market indicators including occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, room supply, demand generators, tourism trends, competitive positioning, and market segmentation .
• Assess the commercial potential of new markets and individual properties.
• Prepare preliminary business cases, feasibility reports, investment proposals, and expansion recommendations .
• Provide management with actionable market intelligence and recommendations.

Project Handover & Expansion

• Work with Operations, Development, Finance, Legal, and other internal teams to transition signed opportunities into the development and implementation phase.
• Support property onboarding, pre-opening, renovation, conversion, and launch activities where required.
• Ensure commercial agreements, operational requirements, timelines, and project expectations are clearly communicated during handover.
• Maintain relationships with property owners and partners throughout the development and operational stages.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Real Estate, Finance, Marketing, Tourism, or a related field .
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Business Development, Hospitality Development, Property Acquisition, Real Estate, Investment, Sales, or a related commercial position .
• Strong experience within the hotel, hostel, resort, restaurant, tourism, or hospitality industry .
• Proven track record in new business development, property acquisition, deal sourcing, market expansion, or strategic partnerships .
• Existing network within the Mexican hospitality, real estate, tourism, investment, or property development sectors is highly desirable.
• Experience working with property owners, landlords, developers, investors, brokers, or hospitality operators .
• Strong commercial and financial understanding with the ability to evaluate business opportunities.
• Experience with management contracts, leases, acquisitions, joint ventures, or hospitality partnerships is a strong advantage.
• Excellent negotiation, presentation, networking, relationship management, and business development skills.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in market research, feasibility analysis, competitive analysis, and business case development .
• Highly proactive, entrepreneurial, and comfortable building a business pipeline from scratch.
• Strong understanding of the Mexican hospitality and tourism market .
• Fluent in Spanish and English ; professional-level proficiency in both languages is preferred.
• Willingness to travel extensively throughout Mexico and internationally when required.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel independently within Mexico is an advantage.