perspectives interview By Will Speros Photos by John Millar, Connor Mollison, and courtesy of YOTEL GROWTH SPURT How YOTEL's Rohan Thakkar is breaking the mold When YOTEL launched in 2007, it challenged the industry to imagine a hotel room with everything you need and nothing you don't. Its success has proven that a small footprint need not skimp on luxury, and chief development officer Rohan Thakkar wields these same principles to steer the pioneering brand toward even grander innovation. Here, he discusses YOTEL's longevity, its booming decade, and the brand's future in the Middle East. YOTEL will open as the first hotel in Oxagon, part of the forthcoming NEOM development in Saudi Arabia Caption hospitalitydesign.com February/March 2023 033http://www.hospitalitydesign.com