Urban Resort Concepts has appointed Mark DeCocinis as Chief Executive Officer, to helm the next phase of its growth and development of the renowned portfolio of ultra-luxury destination properties which include The PuLi, Shanghai, PuXuan in Beijing and RuMa in Kuala Lumpur.

Mr DeCocinis joins Shanghai-based Urban Resort Concepts with over 35 years of leadership experience in luxury hospitality.

The appointment underscores the company's plan to elevate and enhance its collection of ultra-luxury destination hotels and residences located in prime locations, while moving forward with global expansion plans including China, Asia Pacific and key gateway destinations under the Urban Resort Concepts umbrella.

As CEO, Mr DeCocinis' passion lies in driving collaboration to deliver operational excellence, challenging his teams to develop innovative approaches to winning and delivering luxury business while building a bespoke handcrafted hotel brand.

Urban Resort Concepts will continue to focus on innovation throughout the portfolio, with the goal of investing in its people, elevated experiences for guests and new aspirational immersive features.

Mr DeCocinis said: "My priority is to collaborate in alignment with our owners, colleagues and partners, focusing on continued growth and business performance of the Urban Resort Concepts portfolio at a critical time for the industry.

"We will set new expectation levels in the ultra-luxury hospitality segment with experiences unique to each of the destinations with a deep culture of service and guest experiences recognisable as an Urban Resort Concepts benchmark."

Mr DeCocinis enjoys a successful track record of leading luxury hotel companies, collaborating closely with investors and owners, building a culture of service and luxury brand management.

He served as President and Chief Operations Officer of One&Only Resorts, leading its strategic development and operational performance in nine countries. Prior to this, he was Executive Vice President of Shangri-La International, overseeing global operations and development.

Mr DeCocinis joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in its foundation years, where he held various leadership positions based in the US and Asia for over two decades. In his last role as Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific, he was responsible for the overall leadership of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Asia Pacific, increasing the portfolio from six to 20 hotels including the opening of Asia's first Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari and Edition properties.

His work has been recognized in The People's Republic of China with the prestigious Friendship Award, presented by Premier Wen Jiabao & President Hu Jintao in 2004. He is also the recipient of the Magnolia Gold Award 2003, Magnolia Silver Award 2001 from Mayor Han Zheng of the Shanghai Municipal Government, for his contribution to business, people development and support for the Shanghai Children's Welfare Foundation.

In his leisure time, Mr DeCocinis is an accomplished long-distance runner and has successfully competed in over 100 marathons and ultra-marathons across the globe.

Urban Resort Concepts global portfolio of award-winning ultra-luxury hotels and resorts include The PuLi Hotel and Spa, Shanghai, The PuXuan Hotel and Spa, Beijing and The RuMa Hotel and Residences, Kuala Lumpur, with further properties under development across the region including Moganshan, Shenzhen, Pudong Shanghai, Kyoto and Tokyo.