Kuntal Rai

Introduction
Kuntal's work sits at the intersection of hospitality, storytelling and brand. An entrepreneur, travel writer and brand ambassador working with some of the world’s most respected luxury hotel brands, she brings an intuitive understanding of place and people to everything she does.
Born in India and raised across the Middle East and the US, her perspective is naturally layered in equal parts cultural memory and global exposure. Now based in Dubai for more than a decade, she travels extensively to produce work across international magazines and digital platforms with a focus on hotels, hoteliers, gastronomy, travel and culture. Her work is grounded in experience rather than observation, which gives it a sense of depth that feels both personal and yet, precise.

Experience
It was at Oberoi Hotels that Kuntal refined the discipline behind hospitality – the detail and quiet anticipation that defines exceptional service.
It also finds expression in her entrepreneurial work. Through her company, Palazzo Hospitality, a bespoke executive talent search firm, she brings her nuanced and intuitive approach to C-Suite talent; looking beyond roles and profiles to understand alignment and long term fit.
Alongside this, she has worked closely with a select portfolio of luxury hotel brands in an ambassadorial capacity, shaping narratives and representing luxury and lifestyle brands across international markets. Her work is defined by an insider’s understanding of hospitality where the smallest details often define the most memorable experiences.
Her writing has found its way into publications including Preferred Travel Magazine, where she explores destinations through a lens that is much more about feeling as it is about place.
Education
Kuntal studied psychology before graduating from the renowned Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development, an institution that has shaped some of the finest hoteliers in the region. Together, the two disciplines gave her an early understanding of both people and service; what drives behavior and how the best experiences are quietly curated.