Although Allison was unavailable by press deadline, a source familiar with the hire tells GlobeSt.com that as chairman, his role will have less emphasis on finance as opposed to his role at Kerzner.

"We are delighted to have an executive of John's stature join Scout," notes CEO Alan Worden in a prepared statement. "John brings extraordinary vision, experience and savvy to our team. His mastery of hospitality industry financing and proven ability to lead high-quality operating teams at luxury resorts will be invaluable to Scout as we move forward with our projects in Martha's Vineyard, Bermuda and Hawaii's Big Island."

The source explains to GlobeSt.com that the complete the renovation of the Martha's Vineyard hotels and rebuild of the Bermuda resort are first on Allison's agenda. "Allison will also look for opportunities for Scout in the luxury resort sector." The source adds that he will split his time between New York City, Florida and London.

"I am tremendously excited and energized by the opportunity to help build a hotel group from the ground up," Allison says in a prepared statement. "Scout is focused on all the right things--extraordinary locations, impeccable service, authentic experiences, sustainability and truly great design. We have the opportunity to build one of the world's leading luxury boutique hotel groups."

While at Kerzner International, Allison was intimately involved in projects around the world, including the company's flagship resort, Atlantis, located in the Bahamas, and other projects in Dubai and Morocco. Prior to joining Kerzner, Allison was financial director of Sun International Inc., a resort and management holding company with interests in approximately 27 hotels in southern Africa. Allison began his career with Coopers and Lybrand in South Africa.