A rendering of the lobby of the Park Inn by Radisson in Jeddah , Saudi Arabia
“ I WANT TO
SUPPORT THE GENERATION COMING BEHIND ME - BE A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THEM .
”
female talent : The company says it has increased the number of female workers at its hotels in Saudi Arabia to 102 from six just four years ago , and it employs 21 Saudi women in leadership positions .
Park Inn is Rezidor ' s fast-growing midscale chain . Brussels-based Rezidor manages the Radisson brand in Europe , the Middle East and Africa . It has 35 properties in Saudi Arabia open or in development under the Park Inn and Radisson banners .
Kokandi , 38 , will launch the first Park Inn in Jeddah - a gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina . The property , set to open by the end of the year , will have 84 keys , a restaurant , two cafes , an outdoor swimming pool , a business center and three meeting rooms . It expects to attract religious tourists as well as a mix of business and leisure travelers .
CHALLENGES AND ' PATIENCE ' A native of Jeddah , Kokandi says her parents were open-minded and encouraged her in her career . She traveled frequently with her family , which sparked her interest in hotels .
One of her first professional positions brought out her resourcefulness . As a sales manager for a Rosewood hotel in Jeddah , she was responsible for events booked by the government and the royal family . " That was a challenge because women at the time weren ' t allowed to enter a government building without a male relative such as a father or brother ," she says . She got around the restriction by conducting business over the phone and then inviting her clients to visit her hotel for presentations . " I developed relationships with decision-makers and built my database ," Kokandi says . At her next sales job , for a Dubai-based hotel in Jeddah , she befriended the Saudi minister for tourism , Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud , president and board chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage . The minister helped Kokandi seek and win a scholarship under a government program to encourage more Saudi nationals to enter the hospitality industry .
Kokandi had studied business administration at a Saudi university but at age 29 she headed to the United Kingdom to study hospitality and tourism management , first at Oxford Brooks University , then London Metropolitan University and finally Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales .
The education was wide-ranging - she studied art in the Victorian era , politics and cinema . “ We learned about everything because in hospitality you can work in any sector and go anywhere in the world ,” she says . “ The world is one global village .”
On her return she worked for UAE real estate developer Emaar Properties and was accepted to Radisson ' s leadership development program , which led to her general manager appointment . Now Kokandi is preparing for the hotel ' s opening - hiring and training staff , marketing the property and planning the opening logistics . "
" The pre-opening period of a hotel can be challenging with so many deliverables to meet , in addition to the recruitment of the entire hotel team ," says Basel Talal , Rezidor ' s regional director for Saudi Arabia . " Maram has shown great skill in involving the team in the entire process ." She ' s not afraid to make mistakes and learns from the experiences along the way , Talal adds .
In her free time , Kokandi enjoys spending time with her family , reading and shopping . She looks for variations of the traditional abaya and has even designed her own garments .
Reflecting on her progress in a male-dominated society , Kokandi notes she has been lucky to be accepted . " I want to support the generation coming behind me ," she says . " You have to be very patient in this journey . It ' s not easy ."
April 2018 hotelsmag . com 33