SANTIAGO
SHAMSEDDIN
PEOPLE TO WATCH
Hyatt Hotels Corp . defines its purpose as caring for people so they can be their best , and the company ’ s Miraval Resorts brand is arguably the epitome of that philosophy . The newest steward of Miraval ’ s brand is Susan Santiago , who took over as senior vice president of the company ’ s Miraval division in January .
After joining Hyatt 28 years ago as a server , she has distinguished herself through posts in F & B , as a property general manager and area VP , and in executive operations posts , all experiences she expects to draw on in her new role .
Miraval is an apt fit for Santiago , who is passionate about health and wellness both personally and professionally . A confirmed runner and believer in the healing power of food , she pioneered Hyatt ’ s “ Food , Thoughtfully Sourced . Carefully Served ” approach .
“ Hyatt ’ s philosophy and core values align with mine personally — it makes going to work not feel like a job ,” Santiago says .
A challenge she faces is keeping a 25-year-old brand relevant . One way she expects to retain that edge is continuing to provide one-of-a-kind experiences , such as underwater Thai massage and equine therapy .
The guests aren ’ t the only ones drinking from the Miraval fountain . The resorts recently partnered with author Catherine Price on a digital mindfulness curriculum — a strategy for curing cellphone addiction , with Price guiding employees through the practice .
“ What I ’ m most excited about is continuing to create these types of programs around mind , body and spirit for our team ,” Santiago says .
Santiago also is tasked with evolving the brand , which is opening for the first time on the U . S . East Coast this spring . Beyond that , she ’ s not prepared to talk specifics , other than to say , “ as with Hyatt ’ s growth strategy , we ’ re very thoughtful about how we grow — we ’ re not growing for growth ’ s sake .”
SUSAN
SANTIAGO
Senior vice president , Miraval Resorts , Americas Hyatt Hotels Corp .
JAD
SHAMSEDDIN
Chief hospitality officer , Al Ajlan Bros Holding
Investors are rushing into Saudi Arabia as the country diversifies its economy , and Riyadh-based investment group Al Ajlan Bros is using the moment to diversify its own holdings , this time into hotels .
Enter Jad Shamseddin , brought on board recently to develop a hotel portfolio and hire a team to support it .
Shamseddin , most recently managing director for Al Hokair Group ’ s hotels division , is well-equipped for the task . At Al Hokair , he was responsible for more than 35 hotels and a team of 2,400-plus associates . During his career he has overseen openings and conversions of more than 20 properties , ranging from upper luxury to midscale .
An initial priority is identifying projects that will realize a healthy ROI — he ’ s eyeing distressed properties , unfinished projects and underperforming hotels that need some TLC . But he says Al Ajlan is not ruling out well-performing hotels . And while Saudi Arabia is an obvious target , the company will consider sites in more mature travel markets in Europe as well , he says .
Shamseddin is optimistic about how growth in travel worldwide and emerging markets like Saudi Arabia pose attractive opportunities for building a portfolio , but he ’ s also mindful of the challenges to success , such as political unrest , health scares , natural disasters and the influence of technology on operations and profits .
“ Our advantage here is that we are newly investing in the industry and we have the ability to ensure we invest considering all of this ahead of time ,” he says .
28 hotelsmag . com April 2020