Marriott COO reflects on the growth of his luxury portfolio in the region
Marriott International has had a remarkable year of growth in the Middle East, with several new luxury properties opened and signed, under the leadership of Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East & Luxury, Europe, Middle East & Africa. The growth highlights brand diversification, with the introduction of much-awaited, new-to-region luxury labels and also underscores the successful implementation of Marriott’s first-to-market strategy.
“We have over 250 hotels open in the Middle East now, and about 110 openings in the pipeline. The three most important markets here are the UAE, where we have crossed the 100-mark, Saudi Arabia where we have 40 operational properties, another 40 in the pipeline and expect to reach 100 hotels by the end of next year, and Turkiye, where we also expect to reach 100 hotels opened and signed by the end of next year.
“Further afield, we’re looking at luxury lodges in Africa. We feel that business is growing a lot, and this is a space that we can get into with some of our brands. We opened the JW Masai Mara, and that’s doing really well. It’s been very encouraging for us.”
The cusp of luxury and wellness is another area that Walia would like Marriott to make some serious forays into. “We’ve seen the rising trend of luxury wellness, we are looking for the right partner to bring in this wellness angle, which goes beyond the spa and has leanings towards longevity and regenerative wellness.”
LANDMARK OPENINGS
Particularly, in the Middle East, the opening of Nujuma, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the EMEA region, has marked a significant milestone for Marriott’s exclusive luxury brand. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort welcomed guests as the first private island property to open in the Red Sea project. Marriott introduced its urban chic EDITION brand to Saudi Arabia with the announcement of The Jeddah EDITION.
As an industry that focuses on luxury hospitality, personalisation should not be the end goal but the very basic tenet that we build upon to exceed guest expectations
– Sandeep Walia
The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort, a luxurious escape in the heart of Oman, marked the country debut of the royal St. Regis brand.
Marriott introduced the Tribute Portfolio to the region with The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle in Dubai. It has successfully rebranded three properties from Abu Dhabi National Hotel’s portfolio, transitioning them into JW Marriott and Autograph Collection hotels.
Sansaryan Han, a Luxury Collection Hotel, opened its gilded doors in Istanbul, further strengthening Marriott’s luxury presence.
The signings and future openings are equally impressive: a Ritz-Carlton Reserve was announced on Ramhan Island in Abu Dhabi, marking the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the UAE. A Ritz-Carlton Reserve was also announced in Trojena, NEOM. The debut of a W Hotel in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District and signing of a JW and Autograph Collection in Jeddah form part of several new partnerships announced in Saudi Arabia.
In Bahrain, Marriott signed an agreement with Gulf Hotels Group to convert Gulf Hotel Bahrain to an Autograph Collection Hotel, marking the brand’s debut in the Kingdom. Marriott signed six deals in Egypt including The Ritz-Carlton Palm Hills, Cairo.
Since Walia was appointed COO in July 2021 at the peak of the pandemic, Marriott’s portfolio in the region has grown 40 per cent, with no signs of slowing down.
Under Walia’s leadership, Marriott has helped open Saudi destinations with its flagship luxury addresses. Walia attributes this first-to-market success to Marriott’s diverse portfolio of over 30 brands across luxury, premium, select, longer stays and collections, adding, “The establishment of an office in Riyadh early on has also supported our growth and stability of new openings. The role of people in the success of the openings and the importance of local talent has been paramount.
“The company aims to expand into secondary cities in Saudi Arabia with its premium and select-service brands as well,” says Walia.
TRAINING, MENTORSHIP
With 250 operating hotels and a growing pipeline of 110 properties in the Middle East region, it is easy to lose sight of the finer details.
An in-depth conversation reveals that aside from the obvious growth targets, Walia’s leadership priorities are perfectly aligned with his passion for the hospitality industry. Developing people, promoting diversity in governance, localising talent and ultimately, creating exceptional emotional experiences for guests – is what keeps him going.
Walia is particularly proud of Marriott’s programmes to identify and develop high potential leaders, providing them with mentors and sponsors to help them grow into GM and cluster GM roles.
He is also a champion for promoting women in leadership roles. Marriott’s success in placing the first female general managers in key markets like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt is a testament to his ongoing work.
Localising talent is another important goal for Marriott and for Walia as he emphasises its importance in delivering authentic experiences for guests. He takes pride that in markets like Turkey, 99 per cent of hotel staff are local.
Marriott International is focused on empowering youth across the region. Highlights in the past 12 months include the launch of Gelişim Okulu, a unique vocational educational programme developed in response to a growing need to further enhance tourism education in the Turkiye. Created in partnership with TÜROB 50 Yil Meslek Ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi, Gelişim Okulu is focused on providing the next generation of hospitality leaders in the country with practical skills training and the opportunity to launch successful careers in the industry.
“We also continue to grow our Tahseen programme in Saudi Arabia. This year marked the graduation of 38 candidates who have moved into roles with Marriott; and the intake for this year programme features 40 new candidates,” he says.
WHAT IS LUXURY?
Creating luxury at scale is a rare art that few can master. It demands unparalleled attention to detail, consistency, and a relentless commitment to excellence.
Walia believes that the ability to emotionally connect with and exceed guest expectations is the very essence of luxury. He takes pride in small, thoughtful gestures by staff that create memorable experiences.
“People were moving from product to experiences anyway – we had already seen that and COVID accelerated this whole trend,” he says.
“I feel like it’s become easier for people to fly and travel all around – so, it’s become easier to move people physically, but I think moving people emotionally is becoming more and more difficult.
“People are spending more but the expectations are growing exponentially too.
“Every time an associate does something special for a guest, it touches them, but the next time that special gesture becomes a basic expectation.
“I think luxury is when you’re able to move a person emotionally every time and do something for him or her that is above and beyond the previous time. As an industry that focuses on luxury hospitality, personalisation should not be the end goal but the very basic tenet that we build upon to exceed guest expectations,” says Walia.