A third-generation hotelier, Amruda Nair devoted the early part of her hospitality career to real estate and finance. She started at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels as an analyst, then moved into an owners’ representative spot for the firm, managing assets in Asia and doing preopening budget reviews, management contract negotiations and mystery guest audits. She later became head of asset management for her family’s company, Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts in India. Looking to make her own mark, Nair partnered with Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani to create Aiana Hotels and Resorts, an Indian-inspired brand based in Qatar. At 33, she is CEO of the company, which has three projects in development with an eye toward expanding in India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Nair is one of 20 rising stars (all 40 and under) HOTELS interviewed for our May feature. All shared their insights about their lives in the business and thoughts about some of today’s challenges and opportunities. In a Wall Street Journal-sponsored series, read Nair’s responses to our questions and click here to link to the full list of interviews with HOTELS 20 Next-Gen hospitality leaders.
Contributed by Megan Rowe
HOTELS: What’s the state of career opportunities in the hotel industry?
Amruda Nair: At a strategic level, I believe that career opportunities have increased thanks to institutional ownership and hotel management companies going public. Scale and public funding have brought on jobs related to greater reporting requirements. With the busy asset trading environment and cross-border transactions, roles for asset management and development specialists have also increased.
H: Do you see any evidence glass ceilings and old boys’ networks are falling? And how are younger hotel professionals networking now?
AN: I have worked across Asia and the Middle East, and I have seen that many female leaders run very large portfolios — not just female general managers, but president- and CEO-level roles, and playing leadership roles in large owned and managed hotel groups. As for networking, social media has changed the way people network. But in my career I have always found hotel school alumni groups to be the most helpful, whether it’s to get advice, find a mentor or look for a new role.
H: Do you think company cultures are shifting in a timely manner to meet hotel staff and corporate needs?
AN: Hospitality companies have no choice but to evolve. As the younger generations enter the space, companies have to be more engaging or risk losing them to other service industries that are adapting much faster. We are seeing even luxury brands adapt: At one time you would never see someone working at a Ritz-Carlton with a tattoo, a beard or piercings, but now you do. With brands like Aiana that are catering to a younger traveler, there is even more need to adapt.
H: What are the changing needs and priorities of next-gen leaders?
AN: The most important thing for me is a need to give back to the community, so we are doing a lot of things at the property level to get that kind of engagement going. We’ve looked at ways to create local employment, such as outsourcing the staff canteen to local women.
H: Why are people getting into the hotel business?
AN: I think the idea of being part of a large environment where you have a lot of opportunities to move up and transfer is a draw. Today, people are looking to move within a year. Hospitality gives them that choice. A lot of the younger people we hire say during the interview that they are happy to go to a smaller resort, but they eventually want to be in a particular city.
H: What do you care about most when it comes to hotels and careers?
AN: I was at a hospitality conference where someone on stage said the most innovative thing the hospitality industry has ever done is creating that pointy top at the end of a toilet tissue roll. All the disruptors have been outsiders. How do we as an industry force change? I think we have lost momentum when it comes to the online travel agent; we’ve lost ownership of that guest.
We’re essentially in the people business. So I’m very interested in consumer research and understanding what makes people happy. I keep up with what’s happening in terms of hotel designs, trends and materials. They are all driven by what customers dictate and what they are willing to pay a premium for.
H: What about the business keeps you up at night?
AN: Innovation. The disruptors in the hotel industry have all been outsiders.
H: To what do you most attribute your success and growth?
AN: I benefited greatly from having parents who supported the idea of me traveling and taking on different roles. What has certainly worked for me is being able to follow opportunity.
H: What advice would you give next-gen hotel leaders or people entering the business?
AN: Constantly be learning and working in different roles with different brands. That way you can pick up the best global practices and create your own. Focus on the tech side: Soon we will be running tech companies that provide hospitality as a service.
H: Describe the things that you try to do every day.
AN: I keep up with the news on hotel deals and trends. And I love reading consumer research about why people travel and what makes them happy, so I can then try to incorporate those ideas into practice in our hotels.
H: Where do you find inspiration?
AN: My grandfather has always been an inspiration for leaving behind a legacy. He was a risk-taker and started the hotel business at the age of 65. His approach to business was very bold, and that encourages me every day to push my limits and explore new possibilities.
H: What’s one prediction you’re willing to make about the coming year?
AN: India is the market to watch. The economy is stable, and you don’t see the fluctuations you see with the Chinese travel market. So I’m very big on India.