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“I was fortunate to live my dream. I always wanted to become an hotelier and, looking back, I met inspiring people, negotiated exciting deals, and always enjoyed working in the service industry.”
Kurt Ritter was literally born into the hotel industry, growing up in the 1940s in his parents’ quaint hotel in Switzerland. As the 65 year-old celebrates 37 years in the hospitality industry, he is modest about his track record. “Well, in a way, it is not rocket science,” he says as he sits in the Radisson Blu Doha ahead of the official ceremony to welcome Qatar’s largest hotel into the company fold, and his final hotel opening before retiring. “They change more in NASA in three years that we did in the last 30 years in hotels. It is a basic industry looking after the basic needs of a human being away from home; a good bed, good shower and good internet," he smiles. “Things have been added but the basics are the same. You check in at a friendly and efficient desk, as opposed to a robot. I think everybody will always love these basics that are well done.” Under Ritter"s leadership, Brussels-based Rezidor"s portfolio has grown to include some 436 hotels, with more than 95,000 rooms in operation and under development in 70 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “I was fortunate to live my dream. I always wanted to become an hotelier and, looking back, I met inspiring people, negotiated exciting deals, and always enjoyed working in the service industry.” Clearly in a nostalgic mood, he leans back in his chair and eases his tie as he looks back over his career: the troublesome periods, the successes, the challenges and the odd regret. As he hands over the reins in January, Ritter says one of the goals he leaves unfinished is his aim to create a two-star hotel brand. He believes there would be a massive market for one in this region and hints that it may even make its debut in the Middle East. “I wanted to do it,” he says. “We have made the studies and we have a concept that is 80 or 90 percent ready. “I think especially in the countries like the Middle East, where there is still a lack of mid-market products… and a lot of sports events… You don’t put them in the Ritz-Carlton for these events.” The reason Ritter says he did not pursue this aim was because he believes he made the mistake of taking on too many lease options at a time when the economy was struggling. On the one hand, owners were demanding payment and on the other, the hotels were suffering from low occupancy levels. “We went through a tough time," he explains. "For several reasons, between 2003 and 2007, we signed up quite a lot of new properties with lease contracts. The lease contract — depending where you are — can go from one and a half to two years, [and up to] to five years when ramping up the business. “We had signed, proportional to the whole portfolio, too many leases in these four years [and] they all opened. So you are responsible and the owner makes a contract and you lease it and, come hell or high water, you have to pay the lease and he [the owner] has to pay his banker. “He is fine as you have to pay to him. That was not such a lucky thing either, but this is a problem that goes away by itself with time. You have to go through this period where you have to tighten the belt a bit more than usual,” he adds. The hotel operator currently manages the Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and has a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni to develop a range of branded hotels. So will the two-star brand ever see the light of day? “That I have to leave to my successor, I don’t want to decide for him but he knows it is on the shelf. It takes a lot of time and work to start up a brand but I would start it up and I told him I would start it up in the Middle East.” Ritter certainly knows a lot about branding and rebranding hotels. In Dubai, Rezidor took over the management of the 471-room JAL Tower and the 257-room Hotel JAL Fujairah Resort & Spa, both of which have been rebranded Radisson properties. Now, in Doha, the firm is set to officially unveil its new Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha, formerly the Ramada Doha. “Of course we have a system. You have to debrand and rebrand. Usually when a hotel has had a name for 33 years it is very difficult to now say it is something else but when we arrived late at Doha airport, with one of my colleagues, we had an escort lady and she asked if we had transportation. “I said we were going to the Ramada and she said ‘no it’s now the Radisson" so we were quite happy. It takes a while but it is important that the hotel gets the feel and the DNA of a Radisson. |
