Marriott International announced its first-ever female general manager in Saudia Arabia as Marina Krasnobrizhaya takes charge at The St. Regis Riyadh. Slated to open in summer 2022, Krasnobrizhaya will lead the hotel’s pre-opening efforts and spearhead a new era of luxury in the Kingdom by introducing the style, innovation, and cherished traditions of St. Regis to the country.
With 17 years of experience, Krasnobrizhaya is a Marriott International stalwart and she joins The St. Regis Riyadh following her recent position as director of operations at The Park Tower Knightsbridge, a Luxury Collection Hotel in London. Prior to this, she held senior roles at The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow and Hotel Arts Barcelona.
One of her earliest roles with Marriott was in her home country of Russia where she worked as a front desk agent of The Ritz-Carlton Moscow. Staying with the five-star Ritz-Carlton brand for a decade, she went on to become front desk supervisor, assistant front desk manager and front desk manager at the hotel over four years.
“Marina brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we are delighted to have her join The St. Regis Riyadh,” said Ahmed Hozaien, area VP – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & Egypt, Marriott International. “Marina’s appointment adds valuable leadership to the property, and highlights Marriott International’s commitment to championing the advancement of women in executive positions.”
Commenting on her appointment, Krasnobrizhaya said, “I am delighted to take on this new role and look forward to working with the team to deliver an uncompromising level of bespoke service and exquisite experiences in the city’s best address.”
Owned by Sela, The St. Regis Riyadh is expected to offer with 83 guestrooms, including 23 suites, two signature restaurants, an outdoor pool, fitness centre and spa. The St. Regis Riyadh will strengthens Marriott International’s footprint in Saudi Arabia, where the company currently has a portfolio of over 30 open properties and more than 9,000 rooms across ten brands.
The new appointment is part of Marriott’s efforts to boost female representation in the Kingdom’s hotel industry.
Its Saudi edition of Tahseen – a leadership fasttrack program – recorded 50 candidates in 2021, of which nearly 50 percent were women – marking the highest enrollment of women into the program since its launch in 2018. Since inception, Tahseen’s Saudi edition has had over 100 graduates the majority of which are now employed at Marriott International properties across the Kingdom in managerial, supervisor and director roles across functions such as sales, HR, F&B, marketing, finance and operations. The company plans to launch the fourth edition of its Tahseen program in the Kingdom this year, said the statement.
