NEWH - Spring 2020 - 42

INTERVIEW

Radha Arora: President,
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
The president of one of the best-known hotel brands in the business tells Can Faik
about his plans for moving Rosewood ever forward
By Can Faik

stablished in 1979, Rosewood is a distinctive collection of highly individual, luxurious, residential-style hotels inspired by the culture,
history, and geography of each locale. Led by a team of industry veterans, Rosewood's acclaimed attention to detail, proactive
approach to environmental sustainability, and dedication to relationship hospitality has earned it numerous awards and accolades.

Radha Arora with Can Faik

What was your background prior to working for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts?
My passion for hospitality is generational; my father was in the diplomatic core and
as a child I traveled extensively, so I was exposed to the allure of the world's most
iconic hotels at a very young age. We traveled extensively, stayed in wonderful
hotels, and met many interesting people.
I studied at Les Roches in the early 1980s-it is what I like to call the "Ivy
League" of hotel schools-where you could learn your craft; the skills of the trade.
For people who took hospitality seriously, Les Roches was (and still is) the place to
go. During my 30-year career in luxury hospitality, I've had the unique opportunity
to work at some of the most iconic hotels in the business, starting with the Savoy
and Ritz London and leading all the way to my 17-year career with Four Seasons,
where I added another iconic hotel to my resume as regional vice president and
general manager of the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. I
became president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in 2011 when the Cheng family
acquired the brand. I previously worked under the Cheng family during my time at
the Beverly Wilshire, as the family owns that hotel.

What does your current position involve?
I oversee our 28 properties globally, with 19 currently under development. Nurturing our 10,000 employees across
the Americas, Europe, and Asia has become a more important focus for me over the last few years, driving and
strengthening our company culture to help realize our goal to be recognized as having best-in-class team and culture.
What's one unexpected shift that you've seen in guest expectations?
A new type of traveler is creating a global shift in ultra-luxury hospitality. We call these "affluential explorers."
Not necessarily a generational or a demographic change, but more of a psychographic/attitude change. This is a
demographic that seeks deeper connections, profound authenticity, and life-changing insights into the cultures they
enter and experience. We have found that travelers of all ages, Millennials and Baby Boomers alike, are choosing to
spend their disposable income on meaningful travel experiences.
What role do Europe and the Middle East play in Rosewood's international growth?
Rosewood's thoughtful global expansion began with the 2013 opening of Rosewood London and 2014 opening of
Rosewood Beijing. Since then, Rosewood's impressive growth has continued in Europe with the addition of Rosewood
Castiglion del Bosco, its landmark property in Tuscany owned by fashion magnate Massimo Ferragamo, and the iconic
Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, in Paris, which reopened to great acclaim in July 2017 following an extensive, fouryear transformation. Additional European hotels in development include Rosewood Vienna (2021), Rosewood Munich
(2023), and our second hotel in London located in Mayfair on Grosvenor Square.

42 www.newh.org

http://www.newh.org

NEWH - Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Spring 2020