The rise of independent female hoteliers: from Valentina De Santis with Passalacqua, rated one of the best hotels in the world, to Esin Güral Argat with Joali in the Maldives
Female hoteliers are redefining hospitality with personal touches; Rosewood’s Sonia Cheng and Pellicano Group’s Marie-Louise Scio are creating fresh concepts to cater to shifting tastes
The hospitality industry has long been powered by women but it wasn’t until the mid-1990s, when Singaporean hotelier Cristina Ong founded Como Hotels and Resorts that female founders started to attract the spotlight. Women like Rosewood’s Sonia Cheng and Marie-Louise Scio from Pellicano Group have taken the helm of their family businesses and focused on new brands, openings and acquisitions. Others like Italian Irene Forte, heir to Rocco Forte Hotels, have carved their own niche by experimenting with new concepts ranging from wellness to fashion.
“Today most female-run hotels are not big chain hotels. Many of these properties are independent and showcase the founder’s unique personal touch. Female hoteliers today are intent on doing things their own way – it’s not about following the masses,” says Zeina Aboukheir, founder of Al Moudira.
Aboukheir is not a new name. The Italian-Lebanese tastemaker launched Luxor’s now famed Al Moudira Hotel in 2002, before selling it in 2022 (she is still a consultant). The chic boutique hotel was designed by renowned Egyptian architect Olivier Sednaoui, but every detail was conceived by Aboukheir, including its old-world interiors featuring artworks and antiques she sourced, from handcrafted doors to hand-painted floor tiles.
“Twenty-five years ago it was already strange to have someone building a hotel in Egypt in the middle of the desert, let alone a woman,” she explains. “Al Moudira has been successful because it has a special charm – everything is personal. It reflects my tastes and personality. It’s a little bit of a mess, like me.”
De Santis meticulously restored and updated the villa’s historic interiors, while also engaging her good friend, renowned Milan-based designer J.J. Martin of La DoubleJ, to help her transform the hotel’s pool and bar areas with her colourful and maximalist prints.
“It was the first time J.J. worked on a design project but we loved the idea of doing something together. Hospitality is still quite a male-dominated industry but the attention to detail, the kindness, the feminine touch a woman can bring to a property are unique. Guests are always saying our hotel has a female heart,” she says.