Kiwi Curated
Hotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
by Joy Pecknold and Monika MarkovinovicHeld in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19, 1911, the first International Women’s Day brought one million people out to rally for women’s right to vote, work, receive training, hold public office and not be discriminated against. While the world still has a long way to go in reaching gender equality, this IWD, meet nine women who have changed the hospitality landscape by breaking through the proverbial glass ceiling.
Hotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
A bold new cultural hub celebrating the accomplishments of women and recognizing their enduring struggle for gender equality, Hotel Zena is sending a message of female empowerment to the hospitality industry. The space was conceptualized by Andrea Dawson Sheehan, art director and principal of Dawson Design Associates Inc, and designed with artwork painted, photographed, sculpted and stitched by feminists of all genders with powerful stories to share. Primarily created by women, the hotel is a hub for culture, unity and empowerment. In the lobby, created using 20,000 hand-painted and repurposed tampons, a portrait of the late honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hangs to mark a pivotal time in America’s history.
VIEW HOTELHotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
One of the most noteworthy hoteliers in the world, Lindsey Ueberroth is a trailblazer in the hospitality industry as CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Under her guidance, female leadership at Preferred is strong with Michelle Woodley as President, Lori Strasberg as SVP of Marketing, Gail Ueberroth as Vice Chairman & Chief Creative Officer and Cheryl Williams as Chief Revenue Officer. Together, this team oversees more than 650 hotels and resorts across 85 countries. As for Ueberroth, she is also the co-founder of LeadingHôtelières, an initiative calling for gender equality across senior positions in the hospitality industry.
Hotel in photo: Shutters on the Beach
VIEW HOTELSHotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
Indu Brar made history as the first female general manager of the Fairmont Empress. After 23 male managers over the span of 108 years, Brar joined the beloved Pacific Northwest icon in March 2016 after spending nearly 30 years with Fairmont hotels around North America. Under her management, Empress was named the 2020 Best Historic Hotel in the Americas. In March 2021, Brar took on the role of SVP, Customer Technology, with Accor Hotels.
VIEW HOTELHotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
With over 30 years in the hospitality industry, Christiane Germain is a true leader. Named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the founder of Germain Hotels is dedicated to nurturing future generations of women entrepreneurs and young Canadian talent at her properties across Canada, from Calgary to Charlevoix. She is chair of the board of directors of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and received the National Order of the Government of Canada in 2015.
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Known as the “Queen of Bond Street,” Christina Ong is one of the most significant luxury hoteliers in the world. Founder of COMO Hotels & Resorts, Ong’s properties to date include the Parrot Cay resort on a 1,000-acre island in the British West Indies, and the enchanting Balinese spa retreat COMO Shambhala Estate, a venture close to her heart as a committed yoga practitioner herself. When not in the hospitality space, she operates fashion retailer Club 21 and British luxury leather goods company Mulberry. She was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Hotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
Art collector, gallerist, patron and owner of one of Marrakech’s most stunning properties—Vanessa Branson wears many hats. The entrepreneur first fell in love with Marrakech 20 years ago and as a result continued her love affair with El Fenn, a romantic escape in the heart of the storied Medina. When not enjoying her hotel’s magical atmosphere, Branson plunges herself into the art scene. She is the founder of Marrakech Biennale, a cutting-edge contemporary visual art, literature, and film festival in Morocco, as well as a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and a trustee for the Virgin Unite, a charitable arm of Virgin.
VIEW HOTELHotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
Villa Spalletti Trivelli Rome is steeped in female history and heritage. Gabriella Rasponi, the widow of Count Venceslao Spalletti Trivelli, purchased land across from the gardens of the Quirinal Palace and built her home, which would eventually become one of Rome’s most luxurious hotels. Following her husband’s death, Rasponi devoted herself to the women’s movement and became president of the National Council of Italian Women. Villa Spalletti Trivelli became an important political and cultural meeting place for women. Now, family history lives on with Raimonda Spalletti helping manage the hotel alongside her brother, Andrea.
VIEW HOTELHotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
In 1992, Elisabetta Fabri made her first move as a business owner, founding Starhotels International. Her dedication to hospitality was inherited from her father Ferruccio, who established Starhotels in 1980. Under her leadership, the brand is the only Italian hotel chain with an international presence whose ownership and management have been held by the same family without interruption for over thirty years. In 2019, Fabri received a knighthood for the Order of Merit for Labour from the President of the Italian Republic. Commitment to empowering women, she is a member of AIDDA, the Italian Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Corporate Executives.
Hotel in photo: Splendid Venice – Starhotels Collezione
VIEW HOTELSHotels Featuring a Strong Female Lead
Named CEO of Rosewood Hotels at the age of 30, Sonia Cheng is revamping hospitality for a new generation. Overseeing a portfolio of 41 properties in 19 countries, including icons such as Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and Rosewood London, the Harvard-educated entrepreneur took the helm of her family’s Rosewood brand in 2011 and made creating a new luxury tier aimed at well-heeled New Age travelers her mandate. In October 2020, she took on another tourism role as a member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
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A bold new cultural hub celebrating the accomplishments of women and recognizing their enduring struggle for gender equality, Hotel Zena is sending a message of female empowerment to the hospitality industry. The space was conceptualized by Andrea Dawson Sheehan, art director and principal of Dawson Design Associates Inc, and designed with artwork painted, photographed, sculpted and stitched by feminists of all genders with powerful stories to share. Primarily created by women, the hotel is a hub for culture, unity and empowerment. In the lobby, created using 20,000 hand-painted and repurposed tampons, a portrait of the late honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hangs to mark a pivotal time in America’s history.
VIEW HOTELOne of the most noteworthy hoteliers in the world, Lindsey Ueberroth is a trailblazer in the hospitality industry as CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Under her guidance, female leadership at Preferred is strong with Michelle Woodley as President, Lori Strasberg as SVP of Marketing, Gail Ueberroth as Vice Chairman & Chief Creative Officer and Cheryl Williams as Chief Revenue Officer. Together, this team oversees more than 650 hotels and resorts across 85 countries. As for Ueberroth, she is also the co-founder of LeadingHôtelières, an initiative calling for gender equality across senior positions in the hospitality industry.
Hotel in photo: Shutters on the Beach
VIEW HOTELSIndu Brar made history as the first female general manager of the Fairmont Empress. After 23 male managers over the span of 108 years, Brar joined the beloved Pacific Northwest icon in March 2016 after spending nearly 30 years with Fairmont hotels around North America. Under her management, Empress was named the 2020 Best Historic Hotel in the Americas. In March 2021, Brar took on the role of SVP, Customer Technology, with Accor Hotels.
VIEW HOTELWith over 30 years in the hospitality industry, Christiane Germain is a true leader. Named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the founder of Germain Hotels is dedicated to nurturing future generations of women entrepreneurs and young Canadian talent at her properties across Canada, from Calgary to Charlevoix. She is chair of the board of directors of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and received the National Order of the Government of Canada in 2015.
VIEW HOTELSKnown as the “Queen of Bond Street,” Christina Ong is one of the most significant luxury hoteliers in the world. Founder of COMO Hotels & Resorts, Ong’s properties to date include the Parrot Cay resort on a 1,000-acre island in the British West Indies, and the enchanting Balinese spa retreat COMO Shambhala Estate, a venture close to her heart as a committed yoga practitioner herself. When not in the hospitality space, she operates fashion retailer Club 21 and British luxury leather goods company Mulberry. She was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Art collector, gallerist, patron and owner of one of Marrakech’s most stunning properties—Vanessa Branson wears many hats. The entrepreneur first fell in love with Marrakech 20 years ago and as a result continued her love affair with El Fenn, a romantic escape in the heart of the storied Medina. When not enjoying her hotel’s magical atmosphere, Branson plunges herself into the art scene. She is the founder of Marrakech Biennale, a cutting-edge contemporary visual art, literature, and film festival in Morocco, as well as a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and a trustee for the Virgin Unite, a charitable arm of Virgin.
VIEW HOTELVilla Spalletti Trivelli Rome is steeped in female history and heritage. Gabriella Rasponi, the widow of Count Venceslao Spalletti Trivelli, purchased land across from the gardens of the Quirinal Palace and built her home, which would eventually become one of Rome’s most luxurious hotels. Following her husband’s death, Rasponi devoted herself to the women’s movement and became president of the National Council of Italian Women. Villa Spalletti Trivelli became an important political and cultural meeting place for women. Now, family history lives on with Raimonda Spalletti helping manage the hotel alongside her brother, Andrea.
VIEW HOTELIn 1992, Elisabetta Fabri made her first move as a business owner, founding Starhotels International. Her dedication to hospitality was inherited from her father Ferruccio, who established Starhotels in 1980. Under her leadership, the brand is the only Italian hotel chain with an international presence whose ownership and management have been held by the same family without interruption for over thirty years. In 2019, Fabri received a knighthood for the Order of Merit for Labour from the President of the Italian Republic. Commitment to empowering women, she is a member of AIDDA, the Italian Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Corporate Executives.
Hotel in photo: Splendid Venice – Starhotels Collezione
VIEW HOTELSNamed CEO of Rosewood Hotels at the age of 30, Sonia Cheng is revamping hospitality for a new generation. Overseeing a portfolio of 41 properties in 19 countries, including icons such as Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and Rosewood London, the Harvard-educated entrepreneur took the helm of her family’s Rosewood brand in 2011 and made creating a new luxury tier aimed at well-heeled New Age travelers her mandate. In October 2020, she took on another tourism role as a member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
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