Meet Rina Mariani: An inspiring woman hotelier in Asia

As female hoteliers in Asia continue to break stereotypes and challenge the status quo, one woman stands out for her inspiring leadership and unwavering commitment to service excellence. Meet Rina Mariani, a woman hotel leader from Cambodia who is making waves in the hospitality industry.

As general manager of Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Rina has taken on the challenge of re-opening and rebuilding the team in 90 days during these unprecedented times with positivity and resourcefulness.

A woman of today, Rina is first and foremost a mother, wife, exemplary hotelier and leader who puts others before herself. She embraces those around her with kindness and empathy while passionately delivering excellence in service above and beyond expectations.

On International Women’s Day 2023, we celebrate this remarkable woman!

From Bali to Siem Reap, Rina Mariani’s hospitality journey makes history

Rina Mariani hails from Nusa Dua, Bali, and credits her passion for the hospitality industry to luck and destiny. Growing up in a time when travel was on the rise, she had an early insight into the booming hospitality and tourism industry, which would become her life’s calling.

Graduating from the prestigious IMI Luzern in Switzerland with a degree in Hotel and Tourism Management, and having held positions in some of the top hotels around the world, has only humbled Rina more.

In 2000, Rina became a part of the Hyatt family in the sales and marketing role at Grand Hyatt Bali. She then moved to Park Hyatt Dubai and eventually transferred to Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights & Residence.

After making a name for herself in Malaysia through her senior leadership roles, Rina continued to make history when she was appointed in 2020 as the General Manager of Andaz Bali, a high-end brand under the Hyatt portfolio. Despite it being during the pandemic and with many travel restrictions, Rina successfully opened one of the most popular high-end hotels in Bali in 2021 and closed off the year with positive earnings.

In recognition of her successful tenure with Andaz Bali, Rina was offered and accepted the role of general manager at Park Hyatt Siem Reap in April 2022. She embraced her new home city—its culture, heritage, and people—with respect and integrity. In no time, she felt rooted in Cambodia, amazed by its rich history and inspired to contribute to it further.

In this exclusive interview with Travel Asia Now’s Founding Editor-in-Chief Rhea Vitto Tabora, Rina shares her wisdom and experiences, from her leadership style to the challenges faced during the pandemic and how she managed to overcome them. She also talks about her proudest achievement in the industry and offers advice to aspiring hoteliers.

How has your role as a mother and wife shaped your professional leadership style?

I am blessed to have a solid support system where both my husband and daughter are my greatest source of strength and compassion.

My mantra has always been the 3Hs – Head, Heart and Hands. These “three Hs” complement each other: empathy, hard work, and strategic thinking.

What challenges have you faced when balancing work and family life? What strategies have enabled you to grow professionally while raising a family?

The strategy was realizing and accepting that we cannot have everything. And we decided to make our priorities right, including lifestyle choices, and that the decision is fluid.

The pandemic has been tough on the hospitality industry. Can you share with us some of the challenges Park Hyatt Siem Reap has faced over the past year, and how have you overcome them?

During the pre-opening phase, we had an intact hotel, a fabulous team, and the passion to bring back the glory days of this hotel.

However, the main challenge we faced was the welfare of the people. In a very short timeframe, we had to bring on board our existing team that had to be re-trained in all aspects of hotel operations; at the same time, we had to re-instill their spirit of Khmer hospitality guided by Hyatt’s values. People-people-people was always the focus, and this continues to be our priority.

Another challenge we continue to face is the logistics of not only having to deal with limited transportation; we always had hurdles in general with sourcing, as most provisions had to be outsourced. 

Basically, we encountered limited airfare routes into Cambodia, the threat of post-pandemic, border restrictions, and a country that was recovering from an unprecedented event.

The formula to overcome this was simple—we focused on our people, as the right people with the right mindset and abilities can do wonders!

Park Hyatt Siem Reap is one of the most luxurious hotels in Cambodia. What do you think sets it apart from other hotels in Siem Reap?

The location of the hotel, right in the heart of Siem Reap and just a short distance from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, the tranquility of the riverside and the surrounds, and the vibrancy of the city center is the perfect base to explore this fascinating city.

As the first-ever hotel designed by award-winning Bill Bensley, he definitely had a hand in revitalizing certain areas of the hotel to give it the vibrancy which beautifully combines the heritage elements of the Kingdom’s past.

Park Hyatt’s iconic ‘Luxury is Personal’ tagline is emphasized throughout our hotel to garner the exclusivity of the brand.

Every visitor or guest who walks through our doors can appreciate a truly Khmer hospitality that comes from the heart and is crafted with warmth, sincerity, honesty, and passion.

We offer unique and authentic Siem Reap experiences in our very own way, with our own Cultural Insiders, such as the Angkor Sunrise experience, Angkor Cycling Tour, and a range of amazing Culinary Tours.

These tours are personally guided by one of our dedicated team members, and our own chefs conduct the Culinary Tours.

Cultural Insider is an original initiative and a name given to each team member who takes pride in sharing their love and passion for the hotel, the city, and the country. This way, our guests are introduced to the local experiences that are totally unique, dedicated and different from the ritual scripted tours.

Cambodia is a country known for its rich culture and traditions, and its undeniably fascinating history. The local Khmers are proud of their past and the heritage that they have, and with their genuine smiles and care from their hearts, the country had attracted and hosted 6.6 million tourists before the pandemic; hence, in 2023, we hope to contribute to the country returning to its past glorious days.

Could you share an example of one of the most memorable hospitality experiences that you have provided to guests of Park Hyatt Siem Reap?

The experience of Park Hyatt Siem Reap starts from the time a booking is made, where we share our unique cultural experiences with every guest, giving them as much opportunity to experience, learn and partake in the rich heritage, history and culture of Cambodia.

We offer our guests immersive and engaging authentic experiences that are unfiltered, and one such popular tour is the Num Banh Chok Culinary tour (Rice Noodle Tour), where the popular Rice Noodle Soup is a staple dish of the Cambodians.

Guests are invited to witness how a family, through generations, has kept the tradition of producing rice noodles the same way they were made in the olden times. Every time, our guests are particularly impressed by the respect we show towards our cultural roots, especially in food sustainability, and the thought and care that goes towards practicing hygiene so that experiences such as these are fully enjoyed as guests interact and engage in this truly one-of-a-kind activity.

What unique challenges have women in leadership roles faced, and how did you overcome them?

I am a firm believer in human capabilities as long as one comes with the right mindset and knows his or her worth.

Hyatt is a brand that encourages and supports equality for all—you work hard and show results, and you are rewarded.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your job, both personally and professionally?

This has to be developing and grooming people to be their best and helping them find their way in the world.

And if I can do this for the people I work with, and get to travel around the world at the same time, then that is a blessing and a rewarding experience as a hotelier.

Could you discuss one project or initiative that you are proudest of leading at Park Hyatt Siem Reap?

Without a doubt, this has to be a celebrated occasion where we re-opened the hotel in 90 days!

Apart from that, local communities and doing our part for the community is at the heart of our hotel’s and Hyatt’s core values.

Being in hospitality, we identified a community project that would provide scholarships to disadvantaged young adults from the different provinces of Cambodia by enlisting them in a Hospitality Training Programme.

This community project is run by a local organization called SPOONS. We submitted our initiative to support SPOONS to Hyatt Corporation and were successful in receiving a substantial contribution which would now go a long way in SPOONS’ mission, which includes offering training to the new intake of 21 students for this year alone.

Park Hyatt Siem Reap’s management team is involved in volunteering regular training sessions, and students are also accepted as trainees to equip them with real-job experiences when they finally leave SPOONS to seek their own career paths in hospitality.

What advice would you give to aspiring female hoteliers starting their careers today?

In my opinion, in order to have a fulfilling career—not just in hospitality but in any chosen career—one must equip oneself with the skills that will help distinguish them from others.

Work hard and be so good at what you do that people no longer think of your gender. Take calculated risks, try new things… And always thirst for knowledge—from your colleagues, people you meet, and even from your guests.

Do not be shy about not knowing everything, as then where is the joy in discovering, right?

Last but not least, stay healthy and make time for your own well-being. Carve a career lifestyle that suits you, as not everybody can work to the same career patterns. When you are physically and mentally strong and focused, there is nothing to stop you from aspiring to be the person you want to be!